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Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Washington Commanders' latest win was more historic than you think

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By David Harrison | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 12:00 PM ET

LOS ANGELES -- As ‘get right games’ go, the Washington Commanders put on quite a doozy in Week 5, coming back from down 10 points to the Los Angeles Chargers to eventually run away with a 27-10 victory, their first road win of the 2025 season.

It was a true team effort that earned them the win, too. While the Commanders once again got off to a slow start, something they’ll continue to work on as the season progresses, the offense eventually got humming, and the defense took two possessions away from the Chargers, both while they were threatening to add to the 10 points they’d scored early in the game.

The much-discussed secondary especially stepped up with Washington safety Quan Martin forcing a fumble that cornerback Marshon Lattimore recovered and cornerback Mike Sainristil securing a goal-line interception. That’s only the beginning of the impressive data coming out of this win, as several milestones were reached along the way.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Daniels Makes History... Again

We’ll start with the quarterback, because he’s the most important player on the field, and the fact that Jayden Daniels became the first to reach 1,000 yards rushing helped remind everyone just how special he is, even with a knee brace on.

By hitting the milestone in just 20 games, Daniels has done something no other quarterback has, but he didn’t stop there. On Sunday, Daniels also became the first quarterback in NFL history to accumulate over 4,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in his first 20 games as well.

Samuel Joins Franchise Legends

Not to be outdone, receiver Deebo Samuel didn’t do something nobody ever has, but he did achieve something only Hall of Famers ever have.

By becoming just the third player in history to have 5,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards rushing in his first seven seasons, Samuel joined other Washington legends Bobby Mitchell and Charley Taylor. Samuel is the first receiver to do it, ever.

Veterans Climb the All-Time Ranks

Future Hall of Famer Von Miller has made a living playing football at levels that astound, and on Sunday he moved into a tie with the legendary Lawrence Taylor for 14th all-time in sacks with 132.5 of them. He also now owns the record for the most sacks against a single opponent, totaling 17.5 of them across his illustrious career.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Rookie Shines Again

Earning Tom Brady’s LFG Award as the Player of the Game in Week 5, rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt also joins the list of milestones and is thus far the only rookie offensive player to have two rushing touchdowns in a single game. Not bad for a seventh-round pick.

Croskey-Merritt became the first rookie since Alfred Morris in 2012 to have 150+ scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Team and Franchise Milestones

Individual performances are always appreciated, and when you have this many of them, it is really no surprise to see the Commanders come out on top. The team as a whole also achieved some milestones in Week 5.

The second-half shutout of Los Angeles was the first for Washington since Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season, and in the process of earning it, the defense held quarterback Justin Herbert to his eighth-lowest passing yards performance in his career.

Defensive end Dorance Armstrong recorded two sacks on Sunday, getting himself back onto the 17-sack season track he was on ahead of Week 4, and matched his total season output from 2024 with 12 games left to play.

In their first win over the Chargers since 2013, their first road win over the team since 1986, and the franchise’s first win against head coach Jim Harbaugh ever, Washington put some good film down, broke some uncomfortable trends, and got back in the win column and above .500.

It was a good way to end the business trip out west, and an even better way to prelude the Commanders’ first home primetime game of the year coming up next Monday night.