LANDOVER, Md. – – Jayden Daniels shook himself off with an early interception to the goal line like it was his 50th NFL game, not his fifth.

“Stay the course,” he said. “Don’t get too high, but too low. Everything will be fine.”

It worked out well enough to give Daniels and the Washington Commanders a fourth straight win, a 34-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The rookie quarterback had nearly as many incompletions as the previous three games combined, but overcame that with 82 yards rushing and the longest touchdown pass of his young career.

“I just missed a couple throws,” said Daniels, who was 14 of 25 passing for 328 yards. “That’s it. Some throws I would like to have back, but some plays we were able to take advantage of.”

Washington is 4-1 for the first time since 2008. Cleveland has lost three in a row and drops to 1-4.

“Nobody likes where we are,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I don’t have a good feeling about the 1-4. It eats away at you.”

Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols paced the Browns, combining for 211 yards on 31 carries. Robinson ran for two touchdowns, and McNichols had one in a game so lopsided that fans did the wave with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Commander’s defense had a lot to do with that, forcing Deshaun Watson to fumble, sacking him seven times and allowing a total of 212 yards. After Washington came in with the worst third-down defense in the league, Cleveland went 1 of 13 in a sloppy, disjointed effort, with the only touchdown coming in garbage time.

“We kept it on our shoulders because a defense like this is our play to step up,” said linebacker Frankie Luvu, who led the team with 2 1/2 sacks. “There is always room for improvement, and we as a defense are just getting started.”

Watson was 15 of 28 for 125 yards and the late TD toss set up tight end Jordan Akins. He has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game this season, but Stefanski said that after picking Watson up for Jameis Winston in the final minutes, the Browns are “not switching quarterbacks.”

“We have to play better,” Stefanski said. “This is not a one-person-on-offense issue.”

Daniels, the No. 2 pick who quickly became the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, didn’t come close to completing 82.5% of passes like he did in his first four professional games. But he did make highlights of 66 yards to Terry McLaurin and 41 for a TD to Dyami Brown, the latter after asking offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for the chance to go deep.

“He called the play, and we called it,” said Daniels, who gave way to Marcus Mariota with 12:50 remaining and the outcome already determined.

McLaurin made four catches for a season-high 125 yards. Ekeler had a 57-yard run that was Washington’s longest since Derrius Guice went for 60 in 2019.

“We didn’t score on every single drive like we have in the past, which is the reality of football,” said Ekeler, who was 107 yards from scrimmage after returning from a concussion. “It was just a different kind of philosophy for us to win the game. We had big plays, which obviously helped us. It was great to be able to show: hey, we can win this way too.”

JOK is okay

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was Cleveland’s most impactful player before he tightened up in the third quarter, picking off Daniels at his team’s 1-yard line, sacking him once and forcing McLaurin to fumble. He was still kicking himself for not finishing another bag of Daniels.

“Those kinds of things kind of stick with me,” he said.

Injuries

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) and long snapper Charley Hughlett (rib) were ruled out early in the second half. … Safety Grant Delpit was evaluated for head injuries after a fall in the third quarter. … C Ethan Pocic went straight to the locker room after walking off the field in the fourth, and Stefanski said it was a knee injury. … Tight end David Njoku had a 45-foot catch in his return after a three-game absence due to a high ankle sprain.

Next

Browns: Visit the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

Commanders: visit the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.

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