Washington (2-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, FOX
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 3
Against the spread: Commanders 2-2; Chargers 2-1-1
Series record: Commanders lead 7-5.
Last meeting: Chargers beat Commanders 20-16 in Landover, Maryland, on Sept. 12, 2021.
Last week: Commanders lost to Falcons 34-27; Chargers lost to Giants 21-18.
Commanders offense: overall (12), rush (2), pass (25), scoring (8).
Commanders defense: overall (24), rush (14), pass (27), scoring (24).
Chargers offense: overall (8), rush (21), pass (5), scoring (18).
Chargers defense: overall (3), rush (16), pass (5), scoring (4).
Turnover differential: Commanders minus-1; Chargers minus-2.
Commanders player to watch
RB Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt. The rookie seventh-round draft pick is making the most of his limited opportunities, leading the Commanders with 172 yards on the ground on just 29 carries with two touchdowns. His average of 5.9 yards per carry is the most for any running back with more than 10 carries this season.
Chargers player to watch
Rookie RB Omarion Hampton showed why Los Angeles used a first-round pick on him, rushing for 128 yards and a touchdown and adding 37 yards receiving in the loss to the Giants. He did it all, from big gains to tough short-yardage runs, and that well-rounded game should be heavily featured to take the pressure off a battered offensive line.
Key matchup
Turnover battle. Neither the Commanders nor the Chargers have been particularly effective in taking the ball away through the first month of the season. Washington got its first interception with CB Mike Sainristil’s pick of Atlanta QB Michael Penix Jr. in the third quarter on Sunday, but still hasn’t recovered a fumble. Los Angeles had three interceptions against the Raiders in Week 2, but has come up empty in its other three games. Whichever team can force a mistake that puts the ball on the ground could have a huge edge.
Key injuries
Commanders: The most important question for Washington involves whether its most important player will be back after missing two games with an injured left knee: QB Jayden Daniels. He was cleared to fully return to practice on Wednesday and said he plans to play Sunday. WR Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and WR Noah Brown (knee, groin) will not play.
Chargers: LT Joe Alt (ankle) is doubtful to play after he was injured in the first half against New York. There could be some relief for Los Angeles’ beleaguered offensive line, as RG Mekhi Becton could be set to return after not playing against the Giants because of a concussion.
Series notes
The Chargers have won the past two games against the Commanders and four of the past five in this infrequent matchup. … Washington lost its only previous road game in against the Chargers since they moved north from San Diego in 2017, falling 30-13 on Dec. 10, 2017 in Carson. … The Commanders dropped their first visit to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, 28-20 to the Rams on Dec. 17, 2023.
Stats and stuff
Washington has alternated wins and losses so far this season, and is 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. … The Commanders lost former Chargers star RB Austin Ekeler for the season to a torn Achilles tendon, and their running game has been just fine so far, averaging 154.75 yards per game, second only to the Buffalo Bills’ 163.5 entering Week 5. Washington’s average gain per carry of 5.9 yards also ranks No. 2 in the NFL, behind the Baltimore Ravens’ 6.2. … This game begins a stretch of eight in a row for the Commanders without a single 1 p.m. ET start; the next one of those will be on Dec. 7 at the Minnesota Vikings. Four of their next eight games are in prime time and one will be played in Spain. … Bobby Wagner is tied for the NFL lead among linebackers with 42 tackles. … The Commanders lead the league in kickoff return average at 33.7 yards. WR Luke McCaffrey accumulated 199 yards in kickoff runbacks last week, the most in a single game in the NFL in 2025. … McCaffrey has a TD catch in each of the past two games — the first two scores of Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother’s career. … PK Matt Gay has made six consecutive field-goal attempts following a 1-for-4 stretch that included a 37-yard miss. … WR Deebo Samuel leads Washington with 22 catches and 204 receiving yards. He’s scored three TDs, two via receptions and one on the ground. … The Chargers’ Justin Herbert was sacked twice and hit 12 times against the Giants. He has been sacked 12 times through four games, which is tied with Las Vegas’ Geno Smith for fifth most in the league entering Week 5. … WR Keenan Allen needs two receptions to become the 16th player in NFL history with 1,000 catches. … Under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Los Angeles has held opponents to 21 points or fewer in 17 of 21 regular-season games, including all four to start this season. … The Chargers have committed five turnovers in the past three games, their worst run of ball security under head coach Jim Harbaugh. They had nine turnovers in the entire 2024 regular season. … OLB Tuli Tuipulotu became the fifth Chargers to have at least four sacks in a game, joining Khalil Mack, Leslie O’Neal, Antwan Barnes and Shaun Phillips. O’Neal did it four times. … Los Angeles was 2 of 3 (66.7%) on third downs of 3 yards or fewer against New York and 2 of 9 (22.2%) when needing at least 4 yards.
Fantasy tip
Quentin Johnston is finally playing like the potential No. 1 wide receiver the Chargers thought they were getting in a first-round draft pick in 2023. Johnston can be treated as a worthwhile third option in fantasy lineups, having topped 70 yards in every game this season with touchdowns in three of them.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By The Associated Press
