It’s been a long and treacherous last couple years for football fans in Washington D.C and Virginia. The Washington Commanders haven’t had a winning record since the 2016-2017 NFL season and for the most part, it’s been a competition between them and the New York Giants for last place in the NFC East Division. This city was expecting more of the same heading into this season but Washington’s tide turned after they selected quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick of the draft this past offseason. The LSU Heisman trophy winner has rejuvenated this franchise and for the first time in a long time, there is hope within the fanbase.
For the Commanders, everything has clicked together for this team. Head coach Dan Quinn has been excellent up to this point in his first year as head coach and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has made the offense one of the league’s best. Having Kingsbury really helps Daniels in my opinion because in Arizona, their QB Kyler Murray plays similarly to Daniels so Kingsbury was able to call a similar style to what he called with the Cardinals. Kingsbury and Daniels both seem comfortable with the system and Kingsbury is aiding Daniels by calling plays which suit him and his type of game. Having a coach and a player on the same page simplifies things and it makes everything flow easier. Washington may not have many flashy names in their group but they’re making it work and are sitting top of their division. Players like Noah Brown and Dyami Brown have stepped up in the receiver role along with McLaurin and they’ve been brilliant. The pass catchers are catching the ball effectively and are minimizing the drops or errors. The last three weeks of November is the biggest stretch of the season for them in my opinion. The 6-2 Steelers are a tough team this year and their defense will be a tough test for Daniels’ offense. Washington also has back to back divisional games against Dallas and Philadelphia which will be huge games for them as they’ll be tested by some of the NFC’s best.
The Commanders made plenty of offseason moves and some key ones include Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz, Frankie Luvu, Bobby Wagner, and Tyler Biadasz. These are veteran players who’ll add a strong presence in the locker room which will help this young team learn throughout the season. A specific player I want to highlight is Ekeler. There were concerns about if he can get back to his prime after his injury plagued year with the Chargers but he’s excelled in a complementary role this year. He’s behind Brian Robinson Jr. and the running trio of Daniels, Ekeler, and Robinson has been so successful. The Commanders are more run heavy and with these three players, they’ve been so good on the ground. Ekeler is also a fantastic pass catcher and he plays a crucial role in third down situations. The defensive acquisitions the Commanders made have also been great and the defense has been efficient even though they don’t have Chase Young or Montez Sweat anymore. The defense is good enough and that is all they’re looking for because since Washington has a team which can score points, they defense doesn’t need to be heavily relied upon.
I mentioned the Commanders’ triple run threat and that has propelled them to third in rush yards a game at 163.9 (ESPN). They’re so good on the ground and it’s the run game that tires out defenses. They run option plays with Daniels, a dual threat QB, and that keeps defenses on edge. Washington is also fourth in points a game and third in total yards per game (ESPN). To win in the NFL, you have to be able to put points up on the scoreboard through 60 minutes and that’s part of the Commanders’ success. The offense has been so much more productive than in recent seasons and the core of all of that is quarterback production. The Commanders lead the league in least giveaways and that is a big part of them being 7-2 because they just don’t give the opposition many free chances (ESPN). The Commanders have taken their opportunities and not giving the ball away is a recipe for winning. Washington has a tremendous chance to make the playoffs, especially with Dallas crumbling which opens the door for the Commanders to really battle with the Eagles for the division. Winning the division not only would give them a higher seed but it would give them home field and an easier path.
The crowd is electric at Northwest Stadium and that it all because of the belief they have in this reformed team. In Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, the Commanders produced one of the most dramatic and memorable game winning Hail Mary throws and it sent the crowd into a frenzy. Daniels & Co. took down first overall pick Caleb Williams in a thriller and that’s the difference between this Commanders group compared to previous seasons. They have the ability to make exciting moments and get the crowd involved which is such a big factor that the top teams like the Chiefs use. Home field has never been too much of an advantage for the Commanders but it’s time for them to use their fans who are ready to go crazy for this team. Many believed that drafting Daniels would be start of a lengthy rebuild for the Commanders and no one thought they’d be 7-2 through nine weeks and be sitting as the second best team in the NFC. It’s only been half the season but this team has changed the course of the narrative. It’s a team full of promise no matter what happens from here on out and the future looks bright as the sun for the Washington Commanders. The city has been longing for this and it’s finally at the doorstep within their grasp. Will the Commanders step up as their season toughens in the second half? Can Jayden Daniels continue his MVP caliber form?