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The Washington Commanders enjoyed one of the best turn-around seasons in major sports history in 2024. Following a 4-13 record in 2023 and no winning season since 2016, Washington finished 12-5 in the regular season and marched to the NFC title game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champs.
There was a lot of change entering last season in the nation's capital, but it still made for one of the best seasons in recent memory. The Commanders were led by a first-year staff in head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt.
Perhaps the engine that powered the team's success was star quarterback and Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, who burst onto the scene as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But there might be one statistic that could explain Washington's meteoric rise...
The Commanders finished the 2024 season with an astounding 87% conversion rate on fourth downs. They went 20-23 when deciding to go for it!
ESPN believes that performance could go down as the most prolific fourth-down season in NFL history. Only two teams have had a better conversion rate since 2000 (2016 Cowboys and 2018 Chargers), but they each had 10 or fewer attempts.
Washington had double that. They converted a fourth down in 13 different games, five of which they did so either two or three different times.
That is because Washington's offense thrived on these conversions last season, and all indications show that their offense got even better this offseason.
In 2024, 23.7% of Washington's points were scored on drives that included at least one successful fourth-down conversion. That is the fifth-highest percentage this century. And it's a big chunk of points Washington will be relying on this season again.
Acquiring a versatile weapon in Deebo Samuel Jr and solidifying the offensive line with left tackle Laremy Tunsil are the headlining moves. Drafting a speedster like Jaylin Lane adds an interesting wrinkle to the fourth-down playbook as well.
Of course, having an elusive dual-threat superstar at quarterback helps here most of all.
This aggressiveness is impressive and all ... but is it sustainable?
History might say no, but if the coaching staff keeps a similar mentality, we can't find anything that says it couldn't happen again.
A statistic this absurd should obviously set the Commanders up for failure if they expect the same result this season, but anything can happen. If this frequency dropped to ... lets say 60% (or about 8 of 14), there might not be much of a dip in satisfaction.
As long as Washington is putting up points, nobody will mind how they come. Defenses beware.
More must-reads:
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Raiders' Pete Carroll admits disappointing truth about Ashton Jeanty
The Las Vegas Raiders had high hopes and expectations when they took Boise State phenom Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in this year's draft. It's becoming increasingly rare to see running backs drafted so high, but after watching him post one of the single greatest seasons in college football history, he looked more than worthy of that honor. So far, however, the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist has looked quite mortal in his first two games in the pros. Ashton Jeanty hasn't gotten off to a fast start in the NFL He logged 38 yards and one score in his NFL debut, and then logged just 43 yards on 11 carries in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. That's why Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had to admit that they needed to take things slowly with Jeanty. While he acknowledged that they hadn't done much to put Jeanty in a position to succeed, he remains optimistic about the RB's prospects. "We're just getting started (with Jeanty)," Carroll told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's breaking into the NFL. He's figuring it out. He'll get more carries. We have to run the ball more effectively. We only got (68 yards), and that's not enough. We need more than that. We're bringing (Jeanty) along. More will come." Ashton Jeanty knows he has to do better Jeanty is averaging 2.7 yards per attempt, which is a far cry from his 6.4 yards per carry in college. At least he knows he has to be better, and he believes it's just a matter of time before he gets used to the speed of the pros. "Last week it was on me, I didn't do a good job of reading the plays. I'll put it on myself again this week," Jeanty said. "Just getting used to the speed, honestly. Last week kind of felt like I was moving a little slower, this week felt better. Still not there yet, but once it happens, it will be good." Jeanty continued commenting on the situation on Wednesday. He didn't mince words. Jeanty has posted the fewest rushing yards (81) among players with at least 30 carries, and his next chance to turn the page will come in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders' beatable run defense.
