NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
These are not the same old Washington Commanders. Sitting at 7-2 with a potent offense, an improving defense, and the rookie of the year under center. The buzz from Commanders fans is REAL and long overdue. Josh Harris and his group have washed off the stink of Dan Synder as owner and his band of dummies. A spark was lit when the move was made to get rid of Ron Rivera and scoop up former Falcons head man and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Paired with new GM Adam Peters, the two got to work gutting the roster, creating a fresh culture while building a legit NFL team. 1992 was a LONG, LONG time ago, and that was the last time a Super Bowl trophy made its way to the DMV.
Each week, a new record is broken, and the sentence starts with the sentence “for the first time since.” The fan base has been waiting for this sort of season for decades. I can remember back in 2014, I swore I was done with them and was a “Jets fan” for 2-3 seasons. But deep down, I wanted to see my home team return to glory and not be the joke of the NFL. This year in the draft, they blocked out the noise and stuck with their guy, grabbing Hesiman Thropy winner Jayden Daniels out of LSU and putting him with the new OC Kliff Kingsbury. I had my doubts after the flameout in Arizona, but remember Kyler Murray missed a bunch of games as well, and some guys are better coordinators, along with learning from past mistakes. There is a long list of guys whose act two was a whole better than the series premiere.
Culture Shift
Losing games badly on national TV, finding a way to lose close games, bad drafts, all things the Commanders have been known for. Along with players lacking discipline on and off the field. Starting from the top down, you can feel and see the shift, any Commander fan worth his salt knows what Sean Taylor means to the organization, so it was painful to see the half-ass “statue” that was presented last season in his honor. Legends of the past were not shown any love or introduced to the younger players to inspire and teach. Josh Harris changed all that asap. There is still no new stadium YET, but upgrades were made for a better fan experience. The small details that we always missed are being nailed week in and week out. Showing players the commitment to winning has made Washington a place players around the league now want to come to. What year is that 1991? It is an awesome feeling, and we Commanders fans want to keep it. Holding players accountable and also improving the facilities have been noticed, and again, those details matter to players and coaches. Not once has this team been blown out or flat-out beatdown. In years past, the first sight of trouble, we would fold like an envelope. It was a rare thing to see someone rocking, and now I see it in stores, showcased online along with people’s socials. This is a different mindset how many trade deadlines have come and gone without any moves from Washington? This year, we are off to a great start, and our new capable GM, Adam Peters, makes a move to sure up the secondary by grabbing Marshon Lattimore. Even the social media team has leveled up with clever, fun, and hip content.
Jayden Daniels Effect
Since RGIII took his last snap for Washington, 12 different starting quarterbacks lined up under center, only Jason Campbell (2008-2009) and Kirk Cousins (2015-2017) have started in back-to-back seasons. So many names have come through, we’ve been told of the promise they bring, and failure came quickly. That all seems to have changed when, in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the 2nd pick overall, Jayden Daniels was selected. One thing I always say is when you play at a big-time college program, you are not normally overwhelmed by pressure since it is normal on campus. If you happen to be a level-headed young man with legitimate skills, it doesn’t look that hard. We all heard why they shouldn’t draft him, but the team stuck to their guns and brought him in nevertheless. If you are a tram who needs a young QB, the Washington Commanders are teaching a master class on how to build around a young signal caller.
I was afraid after week 1 when Daniels ran the ball 16 times, but if you check the stats, those rush attempts have gone down each game. We all saw the highlights of him dropping balls in the bucket at LSU, and Kilff Kingsbury did as well, so he sprinkled those types of passes into the offense. Dan Quinn and Kliff didn’t try and force the system THEY wanted to run down the kid’s throat. Back to what I said about a culture shift, this would NEVER happen 5-8 years ago, so I will inhale this fresh air. Daniels is so calm, never too high, never too low, and getting better week in and out. His leadership on the team is clear, and the other 52 are ready to ride with number 5 until the wheels come off.
What’s Next
The backend of the schedule is eight games, and 5 of them are against teams with a winning record. The bye week is at a perfect moment so you can rest up and get ready for a playoff push. I am confident enough to say we will beat the Titans, Saints, and Cowboys, which would put us at 11 wins even if we lost the games against teams with winning records. I don’t think that will happen, but I’m just saying. Enjoy everything that has come and is still coming this season. If any fan base deserves this, it is Washington Commanders fans. The ride is still going, so grab a seat and hold on. As always, #RaiseHail
