4 winners (and 3 losers) from first quarter of Commanders 2024 season
By Dean Jones
Loser No. 1
Cade York - Former Commanders K
The Washington Commanders thought Cade York was the man to solve their kicking problems once and for all. Their revolving door at the position since Brandon McManus' release saw general manager Adam Peters send a conditional seventh-round selection to the Cleveland Browns for the LSU product. It was another move at the spot that failed to bring the necessary rewards.
York hadn't kicked since the 2022 season in a competitive environment and it showed. He missed two field goal attempts in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was all Peters needed to see.
The Commanders cut York loose after just one game, getting the draft pick back from the Browns given he hadn't featured in two contests for the franchise. This led Washington to free agent Austin Seibert after he failed to make the New York Jets roster. He's been flawless, hitting all 10 of his field goal attempts to provide a sense of dependability that was sorely lacking.
It seems like the Commanders have finally found something in Seibert. As for York? He blew his big opportunity in Washington and could find himself out of the league entirely as a result.
Winner No. 2
Commanders coaching staff
Whether Ben Johnson was the first choice of Josh Harris' ownership group for head coach or not doesn't matter anymore. The Commanders felt confident Dan Quinn had the fire and the connections needed to steer this franchise through a pivotal stage of their rebuild. Things couldn't be going much better under his leadership so far.
Quinn's focus was on making the Commanders fundamentally sound and reinstalling belief. He got players to center their collective development on building relationships and being there for one another no matter what. He also trusts his coaching staff fully to implement the strategies needed to enhance skills and maximize the roster talent available. Everything has come together much sooner than even the brightest optimist envisaged.
It was hard to single out anyone on the coaching staff. Everyone is playing their part and fully on board with the ambitious proposals laid out by Quinn and general manager Adam Peters. That's been the biggest positive above all else considering the downtrodden atmosphere during Ron Rivera's final season at the helm.
Washington's coaching staff left their mark early. They're also experienced enough to know things could change in the blink of an eye. Maintaining high standards and keeping everyone's feet on the ground amid ongoing adulation should serve them well moving forward.