“If only the games were played on paper, we’d be undefeated!” This potentially is the story of the fans of the Washington Commanders every year. Yet, when one talks about inconsistencies, the Commanders are the first team to pop into the head! But they might have some relief in the upcoming season under the new HC Dan Quinn and the new QB Jayden Daniels, per analyst Colin Cowherd.

Speaking on The Herd on the 19th of July, Colin Cowherd gave his ‘pre-camp predictions’. He said this forecasting does not include injuries that could come up during the camp. Let’s keep that in mind for his sake. As Colin dove into his traditional pre-season predictions for 2024, he eventually reached the NFC East division.

The Eagles are “the best team in the division” according to him, making him believe they will easily win the division. That’s not it, though! He put the Commanders just below them at the second spot. His reasoning?  “New coach, new OC, new quarterback, new owner. I think they use that energy and juice to catapult. I think they’re the surprise team in the NFL.”

The new coach that Cowherd referred to is Dan Quinn who was the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys before this. As NFL.com also indicated, “Dan Quinn has a long history of making an immediate impact upon arriving at new teams, helping turn the Seahawks into a Super Bowl-winning defense, elevating the Falcons as a head coach, and galvanizing the Cowboys’ defense when he got to Dallas in 2021. There’s a clear reason for optimism, and the Commanders have only one direction to go in after zero playoff victories in the past 18 seasons.”

The table uses data provided by Warren Sharp on 7th May, via X. Without any ifs, buts, and maybes, the numbers are in front. However, he is not a defensive coordinator anymore, but a head coach. And Quinn understands the difference of responsibility here. “The essence of a head coach is to put it all together. It’s the chemistry, the messaging, the play style. It’s the attitude. the swagger. The essence of this job [is] to tie everything together. And that’s when I’m at my best,” he said in his introductory press conference in February.

Good chat, that. One to earn the respect of the fans as there was a dichotomy of views upon his arrival. But it seems that the ‘new QB’, that Colin mentioned, should be the way to go.

Dan Quinn – Jayden Daniels partnership key to Washington’s glory?

This is where another element from Colin Cowherd’s reasoning for the Commanders’ ‘surprise season’ arises. The Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels second overall. As NFL.com wrote about the Washington side, “There’s new blood everywhere, from the front office to the coaching staff down to the bottom of the roster.”

For Washington, this could create a dynamic that Dan Quinn hasn’t experienced with quarterbacks like Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson, as this is the first time the coach is dealing with a rookie quarterback as an HC. As for the 23-year-old, he is coming in a much better situation, a much better system. If we quote what Colin said: new HC, new OC, new owner – it applies to the new QB, i.e. Daniels, as well.

Coming out of LSU, it is only fair we compare his numbers to arguably one of the best individual college football season produced – Joe Burrow in 2019.

Keep in mind, that Daniels played three games less than Burrow did. On top of that, the new Commanders’ QB added 1,134 rushing yards in 2023. Making it LSU’s record for most rushing yards for a career and season. Speaking on Simms Complete, in February, former Giants QB Phil Simms said that Daniels is up there with Burrow in terms of the Tigers hierarchy. He showed belief in Daniels to translate his repertoire of skills well to the next level.

Now, Daniels has not only got the pressure of Simms’ backing riding on his shoulders. But also the pressure of Colin’s prediction. However, the fortunes of the Commanders rely on Dan Quinn’s ability to help Daniels shine on the gridiron. Will Cowherd’s predictions stand true? Or is it another same ol’ story in the making? Let us know your thoughts below!