'You kept your mouth shut': College Football Hall of Famer praises Georgia star
Count College Football Hall of Famer and CBS Sports analyst Aaron Taylor among the fans of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who led the Bulldogs to a thrilling 44-41 overtime win against Tennessee on the road on Saturday. The SEC matchup was touted as Stockton's first true test as Georgia's QB this season. "I'm going to give the game ball this week to Gunner Stockton," Taylor said Tuesday. Added the analyst: "Gunner, you represent everything that's great about football and this sport. You kept your mouth shut and you delivered when it mattered most. You pushed all the chips in on yourself, you bet on yourself and you dropped a dime and rose to the moment when your best is needed." Gunner Stockton sat behind Carson Beck, Stetson Bennett Stockton is in his first season as a full-time starter for the No. 5 Bulldogs (3-0). He enrolled at Georgia in 2022 and sat behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck. However, the 21-year-old redshirt junior got considerable playing time in Georgia's postseason run last season. Stockton helped lead the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship Game win over Texas after Beck suffered an injury and also started in Georgia's College Football Playoff loss against Notre Dame. The matchup against Tennessee was Stockton's first career start against an SEC opponent. Against the Volunteers, he threw for 304 yards, two touchdowns and completed 74 percent of his passes. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound QB displayed poise despite playing in a hostile environment in a rivalry the Bulldogs have won nine consecutive times. Gunner Stockton threw key TD pass late against Tennessee In a 4th-and-7 situation with Georgia trailing 38-30 late in the fourth quarter, Stockton threw a 28-yard TD pass to wideout London Humphreys to give the Bulldogs a chance to tie. Stockton then converted a two-point conversion pass to Zachariah Branch to tie the score at 38. Stockton also contributed 38 yards rushing and a TD. Georgia HC Kirby Smart's offense is predicated on the power game, and Stockton executed the game plan perfectly. Taylor, who starred at Notre Dame from 1990-93, knows football, and he likes what he sees in the Georgia QB. "It was the way he blocked out all of the noise," Taylor said about Stockton. "Somehow he had humility but confidence."
Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off potential Cardinals controversy
Second-year Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. added some muscle weight during the offseason in an attempt to improve after he experienced an up-and-down rookie campaign. However, eyebrows were raised when he recorded just two receptions on five targets for 27 yards in Arizona's 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Harrison poured cold water over the idea that he cares more about his stats than about the fact that the Cardinals opened the season with back-to-back wins. Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off "silly conversation" "That’s a silly conversation, really," Harrison responded when asked about the number of passes thrown his way across the season's first two weeks, per Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. "We’re 2-0. That’s the most important thing. We’ve got a big game this week, so that’s really my only focus. Anybody that’s a competitor loves the game, loves what they do. Everybody wants the ball. They want to impact the game. But most importantly, it’s all about winning." Many expected Harrison would take a major leap this season after the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft finished his debut pro campaign with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. Thus far, that hasn't happened. In the Cardinals' 20-13 Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7, he caught five of six targets for 71 yards and a score. ESPN stats show that second-year New York Giants star Malik Nabers tallied a league-high 25 targets over the first two weeks of the ongoing season. To compare, Harrison enters Week 3 with seven receptions on 11 targets for 98 yards and one touchdown. Marvin Harrison Jr. insists he's happy despite lack of targets "It’s always frustrating when you may not get the impact that you kind of want in the game, especially when you put in so much work," Harrison acknowledged. "I know my process throughout the week and all the work that I put in throughout all season and leading up to the game. When you don’t get the results that you want to impact the game, that kind of is frustrating. But at the end of the day, you’re very happy that we’re 2-0 sitting here and got a victory." Earlier in the week, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warned that his team must be better about finishing games after Arizona flirted with snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on two occasions. Perhaps part of that process will involve Murray targeting Harrison early and often during this coming Sunday's game at the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers.
NHL Insider Links Kirill Kaprizov to New York Rangers
Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov has been in the headlines lately, reportedly turning down a massive extension with the team. This has opened the door for a potential trade of the star, and teams around the NHL have been paying close attention. Kaprizov remains one of the better players in the entire league, and he was extremely productive last season, despite some injuries limiting his ice time. In 41 games for the Wild, Kaprizov put up 25 goals and 31 assists. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will trade Kaprizov, but if the contract negotiations continue to stall out, their hands may be forced. Kirill Kaprizov to the New York Rangers? According to NHL insider Jeff Marek, one team to possibly watch in the Kaprizov sweepstakes is the New York Rangers. Due to the team potentially letting star Artemi Panarin's contract expire at the end of this coming season, New York could have a big opening on the roster. There have been plenty of rumors all offseason about the Rangers setting themselves up for a big move next offseason, with Panarin being involved. New York has been rumored to either desire to trade Panarin to clear up cap space or allow him to finish the year without retaining him. This could set them up to go after someone like Kaprizov, who could thrive playing in New York City. Kaprizov is the type of star that could help the Rangers get right back into Stanley Cup contention, and it's something that the team has likely been monitoring. There would need to be a few things to go down for this pairing to happen, but weirder things have happened before. Don't sleep on the Rangers as a true landing spot for the star if he is actually available.
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