The Washington Commanders have been the story through the early portion of the 2024 NFL season. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has taken the league by storm as the Commanders have seized first place in the NFC East after moving ahead of both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Washington is 4-1 and leading the division, with the franchise having the most hope in years.
The Commanders will be tested on Sunday as they head to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore will be the first team Washington has faced that currently has a winning record since Week 1, a game that can propel the Commanders as a serious contender in the NFC East.
NFL on CBS lead reporter Tracy Wolfson, who will be covering Sunday's showdown, previews the star-studded matchup between Daniels and Lamar Jackson.
The Jayden Daniels impact on Washington has been something else. When's the last time you can remember a player having that significant of an impact on a franchise?
Wolfson: That's really a good question, especially as a rookie. You can go back to C.J. Stroud and right away he came in, he produced. You saw wins, you saw excitement. They are in a different market, so sometime that gets lost a little bit. You can probably point to that, because, to me, that's another team that's struggled in the past. Certainly they've had seasons where they went to the playoffs and they lost in the first round.
I think because Washington has been so bad for so long, it just stands out. I think you can point to a Patrick Mahomes, who certainly once he stepped foot out there changed the culture. But you certainly had Alex Smith there, and he really set the tone and Patrick learned from him. I think the C.J. Stroud comparison in a sense; he just went out there and he did his job. And he got a lot of people believing, and he came into this season with Houston being a Super Bowl contender because of it.
How much do you think Washington has changed since Josh Harris has taken over ownership?
Wolfson: Dramatically changed, and it starts with Josh Harris and all that he's been able to do. Financially, they've been able to have so much room now with the cap and have so much money to make deals that they need to make -- and they're being smart with it. They have a rookie on a rookie contract and he's playing well, and you know every team would love to have a quarterback on a rookie contract. Right now, the numbers they throw out to these quarterbacks are insane, and it really handcuffs you. So they are seeing that [result].
And then the decisions he's made, from Adam Peters being hired as general manager to Dan Quinn as head coach. He was one of my favorite coaches to be around every time we got out in the room to talk to him with the Cowboys. Even with the way he stayed with the Cowboys and didn't take certain jobs because he felt it wasn't the right timing and he needed to find the right job. He's fantastic, he's a culture builder, he gets everyone to believe. He sets these practice plans and these walkthroughs where everyone knows their job and their role. Then he goes out and brings in leaders like Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, and puts together an offensive line that needed to be kind of built and gel. And then of course, you have Jayden Daniels.
From the top down, I've been so impressed. This is the first time I've done a deep dive into them, because I don't know the last time I've done a Washington game. So I can tell you, I've been so impressed with what I'm learning about this team. I'm not surprised that they are successful on the field.
Commanders fans are kind of skeptical with Daniels, I guess, because they have seen what happened with Robert Griffin III. This won't be the same with Daniels, right?
Wolfson: It's so cliche to say the "real deal," but you just don't come out and do what you do and then just lose it. He has all the intangibles and you can sense he has all the leadership skills and the poise. It's not just the X's and O's, it's not just the talent or the arm strength. It's what he does off the field.
Everyone will tell you he shows up at 4 a.m. before everyone else. The practice he puts in pre and post [game and practice], and what he does in virtual reality to prepare for a game. All the little things, you can't just teach that. It's what he does off the field that's so impressive that will allow him to have that longevity in football and with the Commanders.
Is this the best you've seen Lamar Jackson play?
Wolfson: It's interesting. We usually don't see Lamar and the Ravens until later in the year. We usually don't see them until December and get them around playoff time. It's kind of fun to cover him early on and really see him. I think he's carried on a lot of what we saw at the end of the year into this season. He seems healthy, he seems stronger. We all read about how he's gotten faster and leaner and you're seeing Lamar at the top of his game last year and he has the type of pieces around him. Certainly the addition of Derrick Henry really helps as we know takes a little bit of a load off him, not having to run as much.
I do think this is the best version of Lamar we've seen. I do worry every year with his health and his longevity with him taking off and running. He's had those injury issues throughout a season. We're gonna have to see. It's fun to cover him early on to see him at the top of his game and to see him in this matchup. This is the one you want.
When the Ravens started 0-2, were you concerned at all?
Wolfson: I really wasn't. First of all, the whole start to the season has been strange. Teams are winning that you didn't expect. Teams are losing that you didn't expect. You can point to the Bills and Bengals. I really wasn't concerned. I know what John Harbaugh brings to this team. I know how good they are. Any time you lose a key coach like Mike Macdonald, I think it's really hard to replace them. You're seeing [defensive coordinator] Zach Orr bring on Dean Pees this week, and I thought that was really interesting because he realized he might need a little help -- and that's OK to ask for it. And I love that.
I really thought they would get it together. They played some tough teams and especially in their division right now, I think they'll be the ones standing in the end.
We've been hearing about the Davante Adams trade talk. Which team do you think needs him more?
Wolfson: I'm going to say Washington. First off, I think they have the money. And I think it would be good to take the pressure off [Terry] McLaurin and they would have another wide receiver out there. Another No. 1 out there. I think they could use another pass-catching threat. I think Baltimore has their formula for winning. I think they can win without Davante Adams. Not saying that Washington can't, but I think Washington has the ability to pay and they can certainly use him.
