Evaluating the Washington Commanders' Season 1/3 Through

By Christian Newell

The first six games of the 2024-25 season have come as a surprise for all Commanders fans, faithful and doubtful alike. Jayden Daniels' emergence into a genuine MVP candidate was not on most people's bingo card, especially this early in the season. He has completely transformed the culture of the fanbase and the locker room, motivating the rest of the offense to follow his calm and positive demeanor and encouraging the defense to step up as much as possible in order to get off the field and watch him command the flow of the game.

This article will be providing analysis on the team's offense and defense in order to process how and why the Commanders are 4-2 and atop the NFC East. The new coaching regime will not be mentioned, but it is certainly a top catalyst, and all of the credit in the world goes to HC Dan Quinn, OC Kliff Kingsbury, DC Joe Whitt, and the rest of the staff for developing such a newly established roster so quickly, as well as GM Adam Peters for his eye for coaching and prospect talent.

Offense

The sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has put the entire league on watch, breaking records and being in discussion for awards with some of the league's most proven players. Jayden has been near flawless in regard to decision making, aside from a couple mistakes resulting in interceptions on deep drives. He seems to get better and gain more knowledge each and every game, figuring out opponents' defenses quicker than they can do the same with him.

His downfield throws are surgical, racking up highlights game in and game out, suggesting this is far from a fluke and instead only the beginning of what's to come. The playbook is being opened up more for Jayden each game, with the first couple games primarily being quick throws from the shotgun due to the initial uncertainty of the offensive line and receiving core.

The offensive line has been a sigh of relief thus far, limiting pressures on dropbacks and giving the backs plenty of room to run. Sam Cosmi and Tyler Biadasz have been the most impressive, along with the crucial pass blocking of the tight ends and running backs to put even more frustration on defenses. Initially, the offense struggled on capitalizing further on scoring opportunities, settling for mostly field goals, but getting down the field so often and threatening each and every drive provided every reason to believe it was just a matter of time until 3 points turned into 7.

Washington's offense has actually been statistically historic through the first six games, and it now comes as a shock when they go three and out compared to previous years where multiple first downs in a drive was a treat. They have yet to not convert on a fourth down, and these long and tiring drives for opposing defenses have resulted in being tied for the most points scored in the entire league.

Brian Robinson is one of the league's most bolstering running backs, with a sneaky elusive side as well that has allowed him to break large gains and be frightening for defenses at the goal line. Austin Ekeler has been perfect in the complimentary and pass catching role, and his speed and elusiveness have come as a surprise to most who thought his age and knee injuries would halt his impact. Jeremy McNichols has been a pleasant surprise as the third option in the ground game, capitalizing on minimal opportunities and cementing a role in the offense.

Star receiver Terry McLaurin started the season slowly primarily due to the fast scheme of the offense where quick passes resulting in less time to get open downfield. He has been dominant the last few weeks however, connecting on big plays with Daniels weekly. Luke McCaffrey is proving to be a reliable factor in the beginning stages of his career, and I expect his role and targets to increase heavily by the end of the season. Noah Brown has been a great addition and presence, being one of Daniels' go-to targets on third and fourth downs. Dyami Brown is progressing and has made key receptions to extend drives, and Zach Ertz has been the veteran safety blanket tight end we all hoped for.

Despite being worse than previous weeks, the offense still showed flashes against a dominant Ravens defense, keeping the game closer than many expected. If anything, the loss will be a reminder to Daniels that not every game comes easy, and this should mold his competitiveness against better overall opponents, especially come playoff time (hopefully).

Defense

I will not be going as much in depth on the defensive side, primarily because they have not quite exceeded or fell below expectations.

The secondary is clearly the biggest concern, and fans know that the staff should've signed a proven veteran corner to pair with the young talents of Benjamin St. Juste and Emmanuel Forbes. The corners continue to give up big plays, and just this week allowed Zay Flowers to rack up over 100 receiving yards in the first half.

Mike Saintrisil is looking more promising every week and has the slot corner role locked down. Not re-signing Kam Curl was an obvious blow for the secondary, especially considering how cheap he signed, but Jeremy Chinn hasn't been a bad alternative at strong safety, having his best season since his rookie year in Carolina.

Free agent signee Frankie Luvu is the defensive MVP like most hoped, and the linebackers and defensive line are as good and deep as advertised. Losing Jonathan Allen for the full season was a huge blow for the d-line, but this results in more action for the highly touted rookie Jer 'Zhan Newton.

To keep the Commanders afloat in the playoff picture and remain atop the NFC East, the team should look to add a free agent like Xavien Howard. Unless St. Juste and Forbes suddenly put everything together, it may not be easy for Daniels and the offense to hold comfortable leads and have enough trust in the defense to play risky.

Expected Record: 10-7