Some fans like to root against former players. While in some cases there might be valid reasoning, a lot deserve their praise for the work they did while they were with the Washington Commanders.
We will be looking at two former Commanders players who fared well in their Week 8 performances. That wasn't anything close to what Washington accomplished, with Jayden Daniels' miracle Hail Mary snatching a dramatic win at the death against the Chicago Bears en route to a 6-2 record through eight contests.
Let's get to the two former Commanders players who thrived in Week 8.
All statistics come courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Former Commanders players who thrived in Week 8
Kirk Cousins
After a slow start in the first couple weeks of the season for Kirk Cousins, he has come back to life and led the Atlanta Falcons to a 5-3 record. Their offense has become a major bright spot for the team under his leadership despite an adjustment period in different surroundings coming off a torn Achilles.
It also seems that Cousins performs even better against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's beaten the Bucs in an offensive battle twice now this season, once in Week 5 and completing the season sweep in Week 8. Even going back to his time with Washington, the former Michigan State star led the team to a 31-30 victory after being down by an astonishing 24-0.
Cousins finished the game completing 79.3 percent of his passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons offense has been elevated under the veteran, who signed a lucrative deal in free agency.
Tim Settle
Tim Settle was a great defensive tackle for Washington who unfortunately was the victim of being buried on the depth chart on a loaded defensive line. He still got snaps and played as a rotational player who made big plays regularly when given the opportunity.
After a lackluster stint with the Buffalo Bills, Settle now finds himself on the Houston Texans and seems to be back to being a difference maker. This weekend's performance was another prime example of the physical attributes he brings to the table.
In the Texans' 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Settle had six pressures for one sack to go along with two tackles and two defensive stops, which are tackles that result in a "failure" for the offense.