Washington
For Commanders fans who aren’t sure what to do, here’s a suggestion: Believe
LANDOVER, Md. — It’s OK, Commanders fans.
You don’t know what to do with yourselves, do you? You’re like Ricky Bobby.
This can’t be real, right? Not for this franchise, which has worn holes in your soul for three decades, beaten the care out of you with one embarrassing off- and on-field episode after another, made you put your tickets on the secondary market and led to off-the-charts bile readings every Monday morning. It’s been grim around here. Grim.
You have every reason to let cynicism and jaded history be your guide. None of the team’s three units is fully formed or totally functional.
But, it’s also OK to believe. Really.
It doesn’t mean Washington will be playing for a Lombardi Trophy any time soon. But the boulder is, at last, moving toward that, rather than rolling away from it.
At 4-1 and in first place in the NFC East after spanking the Cleveland Browns 34-13 at Northwest Stadium, the Commanders have already equaled their win total for all of last season. They didn’t even play that well in the first half Sunday, in what Dan Quinn called a “grimy” first 30 minutes. Jayden Daniels threw a bad interception at the Cleveland 5 in the first quarter, after … well, I can show you better than I can describe it:
Daniels keeps the play alive with an incredible 66-yard pass🔥
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/nTAPNQ9iCt
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 6, 2024
That was 66 yards, on the move, on third-and-13.
The stadium wasn’t sold out Sunday, but it was more filled with actual Commanders fans than I can remember seeing — and hearing — in a very long time. The home crowd chanting “defense” and meaning it? Goodness.
People in Commanders jerseys started leaving late in the third quarter … but it was because their team was up 34-6. And when is the last time the home team was up by that much in this stadium?
It was Nov. 15, 2015, against the New Orleans Saints, a game Washington won 47-17. (Kirk Cousins was pretty efficient that day, going 20-of-25 for 324 yards and four touchdown passes.)
It’s not that there were no Browns fans around Sunday. There were many. But they didn’t overwhelm the stadium with their noise, as opposing fans have done for most of the last decade. They couldn’t, because every four or five minutes, Daniels did another thing that left their jaws slacked while Washington’s faithful could almost giggle at the absurdity of what they were watching.
There was Daniels going deep to Terry McLaurin. There he was beating the Browns’ man coverage late in the first half, dropping a 41-yard TD in the bucket to Dyami Brown. There he went, after his bombs made Cleveland’s defensive backs stay glued to their men rather than come up and assist their defensive line to keep Daniels contained, scampering out of the pocket, time and again, taking off downfield to the tune of 11 carries for 82 yards, including converting a fourth-and-3 at the Cleveland 40 by making linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah miss, then taking off for 34 yards down the sideline.
And watch the impact, as Browns defenders’ bodies sagged every time Daniels moved the chains again.
Jayden Daniels can break your brain if you’re not stout of mind on the opposite sideline.
“It can be demoralizing,” Quinn said. “’Cause all of a sudden, you’ve created some long-yardage scenarios. … To have a big shot, even when the person’s guarded well, and you put it in the only spot it could go. The play that comes to mind before today was the one to Terry at the end of the Cincinnati game, where there was really only one spot where he could throw that pass. He had a couple of those scenarios today.”
And this is happening every week. And it’s happening here.
Not just Kansas City. Or San Francisco. Or Philly or Buffalo or Detroit. Here, too. Finally.
The player who is rapidly becoming Must-See TV around the country, the person about whom the morning shoutfests are devoting increasing amounts of their time (“If you could clone Jayden Daniels, what team would you put him on?”), the first-round quarterback pick who is going first overall now in the 2024 NFL redrafts (yes, it’s still 2024; these are the clickbait times in which we live) plays for your team.
And afterward, the first thing he talked about was the plays he and the offense left on the field.
“I’m happy to get back and watch the film,” Daniels said. “It’s always better to go back and review stuff after a win, but we’ve got to improve.”
The Commanders did leave points out there Sunday. Daniels’ pick erased a scoring chance deep in the red zone, a play after he missed an open Zach Ertz in the end zone. Later, he missed Ertz again, after the tight end had cleared down the seam past the Cleveland secondary. McLaurin fumbled on the first play of the third quarter and dropped another potential TD on a near-perfect fade from Daniels late in the third. Washington was fortunate that wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus was hustling downfield early in the second quarter at the end of Austin Ekeler’s 50-yard run and was able to recover Ekeler’s fumble after Browns corner Martin Emerson Jr. punched the ball out.
There was complementary football all over the field Sunday. Austin Seibert still hasn’t missed a kick since he’s gotten here. Linebacker Nick Bellore, a two-time Pro Bowler on special teams in Seattle before Washington signed him to its practice squad a month ago, hit most everyone who tried to return a kick for the Browns.
The defense again got home Sunday, sacking Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson seven times, with Bobby Wagner forcing a Watson fumble after a big hit on him in the third quarter. Washington’s defensive tackles were outstanding, stuffing the Browns running game and forcing multiple third-and-longs. (Sunday was third-year man Phidarian Mathis’ best game here, by far.) The woeful Browns were 1 for 13 on third downs.
And even though Daniels struggled at times, the big plays he and the offense made not only picked up Washington’s defense but also reinforced what it already believes: Daniels is earning everything he’s gotten so far.
“It fires us up,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said. “’Cause we know what Jayden puts in all week. The kid shows up at 4 a.m., and he’s already lifting in there. Me and Bobby walk in at like 5, 6, and dude is already done with his film tape, done with his lift. He’s already a step ahead. To see that, and to (then) see what he does on Sundays, it’s not shocking. It is to the world. But the dude put in a week of work. It’s a long conversation, but what you put in is what you’re gonna get out. To do what he does, it just fires us up and helps us keep going.”
That’s why it’s OK to hope. That’s why it’s OK to dream about what could happen around here, and maybe sooner than we all think, if Josh Harris and his folks can find a place to build the stadium they want, and if Adam Peters, as I believe he will, keeps his draft powder dry and doesn’t reach for a short-term fix at the trade deadline and has a couple of more cracks at things in 2025 and 2026, and if Quinn and his staff continue to develop what they’re given. Nothing’s promised in this league, or this game. The Ravens await next Sunday in Baltimore, and if you ever want to stress-test these Commanders, to see where the fissures still lie, that’s the perfect place to do so.
But it’s OK to believe. And to dream. And to hope for greatness down the line. Because the quarterback, the one who hasn’t been around here in so very, very long, isn’t skipping steps. He isn’t cutting the line. He wants to be great, and he’s grinding to become just that.
Win or lose in a given week, it’s real. For real.
(Photo of Frankie Luvu and Washington teammates celebrating with fans after his fumble recovery: Timothy Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
Full Episode:
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 4/17/26
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