Washington Commanders vs. New Orleans Saints: 2018 Week 5 Recap

Game story

In Week 5 of the 2018 NFL season on 2018-10-08, the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the Washington Commanders, pulling away with a 43–19 final that controlled the game from start to finish.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 30 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

A. Smith (Washington Commanders) paced the passing game, with -10.31 total EPA, and -4.8% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +22.80 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+9.2% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Washington Commanders changed the game: (6:10) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith pass short left to 25-C.Thompson pushed ob at NO 30 for 17 yards (29-K.Coleman). Pass 5, YAC 12

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 D. Brees · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +22.80 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.69 EPA/play
2. 2 T. Smith · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +8.34 total EPA · 3 snaps · +2.78 EPA/play
3. 3 M. Thomas · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +4.85 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.97 EPA/play
4. 4 A. Smith · Washington Commanders · Rushing · +4.29 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.15 EPA/play
5. 5 B. Watson · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +3.21 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.80 EPA/play
6. 6 J. Crowder · Washington Commanders · Receiving · +2.62 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.37 EPA/play
7. 7 P. Richardson · Washington Commanders · Receiving · +2.50 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.50 EPA/play
8. 8 J. Hill · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.21 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.11 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• New Orleans Saints — M. Ingram (Q1 55:45)
• New Orleans Saints — J. Hill (D. Brees pass) (Q2 40:41)
• New Orleans Saints — M. Ingram (Q2 33:47)
• New Orleans Saints — T. Smith (D. Brees pass) (Q2 32:46)
• Washington Commanders — A. Smith (Q2 30:29)
• New Orleans Saints — T. Smith (D. Brees pass) (Q3 27:29)
• New Orleans Saints — T. Hill (Q3 21:48)
• Washington Commanders — K. Bibbs (Q4 10:29)

Field goals

• Washington Commanders — D. Hopkins (Q1 47:42)
• Washington Commanders — D. Hopkins (Q2 38:41)
• New Orleans Saints — W. Lutz (Q4 14:15)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 6–3. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 2 (Q1 55:45) — (10:45) 22-M.Ingram left guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Washington Commanders connected on a field goal from the NO 19 (Q1 47:42) — (2:42) 3-D.Hopkins 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way..

The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 20–10. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 1 (Q2 40:41) — (10:41) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 89-J.Hill for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 1, YAC 0; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q2 40:38) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Washington Commanders connected on a field goal from the NO 35 (Q2 38:41) — (8:41) 3-D.Hopkins 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 1 (Q2 33:47) — (3:47) 74-J.Bushrod reported in as eligible. 22-M.Ingram left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q2 33:43) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 62 (Q2 32:46); Washington Commanders found the end zone from the NO 4 (Q2 30:29) — (:29) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith right guard for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Washington Commanders added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q2 30:26) — 3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way..

The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 14–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 35 (Q3 27:29) — (12:29) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 10-T.Smith for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 28, YAC 7; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q3 27:23) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the WAS 1 (Q3 21:48) — (6:48) T.Hill at quarterback. D.Brees at wide receiver. (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill right end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q3 21:43) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..

