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The Washington Commanders have entered a new era. They have new ownership, a new head coach, and a new quarterback. In the offseason, the team went on a spending spree and brought in a bunch of new players for 2024. It is a new era, but will it come with success? Here are three numbers to know before the start of the 2024 season.
Washington Commanders: 4
Number of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for Terry McLaurin
One of the reasons people are slightly bullish on the Washington Commanders is the pieces the team has. One of them is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who kept his streak alive last season of 1,000-yard seasons. This may not seem like a huge accomplishment in today’s NFL, but here is the list of quarterbacks McLaurin has had throwing him the ball in the last four years: Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz, Sam Howell. Oof.
Jayden Daniels is now the quarterback, and the team hopes he will be the long-term answer to the position. If McLaurin can put up those kinds of numbers with subpar quarterback play, there is no telling what he can do if Daniels turns into a superstar quarterback. Terry McLaurin deserves a good quarterback, and I, for one, am cheering for him to keep the streak alive.
Washington Commanders: 4,946
Number of all-purpose yards for Jayden Daniels last season
It isn’t hard to see why the Washington Commanders like Jayden Daniels. He is a true dual-threat quarterback. Twenty years ago, he would have been a unicorn in the league. Now, quarterback mobility is essential to the modern offense. Daniels takes mobility to a whole new level. His dynamic playmaking with his legs and arm is fun to watch and has the potential to give defenses headaches. There are some concerns.
This is the NFL, not the SEC. Daniels won’t be able to outrun NFL defenses the way he did in college. He doesn’t have blue-chip players up and down the roster. While I love Terry McLaurin, I have some questions about the rest of the offense, especially the offensive line. Daniels will have to adapt his playing style slightly. If he can be the real deal, the Washington Commanders may find themselves in contention sooner rather than later.
.342 Winning Percentage
Commanders’ winning percentage over the past ten years
It’s hard to have any success as a franchise when you cannot win the division. With a record of 20-39-1 over the past ten years, the Washington Commanders have been dominated by their divisional opponent. If there is one thing the team can start with in 2024, it is improving against the division. While the Eagles and Cowboys have stacked teams, the Giants are very beatable. The Commanders have also pulled off some upsets on their home turf against the Eagles in the past few years.
The good news for the team is the slate has been wiped clean. They have a new everything from top to bottom in the organization. The time to start turning around the franchise is now. Dan Quinn has his hands full but has proven he can coach winning teams in the past.
The Washington Commanders hope Jayden Daniels can be the answer at quarterback. Ultimately, nothing else matters if the team cannot figure out that position. They brought in savvy veterans, which should help the locker room as well. Can the Commanders make some noise in 2024?
