Commanders starts season off strong, surprises fans

When most people first glance at the Washington Commanders’ 2024 season record so far, it can come as a surprise how well they have been performing. Looking back at last year, the Commanders ended their 2023 season with a record of 4-13. Currently, their 2024 season is going well, with a record of 4-2, tying them with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC East division for the top seed in the conference. 

You may be wondering, what is making the Commanders’ season go in a different direction this year? Honestly,  many factors are contributing to the Commanders’ strong start to their season. Between drafting five new players, signing three as free agents, signing eleven to their practice squad and hiring new coaches, there are new additions on and off the field. Starting with a newly introduced player on the field, there is no doubt the Commanders’ season has been strongly impacted by one of their rookies, Jayden Daniels. 

Daniels was the second overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, which took place in April. Later this year in August, he was named the starting quarterback for this season. “It’s rare to find a quarterback prospect with A+ arm talent and rushing ability. Daniels was surrounded by talented playmakers at LSU, but I’d argue he was the biggest playmaker on that offense. He is the prototypical, new-school quarterback as a dynamic athlete who is a refined pocket passer with the touch, accuracy and timing to consistently drop passes in the bucket on deep throws,” Bucky Brooks comments on the 2024 NFL Draft.   

Daniels has an imposing track record when it comes to his performance on the field. He played quarterback for Arizona State University (ASU) and Louisiana State University (LSU). He was starting at both universities, successfully outworking the competition for his spot on offense. During his college football career, he had many athletic achievements, such as winning the Heisman his senior year. 

Daniels also holds several records in his professional and college football career. He set the NFL record for the highest completion percentage by a rookie with 91.3%, during their win against the Cincinnati Bengals, says The Pro Football Hall of Fame. This broke Dak Prescott’s record of 88.9% in 2016. This 91.3% was also the highest completion percentage in a game in all of Washington franchise history. Another record he broke was Tom Brady’s 79.2% completion percentage through four games, when Brady played for the New England Patriots in 2007, says Ryan Philips for Sports Illustrated. 

Someone with a familiar face to the Commanders who has been contributing to their great start is Terry McLaurin. He was drafted to the Commanders in 2019, and has stuck ever since. McLaurin is a wide receiver. “I got some really good work down in Florida. Just working on my footwork, just being better at the top of my routes. Sharper on my speed cuts, dig routes, out routes and just being cleaner with my footwork at the top of the routes,” tells McLaurin to Mark Bullock.  His hard work has been noticeable on the field. 

Another returning player who has shown drastic improvement over the years is running back Brian Robinson. He was drafted in the NFL Draft of 2022. Although Robinson has been setback by a knee injury, he has become eligible to play for Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. “I feel great,” Robinson said in the locker room. “More like myself again,” Robinson explains to John Keim for ESPN. 

There are new additions to the coaching staff as well. In February, the Commanders named Dan Quinn as their head coach. Quinn has a history of involvement in the NFL, beginning in 2001. He became head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for five seasons, during the years 2015-2020. Previously, he was the defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets. Quinn was also the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. “…DQ [Quinn] didn’t really come in really focused on what happened last year or the old regime,” McLaurin said during his press conference on the first day of training camp. “It was just, how do we move forward? How do we build an identity for this Commander’s team? And they really allowed us to take the keys to the car and set standards for ourselves,” says Terry McLaurin, by Hayley Salvatore for the Commanders. 

Another addition to the Commanders’ coaching line is their new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury has had a long term involvement in the NFL. He started coaching in 2008 as head coach of Texas Tech, throughout the years of 2013-2018, and eventually the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals from 2019-2022. Kingsbury is especially known to work with various quarterbacks, such as Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and now Jayden Daniels. 

There are many upcoming games fans are interested in for various reasons. One of them is Week 8’s game, the Commanders vs. the Chicago Bears. This is especially because of Caleb Williams, the quarterback of the Bears. He was the first pick for this year’s NFL draft, so people are intrigued about how this game will go as Daniels was the second. Another game is Week 11’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only are the Commanders and the Eagles rivals within the NFC East, but both teams have changed since their last game. It’s clear that the Commanders have gotten better, especially with Quinn filling in as head coach, but the Eagles have obtained Saquon Barkley, a talented running back, making this specific game highly anticipated.

Written by Kirzten Wilson

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons