Why the Commanders Won Their Matchup Against the Browns

The Washington Commanders dominated the Cleveland Browns behind their best outing of the season on defense.

Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) celebrates after a play during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are 4-1 for the first time since 2008. The new era of Commanders' football is off to a spectacular start under first-year head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The talk of the Commanders thus far into the season has surrounded how explosive their offense has been under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels has played at an elite level early in his career, utilizing his dual-threat ability, and that was on full display this past Sunday as Daniels put up over 300 yards of total offense before being pulled from the Cleveland matchup once it was out of reach.

Even with how potent the Commanders' offense has been and was on Sunday in their 34-13 beating of the Cleveland Browns, Pro Football Focus believes that the victory came in large part due to how Washington performed on the other side of the ball.

"This was the best the Commanders defense has looked all season, and they ripped the Browns apart. They sacked Watson seven times and combined for 28 total pressures, with Dorance Armstrong, Daron Payne and Frankie Luvu all registering five or more."

There is no denying the fact that the Commanders were looking to get more out of their defense. Luckily for them, they ran into a Browns team that has been one of the worst offenses in the league with Deshaun Watson at the helm. Washington's defense showed up in this one with a seven-sack outing as star linebacker Frankie Luvu led the way on the day and pressured Watson on almost HALF of his drop backs.

It is great to see the emergence of what the Commanders' defense can be. The Commanders will look to carry the momentum forward from their dominance over the Browns into their Week 6 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens and maintain their hold atop the NFC East.

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