(Editor's note: This is an excerpt from Mike Sando's Pick Six from September 30, 2024.)

Let's count how Jayden Daniels is changing the Washington Commanders and the NFC East race.

The Commanders moved to the top of the NFC East at 3-1 and dominated Arizona 42-14. Their Daniels-quarterbacked offense sets the bar higher than anyone could have realistically expected. As in: Prime Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers high.

According to TruMedia, Washington scored on 68 percent of its drives, the highest four-game rate for a team since at least 2000. You may recognize the teams just behind the Commanders on this list. Not even Brady's 2007 New England Patriots scored that many goals early in their historic undefeated regular season.

The Commanders' offense has posted an EPA of at least 8.0 in every game this season. Washington played 387 regular season games from 2000 to 2023 without reaching that mark in more than two consecutive games within a season.

The four-game streak is the second-longest in the league since 2000 for any team with a rookie starting quarterback. Russell Wilson's 2012 Seattle Seahawks strung together five such games. Washington can tie that record in Week 5 at home against Cleveland.

The table above shows the longest such streaks by rookie quarterbacks since 2000. Almost all other streaks occurred later in the season after the quarterbacks gained some experience.

Before the season, five NFL executives predicted Washington would finish 14th in the NFC this season. One of the leaders ensured the Commanders finished sixth and won the NFC East. Why?

“I rated them high for several reasons,” the executive director said Sunday evening. “First of all, I was down with the Giants. Second, I was in Dallas. Third, I screwed Philly. Fourth, we're talking about the Heisman winner coming and potentially being electrifying, coupled with the offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) being better prepared than anyone in the league right now to handle this player. It’s a perfect marriage.”

One of the executives who rated Washington lower early in the season is now calling the NFC East a “crapshoot.” He gave Washington the edge, followed by Philadelphia, Dallas and the Giants. He noted that Daniels is a “difference maker” who is difficult to defend and said Dan Quinn, the new coach, instills confidence in Washington. But he also cautioned that it's still early and Daniels still needs to prove he can hold his own physically after sometimes taking hard hits in college.

According to Fox, Daniels is completing 82 percent of his passes, the best performance in league history through four games among players with at least 75 attempts. Brady was at 79.2 percent in 2007. Daniels has completed 71 percent (20 of 28) of passes at least 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. That clearly leads the league this season (Brock Purdy is in second place with 66 percent).

Go deeper

Jayden Daniels, the burgeoning Commanders optimism and the psyche of a healing fan base

What happens when defenses can better identify commanders' tendencies?

“The great teams have a next pitch,” said the managing director. “It will be interesting to see what it looks like as we move forward.”

The schedule could help balance things out. Washington faces Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago and Pittsburgh in the next six weeks. These teams allow opposing offenses a total of 18.5 points per game.

The Commanders won't play until Week 11 against the Eagles or Cowboys, both of whom are 2-2, and four of their last seven games against those two opponents.

(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)