The Washington Commanders are 2-1 and could be sitting at 3-1 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. Despite their two wins coming against teams that are a combined 1-6, this is still not something that the franchise has done in the past.
Not to mention that they have found a franchise quarterback they have been seeking for decades. The display Jayden Daniels put on on Monday Night Football has been the talk of the NFL, with many wondering what the rookie signal-caller might be capable of long-term.
It's too early. There are too many glaring holes on the roster for that type of talk to be happening yet. Have Commanders fans not learned that all it takes is one play for the trajectory of a promising quarterback's career to change? Football futures can be determined in the blink of an eye.
Even without injury, we will only see what Daniels is truly capable of once NFL teams have a lot of tape on him and begin to see how his mind operates. He is going to have some failures, and likely very soon. He will throw interceptions and fumble the ball. More will be learned about him with time.
If the Commanders want to show people what a great future could look like, they'll need to make a few changes to come out on top at the Arizona Cardinals. Here are three such examples.
Changes the Commanders' coaching staff must consider in Week 4
Commanders' coping without Austin Ekeler
One of the best additions of the offseason was Austin Ekeler. The veteran running back has made an impact as a runner, a receiver, and a kick returner. He will be missed this weekend in all three aspects after being ruled out with a concussion.
The Washington Commanders don't have another player that can fill the void. But there are ways that offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can overcome this.
Washington has enough options to get creative and do some things other teams don't yet have plans for. On top of Brian Robinson Jr. and Jayden Daniels running the ball, perhaps this is a good time for the offense to keep revealing layers of what they could be.
That could be forcing Dyami Brown's hand to catch some screens or get an end-around or two. it could be giving Luke McCaffrey more attention after he showed some flashes in Week 3. Or maybe it could be showing overshadowed rookie tight end Ben Sinnott has a very bright future.
Another 100-yard receiving performance from Terry McLaurin would go a long way, but the Commanders must throw some things at the Cardinals aren't anticipating without Ekeler to depend upon. This is where Kingsbury has to make his money.
Commanders' secondary formula
Throughout the first three weeks of the NFL season, the Washington Commanders are giving up 29.3 points per game once again. That's good for the third-worst in the league.
Despite having two defensive-minded coaches in Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. running things, it doesn't seem like much has changed in terms of stopping opposing offenses. With the additions of Frankie Luvu, Bobby Wagner, Jeremy Chinn, Dorance Armstrong Jr., and others, fans were expecting more from this side of the ball.
The offense and defense have swapped spots in terms of what was projected before the campaign. It's not just that the Commanders are giving up a lot of points, they are giving up the yards to match. Opponents are gaining almost 380 yards per contest, which stations the Commanders at fourth worst in the NFL thus far.
A big reason for that is the defensive backfield. Is anybody missing Kamren Curl right now?
New free agent Michael Davis is not the answer. Noah Igbinoghene also struggled mightily last week and seemed like he was getting picked on. This is a grave concern for the Commanders, especially considering former third-round pick Benjamin St-Juste seems to be the best of the bunch despite the staff's insistence to play the physical presence off-coverage so much.
This team needs serious help throughout the secondary. They need to find a better formula with the options available. Especially if they don't start applying more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The Commanders have tried to figure out answers in the secondary by shifting things around. A visit to the dynamic Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. will give them problems once more. This is why the new coaches are here - so expect an attempt at more solutions until they find something that resembles competence.
Whether that comes this weekend of further into the future is another matter.
Don't get carried away with Jayden Daniels
Washington Commanders' fans are losing their minds right now. For obvious and welcome reasons.
For a team that was deprived of legitimate hope under the Dan Snyder regime for so long, to finally have a guy who seems like he could be better than Robert Griffin III, it is easy to get carried away. Jayden Daniels is the reason for such widespread optimism.
If head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters know what they are doing, they will continue to remember that this organization needs an internal shift of great magnitude. Part of that is remembering Daniels is still a rookie only three weeks into his professional career.
They need to keep going with the current strategy. It has been responsible for the growth Daniels is already showcasing.
The worst thing the Commanders could do is get carried away or treat him differently. They opened up the playbook for him and it was not too much. That says a lot, but continue to take it slow.
Maybe pull it back a bit, even, and see if they can get the focus back to the run game. The Commanders' offensive line often dominates in this area. New center Tyler Biadasz, brought over with Quinn from the Dallas Cowboys, has been one of the best moves of the offseason.
The Commanders need to establish the run game in Week 4. Feed Brian Robinson Jr. first and then get Daniels going. Continue to ease the Heisman Trophy winner in, and strike when the moment is hot. This worked to tremendous effect against the Cincinnati Bengals as the former LSU star formally announced himself on the NFL stage.
If the Commanders can establish Robinson early and Daniels can make a few things happen with his feet, then they should let him loose. That should lead to another win at the Arizona Cardinals if the defense meets their end of the bargain.
