Can the Washington Commanders make progress in NFC East in 2024 season?
By Hunter Noll
Predicting the Washington Commanders record in 2024
The Washington Commanders were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season. How bad were they? Their 4-13 record was good enough for the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. That led to a massive overhaul. The front office saw changes. Meanwhile, Washington got a brand new coaching staff.
Using that second overall pick, they selected quarterback Jayden Daniels out of LSU. Head coach Dan Quinn and the front office added more talent in the draft at positions of need and made some savvy moves to acquire veterans in free agency.
Will this all transfer on the field immediately, though? You can't expect a 4-13 team to turn things around and go 14-3 the following year, right?
What exactly is a realistic record for the Washington Commanders in 2024? We're going to go through each game and predict how they finish the season.
Week 1 - @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - L (0-1)
The Commanders have a lot of new pieces in place. There are new coaches, new veterans, and rookies who will need to contribute on day one. Tampa Bay isn't some elite team, but they are more than competent enough that they could cause a problem.
Washington could do the "plucky underdogs start the season making a statement" move. However, this feels more like a "build on it" type of loss.
Week 2 - vs New York Giants - W (1-1)
The New York Giants are bad. Malik Nabers was an awesome draft pick and finally gives them a legitimate receiver. That being said, the rest of that receiving corps is not inspiring. They don't have a great running back situation, and the quarterbacks are bad.
Daniel Jones tends to play like a mix between Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Peyton Manning whenever Washington and New York meet. But this is a new Washington team. The first win of the year, and it's against a divisional rival.
Week 3 - @ Cincinnati Bengals - L (1-2)
Good thing they got a win out of the way in the prior week because this could be ugly. Cincinnati didn't have a great year last season, but a healthy roster (especially Joe Burrow) could make a massive difference. Will anyone be able to stop Ja'marr Chase? Commanders take one on the chin.
Week 4 - @ Arizona Cardinals - W (2-2)
This is the first really tough game to judge, in my opinion. Tampa Bay and New York could go either way. Arizona is impossible to tell, though.
Is Kyler Murray going to get back to the potential he showed a few seasons ago? Can Marvin Harrison Jr. make an immediate impact? This team could win 10 games, and I wouldn't be surprised. They could also win three, and I wouldn't be surprised.
It will be early for both teams, with a lot of young talent expected to make an impact. Washington gets the nod, though. They just feel like a more complete situation.