The Commanders haven’t had a top-10 offense since 2016. After four games, they rank second in points and sixth in yards.
ASHBURN, Va. — It didn’t take long for wide receiver Noah Brown to feel something was different with the Washington Commanders, especially on offense. In fact, it took about three weeks.
“Maybe the rest of the league doesn’t know it,” he said, “but that was all it took to see that there’s something special here.”
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders field marshal. AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
Washington (3-1) has been an early-season surprise entering Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns 1-3 (1 p.m. ET, Fox) in large part because of its offense.
The franchise hasn’t had an offense finish in the top 10 in either yards or points since 2016, and hasn’t been in both since 2012. But after four games, the Commanders rank second in points and sixth in yards . Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has helped a lot, of course, but so have other factors: the scheme, the line and his versatility. That’s why they are optimistic that success will continue.
After a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, catcher Terry McLaurin said the best might yet be yet to come.
“The exciting part is that we are still a little left out in the area where we are going to improve,” he said.
We review four reasons why the Commanders’ offensive has started so strongly:
Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels is one of the keys to the Commanders’ good moment. Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
One pass against the Cincinnati Bengals showed a lot of what Daniels offers. In a 38-33 Week 3 win on Monday night, the Commanders faced a third-and-7 at the 27-yard line and were clinging to a five-point lead with 2:10 left in the game. The play was slow coming in from the wing. Initially there were only 10 men in the Washington camp. And Daniels was already anticipating an all-out blitz.
Daniels took the play calmly, told the late-arriving 11th man, receiver Luke McCaffrey, where to line up, and then delivered a perfect touchdown pass to a well-covered McLaurin in the end zone. Next Gen Stats had a chance to complete this play with 10.3%.
“That kid has poise,” McLaurin said. “He grew up on that deep pass.”
“His composure,” guard Nick Allegretti said, “makes up the offense.”
The play showcased his accuracy, toughness and maturity, elements his teammates and coaches have harped on since he arrived in the spring. Daniels is always one of the first, if not the first, players to arrive at their practice facility each day. He takes a 6 a.m. walk-through with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, then does additional work in his virtual reality headsets that mimic game-speed situations.
The result: Daniels ranks fourth in total QBR (73.3) and first in completion percentage (82.1%). He has thrown for 897 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and has rushed for another 215 yards and four scores.
Kingsbury said he applied some concepts Daniels used at LSU to ease his entry into the NFL.
“You have to try to make him feel as comfortable as possible from the beginning so he can play at a high level,” Kingsbury said, “but he learned it quickly. We put a lot of effort into it and he continues to handle it and play. He’s at a high level and It’s because of his preparation.”
Kingsbury
Before the season, tight end Zach Ertz said he wanted to finish his career playing for Kingsbury. That’s why he was happy to reunite in Washington after spending parts of two seasons with him in Arizona, where Kingsbury was the head coach.
“The best part about Kliff’s offense is that he really makes it easy on the quarterback,” Ertz said. “It’s going to be very flexible.”
It’s not just about intriguing players, although that has happened in every game.
Washington also leads the NFL in no-huddle plays with 119; the next closest team, the Chicago Bears, has 65. The Commanders gained 285 yards in 37 no-huddle plays against Arizona. They used a variety of looks and attacked all parts of the field.
Players say success comes from preparation. They make at least three tours a day.
Dylan Buell/Getty Images
“These are all the rides I’ve ever done,” said runner Austin Ekeler. “We have so many mental reps. People get in different spots and go so fast, so we can, as an offense, give you such a variety of looks on the fly and make sure it’s crisp.”
Kingsbury said he started doing more runs while training at Texas Tech.
“The kids would lose interest,” he said of the meetings. “But if you take them out on the grass and talk to them and walk them around, it tends to stick a little better.”
The offensive line
Washington felt better about its offensive line internally than many outside the building, according to multiple team sources. The Commanders allowed a league-high 65 sacks last season, a byproduct of an offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy who emphasized the pass; a quarterback in Sam Howell, who held the ball longer than coaches wanted; and, in some cases, talent.
This offseason, the team added veteran center Tyler Biadasz, left guard Nick Allegretti and left tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round; Coleman has rotated with Cornelius Lucas in place.
Heading into Week 5, the Commanders are tied for 12th in sacks allowed with nine, five of them coming in Week 2. They are sixth in yards per carry (5.1). Additionally, Washington ranked last in the NFL in carries in 2023; The Commanders are tied for fourth in that category after four games.
The success is due to Daniels’ ability to get rid of the ball quickly. Washington ranks fourth in time to pass (2.52 seconds). His ability to extend plays also helps. The Commanders are third in time before a capture (5.38 seconds).
Tight ends, backs, and sometimes receivers help by breaking up the ends. Receivers also help by blocking running plays. But it still starts with the line.
“We know they weren’t very excited coming into the season,” Kingsbury admitted. “But they’ve really taken pride in their approach as a unit and their physical nature, play finishing and toughness, and their communication is amazing.”
Kingsbury said they will have plays in a game that, perhaps, they could only go through in practice.
“It’s the best I’ve had in that sense in terms of picking things up and solving problems on the field and in the game,” he highlighted.
Versatility
Washington can hurt teams with the running game: the Commanders rushed for more than 200 yards in wins over the New York Giants and Cardinals.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 101 yards against the Cardinals. In four games, he rushed 66 times for 307 yards and carried the ball 16 or more times in each of the last three games. He only carried 16 or more times in a game four times in all of 2023.
But the Commanders also get help from Daniels’ legs: He has rushed 22 times for 163 yards. They can make power plays with Robinson, drawing in linemen; They can run zone plays and quarterback runs, whether it’s off of a zone read or just a sweep action.
AP Photo/Jeff Dean
“It’s run and play-pass, that’s a combination,” Quinn said of why the offense is working so well. “And then the combination of Jayden out of the pocket with his legs creating some first downs. That’s what makes it tough.”
McLaurin leads the team with 19 receptions for 191 yards, 152 of them coming in the last two games.
They also have players like Olamide Zacceaus, who played five snaps and was not targeted in Monday night’s game, but caught six passes for 85 yards in Arizona. He ranks second among receivers with 10 receptions this season. Veterans Ertz (15 catches, 150 yards) and Ekeler (nine catches, 121 yards) have also helped.
Brown, signed on Aug. 28, has caught nine passes for 111 yards in the last three games combined.
“That’s the nice thing about being in an offense like this,” Zacceaus said, “everybody can make a play.”
