Each NFL season has its fair proportion of surprises the place groups over or underperform based mostly on the preconceptions that individuals had for them coming into the yr. Via the quarter mark of the season, there hasn’t been a staff that’s exceeded preliminary expectations greater than the Washington Commanders, who sit at 3-1 and at present maintain a one-game lead for first place within the NFC East.
That’s simply unbelievable, contemplating they had been coming off of a season the place they had been dangerous sufficient to want a brand new teaching workers and quarterback — however they’re off to a roaring begin. Per week after they scored 38 factors in opposition to the Bengals, the Commanders went to Arizona and completely lit up the Cardinals en path to a 42-14 beatdown on the highway.
That is probably the most spectacular efficiency of any staff within the early portion of the season. Jayden Daniels has taken a robust command on the Rookie of the Yr race, finishing 47 of his final 53 passing makes an attempt over the previous two weeks. This stretch has proven nearly everybody why the Commanders felt comfy making him the second choose within the draft and instantly making him the contemporary new face of the franchise within the post-Dan Snyder period. He’s comfortably been the best rookie quarterback within the league and his begin has allowed the Commanders to carry out like probably the greatest offenses within the league — which is genuinely a shock!
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There was motive to be skeptical that this stage of manufacturing was potential this early into the regime. The offensive line was shaky final yr, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury ran an extremely plain offense towards the top of his Cardinals tenure, and rookie quarterbacks simply are likely to battle normally. None of that has stopped the Commanders up so far within the season, significantly during the last two weeks. They’ve mixed for 80 factors in these video games and are first in success charge (57.9%) in that timespan in line with information collected from rbsdm.com. Daniels has meshed completely with a rejuvenated Kingsbury, who frolicked teaching at USC final yr after a while away from soccer following his exit from Arizona and has steadily constructed Daniels into the offense as a substitute of throwing all the things at him without delay.
One of many coolest elements of Daniels’ recreation proper now could be simply how assured he’s and the way decisive he’s throwing the ball. He hasn’t been making an entire lot of errors from holding onto the ball too lengthy, and he’s gotten higher at working beneath stress from opposing defensive strains, which was a priority for evaluators and scouts coming into the draft. After taking seven sacks the primary two weeks, Daniels has solely been sacked twice through the Commanders’ offensive explosion and wasn’t sacked in any respect of their recreation in opposition to Arizona.
One of many largest explanation why groups with rookie quarterbacks normally battle is simply an abundance of damaging performs, however that hasn’t been an issue for Daniels but. Each recreation doubtless received’t function an 80% completion share as they play more durable defenses than the Bengals and Cardinals shifting ahead, however there’s no motive to not imagine on this begin from Daniels — he’s been getting higher each single week and has raised the ceiling and flooring of the Commanders offense.
It’s not possible to say what’s subsequent for this staff as a result of nobody anticipated them to be on this place within the first place. The protection remains to be a priority, however the NFC East doesn’t seem to have any dominant groups with the Eagles and Cowboys floundering and the Giants being the Giants.
Why not the Commanders? They on the very least seem to have an offense, and a quarterback, to offer them a combating probability to win the division. That’s an enormous win in comparison with the place they had been only a few months in the past.
