Blogging The Boys
How nervous are you really about the Commanders this year?
Seemingly overnight, the Washington Commanders turned their franchise around and became one of the most intriguing clubs in the NFL. Led by rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels, Washington finished 2024 with a 12-5 record and a spot in the NFC Championship game, a game they hadn’t played in since the Joe Gibbs era. Following the sale of the team to new owner Josh Harris, the Commanders made swift changes that saw immediate dividends.
First, Harris appointed Adam Peters, who previously worked with the San Francisco 49ers, to be his general manager. Upon taking the role as general manager, Peters hired Dan Quinn away from the Cowboys to be their head coach. Suddenly, Washington has emerged as stiff competition for the Cowboys alongside the Philadelphia Eagles. The scary part is, Washington is still largely an incomplete rebuild. There are a few components that can make them harder to contend with, or if they don’t work out for the Commanders, will stagnate the rebuild. Here are a few X-factors for the Commanders when they face the Cowboys this season.
For as good as Jayden Daniels was as a rookie, throwing for almost 3,600 yards, he did it mostly with Terry McLaurin as his only notable wide receiver. Looking to further support Daniels with help, Washington traded a fifth-round draft pick for Deebo Samuel, reuniting him with Peters in Washington. Samuel is a dynamic threat doing damage as a receiver or a runner. In four meetings versus the Cowboys, Samuel has averaged 82.3 yards per game and 9.1 yards per touch versus Dallas. His best season as a pro came in 2021, when he had 1,772 yards from scrimmage.
Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has a lot to work with in his backfield when you factor in the mobility of Daniels, the rugged running style of Brian Robinson, and Samuel as a dual option. That said, he’s not come close to achieving those same heights since, and as a receiver, he hasn’t eclipsed 900 receiving yards since 2021. If Dallas can manage to keep tabs on Samuel in the running game, their secondary should be equipped to contain this current iteration of Samuel as a pass catcher.
At last season’s trade deadline, Washington traded for Marshon Lattimore and a fifth-round pick from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a package of draft picks. The fifth-round pick offered by the Saints was later traded away to acquire Deebo Samuel. Unsurprisingly, Lattimore was elevated to the team’s top cornerback upon being activated by the Commanders.
Unfortunately for Washington, Lattimore was in and out of the lineup for the Commanders following the trade because of a hamstring injury. There’s no denying Lattimore’s talent when he’s on the field. He’s ultra competitive and still has premier ball skills. However, the biggest question mark about Lattimore is staying healthy.
If he is on the field, expect to see an exciting matchup...
