Commanders Must Improve in One Area to Become Playoff Team

The Washington Commanders could be a threat if they get better on defense.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 1, 2024

Cardinals running back James Conner (6) stiff arms Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale in Glendale on Sept. 29, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders offense looks sharp, especially after scoring 80 points in the past two weeks, but the defense also showed some signs of life against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.

The Commanders defense allowed just 14 points against the Cardinals, which was far better than the 33 they surrendered against the Cincinnati Bengals the week before.

Bleacher Report believes that the Commanders could be a playoff threat if the defense continues to perform with consistency.

"Against the Cardinals, though, Washington surrendered just 14 points. It held the Cardinals to just four third-down conversions on 11 tries, forced a fumble and sacked Kyler Murray four times," Bleacher Report writes. "Daniels appears to be something special, and the Commanders have put plenty of offensive pieces around him. If head coach Dan Quinn can build on what his defense did on Sunday, Washington will be playing meaningful football in December and January."

With Quinn there to guide the defense, the Commanders have a shot to be special. He helped transform the Dallas Cowboys defense for the past three years into a really strong unit, and there are signs that Washington could also have something special as well.

It's only been four weeks and there's plenty of room for improvement, but things are trending in the right direction for the Commanders.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders HC Delighted For Kliff Kingsbury Following Win vs. Former Team

• Commanders QB Dominates in Win Against Arizona

• Commanders Finding 'Recipe for Success' in Win Streak

• NFL Power Rankings: Commanders Top 5?

Published Oct 1, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.