The Washington Commanders didn’t get off to the best start this year. But even during the 20-37 drubbing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had a half-decent game on paper. Leaving aside the fact that Baker Mayfield had a dream game, heck, a dream season so far, Daniels performed well. Though he threw no touchdowns, he rushed for two and passed for 184 yards, rushing 88. And since that game, he’s only gone strength to strength, with the Commanders now on a 3-win streak. He’s certainly living up to the hype of a 2nd overall draft pick.

But what’s a star quarterback without a coach to back him up and hold the offense together? Kliff Kingsbury was hired by the Commanders earlier this year as offensive coordinator. And they weren’t the only ones looking to take him on, according to Chase Daniel. Daniel further went on to say one of the reasons Kingsbury went with the Commanders was because he knew they’d pick Jayden Daniels. When asked to pick whether it was Daniels or Kingsbury who was more responsibe for the Commanders’ success, he picked no sides, “It really is a marriage that is working” was his take. He cast doubt on the Cleveland Browns‘ ability to handle the Daniels-led offense.

Jayden Daniels’ college track record is undeniable. And that’s even with the hassle of having to switch universities from Arizona State to LSU in 2022. He was a versatile quarterback, adept at both passing and rushing and is the only FBS player to have passed for 12,000 yards and rushed for 3000. His consistent stellar performances went on to win him the Heisman Trophy in 2023.

Kingsbury’s record, in comparison, hasn’t been quite as standout. In the 4 years he was with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-2022), they only made the playoffs once. The team fired him after their 4-13 performance in 2022. He then spent a year as a “senior offensive analyst” with the University of Southern California. Unfortunately, college football rules kept him from active coaching. But he still drew up game plans for them. He must have welcomed the opportunity to step into the big leagues again when the Commanders called him up. Now, the Coach-QB duo faces another challenge in the form of the Cleveland Browns, who haven’t had the best of the start to their season.

Has the Browns’ defense got what it takes?

There’s no point being shy about it; the Cleveland Browns haven’t had a good year so far. Where the Commanders are coming into Sunday 3-1, the Browns do so 1-3, their only win against the Carolina Panthers. The 2023 #1 ranked defense is down to 11th place. Not terrible, but will it be good enough to take on the Commanders?

When interviewed before their Raiders game, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said, “We come out there expecting us to win the game on defense every time we step on the field. We’re going to play great when we put up 40 or when we put up 10. It is what it is. We have to make sure they put up less than we do.”

This is the defense that took the Browns to the playoffs last season, after all. But the Browns have struggled on defense this year, forcing only 3 turnovers over 4 games. Maybe it’s time for the Browns to start relying on younger talent?

Undrafted free agent Ronnie Hickman, signed by the Browns last year, has had a good performance this year. He managed to log 14 tackles and a fumble recovery in just 4 appearances. He could be useful as the Browns prepare to take on the Commanders. They might actually stand half a chance, but they’ll have to give it their all. They haven’t been able to rely on their offense to reliably score points after all.