The Washington Commanders played their first game Sunday night since Terry McLaurin’s patellar tendon tear. While McLaurin is a significant loss, the Commanders did overcome it against the Philadelphia Eagles defense.
Veteran Treylon Burks had his best statistical performance of the season with a team-high 81 receiving yards. Furthermore, rookie Antonio Williams emerged as head coach Dan Quinn expected he would. Williams posted a team-high five receptions with 54 receiving yards, including a 30-yard catch, on seven targets.
Meanwhile veteran starter, Stefon Diggs, caught quarterback Jayden Daniels’s lone touchdown pass. The Commanders defeated the Eagles 27-10.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was pleased with the receiver group, particularly Burks and Williams. Quinn spoke highly of their play in his postgame press conference Sunday night.
“The moment’s never seem too big for [Williams]. He played a number of different spots, so to see him lock in, him and Stef, at certain locations, Trey as well, I thought that was a step in the right direction for us,” Quinn told reporters.
Dan Quinn Likes What He Sees From Rookie Antonio Williams
Quinn set the bar pretty high for the rookie ahead of the Eagles showdown. The Commanders head coach told reporters last Tuesday that Williams was ready for a bigger role with McLaurin out for the rest of the season.
The third-round rookie responded with a season high in receptions.
Quinn explained to the media how Williams filled a new role for the team without McLaurin against the Eagles.
“I think that’s a really significant thing for him and Sonny. As first-year players, to know that they are down for the challenge, I like the way they’re working,” Quinn added on Williams. “We made some adjustments in terms of not everybody playing too many different locations, so routes, depths and locations could be better … in the San Fran game, we weren’t as clean in the route running as we would have liked.
“I suspect, that’s going to look better tonight.”
Williams reached the 50-yard plateau against the San Francisco 49ers in the team’s last game. But the rookie was a bigger focal point for the offense Sunday night.
In part because of Williams’s performance, the Commanders were able to save their season of sorts. They improved to 2-4-1 to move within two games of first place in the NFC East.
Commanders Get Great Production From Treylon Burks vs. Eagles
As big of a role as Williams played, Burks was equally important, leading the team in receiving. Quinn answered how the 26-year-old was able to do that in McLaurin’s absence.
“He’s always been an excellent competitor. That’s part of his DNA of who he is,” said Quinn. “To be able to get on top. That’s one of the things that Terry is so unique at, and so to have that ability for him. You feel his catch radius too.
“This is a guy who’s long. He’s got size. So the contested catches are big for us too. I like that he’s coming into his own. His role continues to emerge, and certainly more without Terry.”
That should continue to be the case for Burks, who had 66 receiving yards versus the 49ers after McLaurin exited with his injury. In every game before that this season, Burks never reached 50 receiving yards.
Burks now has more receiving yards in 2026 than he’s had in four years. Burks sits only 211 receiving yards away from a new career high.
Dan Quinn Opens up on How Commanders Replaced Terry McLaurin in Eagles Win