The fourth quarter: Washington Commanders won the period 6–3. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the WAS 26 (Q4 14:15) — (14:15) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Washington Commanders found the end zone from the NO 1 (Q4 10:29) — (10:29) 52-R.Anderson reported in as eligible. 46-K.Bibbs left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Washington Commanders (Q1 51:10) — (6:10) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith pass short left to 25-C.Thompson pushed ob at NO 30 for 17 yards (29-K.Coleman). Pass 5, YAC 12 [WPA +9.2% · EPA +3.13]
• Washington Commanders (Q1 49:45) — (4:45) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith pass deep right to 10-P.Richardson to NO 5 for 23 yards (24-V.Bell). NO-53-A.Klein was injured during the play. His return is Probable. Pass 22, YAC 1 [WPA +8.9% · EPA +2.76]
• Washington Commanders (Q1 48:23) — (3:23) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith sacked at NO 19 for -12 yards (98-S.Rankins). [WPA -7.7% · EPA -1.62]
• New Orleans Saints (Q2 35:53) — (5:53) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep middle to 81-C.Meredith to WAS 8 for 46 yards (31-F.Moreau; 53-Z.Brown). Pass 26, YAC 20 [WPA +5.4% · EPA +3.77]
• New Orleans Saints (Q1 56:33) — (11:33) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 22-M.Ingram pushed ob at WAS 2 for 28 yards (36-D.Swearinger). Pass -5, YAC 33 [WPA +5.4% · EPA +2.47]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Washington Commanders (Q3 22:59) — (7:59) 11-A.Smith pass short right intended for 13-M.Harris INTERCEPTED by 34-J.Hardee at NO 19. 34-J.Hardee to WAS 4 for 77 yards (86-J.Reed). [WPA -3.4% · EPA -8.01]
• Washington Commanders (Q3 17:32) — (2:32) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith sacked at NO 29 for -7 yards (92-M.Davenport). FUMBLES (92-M.Davenport), RECOVERED by NO-53-A.Klein at NO 35. 53-A.Klein to WAS 48 for 17 yards (76-M.Moses). [WPA -0.0% · EPA -5.62]
• New Orleans Saints (Q2 31:31) — (1:31) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 81-C.Meredith to NO 39 for 2 yards (31-F.Moreau). FUMBLES (31-F.Moreau), RECOVERED by WAS-96-P.McPhee at NO 40. 96-P.McPhee pushed ob at NO 16 for 24 yar [WPA -1.7% · EPA -5.28]
• New Orleans Saints (Q2 32:46) — (2:46) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 10-T.Smith for 62 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 24, YAC 38 PENALTY on NO-13-M.Thomas, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced between downs. With this TD pass completion, N [WPA +3.7% · EPA +4.79]

Quarterback report card

A.Smith led all passers in efficiency for Washington Commanders, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• A.Smith (Washington Commanders) · 43 dropbacks · 53.5% completion · -4.8% CPOE · -0.24 EPA/play · -10.31 total EPA
• D.Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 33 dropbacks · 78.8% completion · +15.2% CPOE · +0.69 EPA/play · +22.80 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

New Orleans Saints held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.22 vs -0.12), even if the scoreboard told a different story.

• New Orleans Saints: 10 drives, +17.70 total EPA, 7 scoring drives
• Washington Commanders: 9 drives, -8.87 total EPA, 4 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• New Orleans Saints leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• A. Smith (WAS) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
• D. Brees (NO) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 55:45 · WAS 2 · Score 0-6
   (10:45) 22-M.Ingram left guard for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
2. Washington Commanders FG (+3) — Q1 47:42 · NO 19 · Score 3-6
   (2:42) 3-D.Hopkins 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way.
3. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 40:41 · WAS 1 · Score 3-12
   (10:41) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 89-J.Hill for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 1, YAC 0
4. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 40:38 · WAS 15 · Score 3-13
   3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
5. Washington Commanders FG (+3) — Q2 38:41 · NO 35 · Score 6-13
   (8:41) 3-D.Hopkins 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way.
6. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 33:47 · WAS 1 · Score 6-19
   (3:47) 74-J.Bushrod reported in as eligible. 22-M.Ingram left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
7. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 33:43 · WAS 15 · Score 6-20
   3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
8. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 32:46 · WAS 62 · Score 6-26
   (2:46) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 10-T.Smith for 62 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 24, YAC 38 PENALTY on NO-13-M.Thomas, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced betwee
9. Washington Commanders TD (+6) — Q2 30:29 · NO 4 · Score 12-26
   (:29) (Shotgun) 11-A.Smith right guard for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
10. Washington Commanders XP (+1) — Q2 30:26 · NO 15 · Score 13-26
    3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-57-N.Sundberg, Holder-5-T.Way.
11. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 27:29 · WAS 35 · Score 13-32
    (12:29) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 10-T.Smith for 35 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pass 28, YAC 7
12. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 27:23 · WAS 15 · Score 13-33
    3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
13. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 21:48 · WAS 1 · Score 13-39
    (6:48) T.Hill at quarterback. D.Brees at wide receiver. (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill right end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
14. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 21:43 · WAS 15 · Score 13-40
    3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
15. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q4 14:15 · WAS 26 · Score 13-43
    (14:15) 3-W.Lutz 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
16. Washington Commanders TD (+6) — Q4 10:29 · NO 1 · Score 19-43
    (10:29) 52-R.Anderson reported in as eligible. 46-K.Bibbs left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.