The Washington Commanders' start to the 2024 NFL season has been marked by a mix of optimism, excitement and signs of transformation. The team is 7-4 through 11 weeks and currently well-positioned in the wild-card hunt. Through this time last year, the team was 4-7 and finished 4-13. They have already surpassed that win total through 11 games this year. They are in a position they haven’t been in a lot recently, and there are a couple factors we could point to and give credit to, most notably rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn.
Jayden Daniels has come in and absolutely taken the league by storm. The Commanders’ highly touted rookie quarterback currently has the team 4th in points per game and 6th in yards per game while he himself is firmly entrenched in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, ranking top 11 in QBR and passer rating. The former LSU star has also dazzled on the ground, ranking 2nd in QB rushing yards behind only Lamar Jackson. He has the ability and flair that have given Commanders fans reason to hope that this could be their long-term answer at quarterback, reminiscent of the feel when Robert Griffin III was donning the Burgundy and Gold. Although we all remember how that turned out, we can’t forget the impact he had while he was playing. That is what Daniels brings, and maybe even a little bit more and better.
On the defensive side of the ball, the arrival of Dan Quinn from Dallas as the new head coach has given this team a new identity. They play harder, are more stingy now than in years past and have made some big improvements in certain areas. Last year they finished last in points, total yards and passing yards per game as well as having the 6th-worst rush defense. Through 11 games, they are 19th in yards per game, 5th in passing yards per game and 14th in points per game. They are the 3rd worst run defense, but the loss of Jonathan Allen can be seen as a big part in that. It is clear that Dan Quinn’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense approach has paid off tremendously and this is all without Pro Bowl cornerback trade-deadline acquisition Marshon Lattimore, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury. Lattimore could bolster their pass defense even more as well as stick his nose in the trenches every now and then to stop the run.
You combine Daniels’ flair and brilliance with Quinn’s leadership and grit and you have a good foundation if you're a Commanders fan. Yes, they still need more pieces and maybe another year or two before they can be considered serious contenders, but this is a great base that new owner Josh Harris has laid out for this organization. They are further along in their rebuild at this point than anybody thought they would be, and they can only go up from here. And those two aforementioned figures are a big reason why.
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