After winning four games last season, the Washington Commanders under Dan Quinn came out firing to start the 2024 campaign. With a historic offensive performance right out of the gate, fans were quick to forget just how awful this team was over the last few years.
When a three-game losing streak and adversity struck the team, many wrote off what the Commanders had accomplished, myself included. There were questions about whether rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had been figured out. If Kliff Kingsbury was hitting his usual December wall. If Terry McLaurin was a true WR1.
Let's not forget, nobody expected this team to be 8-5 and in playoff position heading into the bye week. Quinn has already matched the most wins in a season throughout Ron Rivera's tenure and is one triumph away from matching the most wins under Jay Gruden.
Let that sink in. The Commanders haven't been a good football team for more than a decade. Everything that this new ownership, front office, and head coach has accomplished is a win, regardless of how the season ends.
It's a testament to how quickly Washington has been able to change the roster after last year's laughable quote from Rivera.
"If we go 8-8-1 this year and he fires me and next year they win the division and 40 of the 53 players we drafted and it’s the same quarterback, I’m vindicated. Send me my Super Bowl ring."
- Ron Rivera via ESPN
That didn't age well. Every first-round pick made during Rivera's time with the franchise is now gone from the roster after those in power waived cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
Years ago, I wrote an article on "The Other Guys", where I talked about how Logan Thomas and Cam Sims (remember him) had stepped up for Washington. Who have been the unsung heroes for the Commanders in 2024?
Let's take a look.
Commanders unsung heroes at the 2024 bye week
Tyler Biadasz - Commanders C
Tyler Biadasz has not only built a strong friendship with Jayden Daniels but has done a good job protecting the rookie. The veteran center leads the NFL in offensive snaps played, yet has only allowed one sack and two penalties.
Last year's starting duo of Nick Gates and Tyler Larsen allowed a combined eight sacks and four infringements. In the Washington Commanders' bounce-back game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13, Biadasz led the team with an 85.6 grade from Pro Football Focus and was a big part of the team rushing for 267 yards.
The changes across the offensive line are a big reason why the offense has been able to take the next step this season. Biadasz's underrated contribution has played a significant role so far.
Dante Fowler Jr. - Commanders OLB
Dante Fowler Jr.'s signing in the offseason wasn't met with too much fanfare. He was seen as more of a depth piece with a familiar face from Dan Quinn's time with the Dallas Cowboys. An experienced figure to lean on when needed during the Washington Commanders' pivotal transition.
Fowler has been a major surprise in D.C., having a renaissance year with 8.5 sacks, 11th most in the NFL with the 12th most tackles for loss in the league. The former first-round pick has far outplayed his contract, having more sacks than former Commanders Chase Young and Montez Sweat combined and more quarterback takedowns than the highly paid tandem of Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen.
If you dig deeper, you can see just how effective Fowler has been. He has played 400 defensive snaps, which is on average 172.3 snaps less than the 10 players in front of him in terms of sacks and 59th in the league among edge rushers. He looks well worth another deal if the same trend continues after the bye week.
Austin Seibert - Commanders PK
This one might be a bit controversial after Austin Seibert had two missed extra points, including one that could have sent the game to overtime, as well as a missed field goal in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Injuries may have factored into his performance in that game. Despite that, Seibert has been a revelation for Washington this year.
The kicking position was a big question mark this year for the Commanders. If you look around the league, plenty of teams have been hit with injuries or uneven play at the vastly important spot. One only has to look at Justin Tucker's current predicament to see how precarious things can become quickly.
Seibert has attempted the fourth most field goals this season, despite playing around 3-to-4 fewer games than the kickers in front of him. He has the seventh-best accuracy among kickers with at least 20-plus attempts, making 90 percent of his field goals.
He had also hit every extra point before the two misses in the Dallas game. For single-handedly winning the New York Giants contest early in the season with a franchise-record seven field goals, Seibert deserves his flowers.
Hopefully, he can return from injured reserve and help contribute to a potential playoff run.
Noah Brown - Commanders WR
Noah Brown has always been one of those players that is never seen as a star. However, the wide receiver always becomes a big contributor on offense.
He did it with both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. We're seeing it with the Washington Commanders despite his late arrival to the organization this summer.
After trading Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Commanders needed a new WR2. Although his game has fallen off a bit in the past few weeks, Brown has answered the call.
Washington should upgrade the position this offseason. Until then, Brown has been that big target that the Commanders desperately needed.
If for nothing else, Brown has carved his name in Commanders' folklore and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with his 52-yard Hail Mary catch to win the game against the Chicago Bears. That was a moment no Washington fan will ever forget.
"We're blessed to have 5 leading this team... I wouldn't want to play with any other quarterback."
— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2024
- Hail Mary receiver Noah Brown on his QB1 pic.twitter.com/bKWwrqjFMc
Brown has also been a force in drawing defensive pass interference calls, leading the league with 158 yards. This is ahead of Justin Jefferson and Darnell Moody.
Zach Ertz - Commanders TE
A tight end can be a rookie quarterback's favorite security blanket. Zach Ertz has helped fit that bill for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.
Ertz, who hasn't played a full season since 2021, has started every game for Washington. The Pro Bowler is second in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns behind Terry McLaurin.
As Ben Sinnott continues to develop, Ertz has been a valuable part of an offense that lacks any big names aside from McLaurin. He has the eighth-most yards among tight ends, outplaying Kyle Pitts and Mark Andrews, and is tied for the fifth-most touchdowns.
He is outperforming his pay grade by a large amount for Washington. Ertz's 2024 cap number ranks 36th among tight ends, including behind fellow Commanders star John Bates.
A common thread among this list is that they signed short-term contracts in Washington, with the group making the most of their opportunities. Combined with the efforts from fellow veterans like Bobby Wagner, Jeremy Chinn, Frankie Luvu, and Austin Ekeler, they have played a big part in the Commanders' turnaround.
With ample cap space and draft picks going into next season, the sky is the limit for Washington. That should have fans smiling from ear to ear.
