One of the biggest surprise stories in the NFL through the first quarter of the season has to be how good the Washington Commanders have looked. After a coming out party last week on Monday Night Football, quarterback Jayden Daniels took his game to another level on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown and adding 47 yards and a score on the ground.
Accuracy has been the name of the game for Daniels, turning in the highest completion percentage through a quarterback’s first four games in NFL history at 82.1%. That accuracy has led to the Commanders developing into an explosive offense. They’ve scored 38+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in more than 30 years, Daniels has the highest Expected Points Added (EPA) per dropback of any rookie quarterback through the first four weeks since 2000, and he’s led the Commanders to the second-best EPA per drive through four weeks of any team since 2000.
The offense is humming in Washington, but the defense is lagging behind by a significant margin, due in large part to the play of their cornerbacks. Washington currently has the 30th-ranked defense in the league, allowing 263.7 gross passing yards (before sack yardage is subtracted) heading into the Cardinals game. They were able to hold Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to just 142 yards on the day, which is a marked improvement, but they could use a veteran presence in the backfield according to one NFL analyst.
Bleacher Report NFL analyst Matt Holder sees youth as the biggest problem in the Commanders’ defensive backfield, and suggests the team looks to the NFL’s free agency market to fix the problem. Tre Herndon, Holder suggests, would be a great fit for the team. Herndon had a 73.1 coverage grade from PFF last season, and he has the experience and skill set to play both outside and in the slot, giving the Commanders not only a veteran presence, but some versatility at the position.
Herndon may not come in and start right away, but he could give the Commanders a nice rotational piece, and would give them some insurance against injuries. Perhaps more important, though, is the mentorship he would be able to provide the Commanders’ young secondary pieces. That veteran presence could coax out a more consistent performance from the rest of the group and put the Commanders even more in the driver’s seat in the NFC East.
