5 realistic objectives the Washington Commanders must achieve in 2024
By Dean Jones
There's a sense of nervous excitement among Washington Commanders fans with their 2024 season opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just a few short days away. They are thrilled with the improvements made throughout a frenetic offseason. There are also plenty of unknown quantities following wholesale alterations from top to bottom.
The Commanders haven't got a high bar to improve matters. Things turned sour pretty quickly in 2023 during what turned out to be the final season under previous head coach Ron Rivera. It came as no surprise to see Josh Harris' ownership group go in a different direction to mark the dawning of a new era.
Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is highly respected in league circles, bringing much more prestige and purpose to the top job. Whether he can maximize his second head-coaching opportunity remains to be seen, but the early signs are positive nonetheless.
If the Commanders want to hit the ground running with Quinn and his accomplished coaching staff leading the charge, they must achieve these five realistic objectives in 2024.
Realistic objectives the Commanders must achieve in 2024
Commanders must decrease sacks per game allowed
Sam Howell never stood a chance last season. The Washington Commanders put the former fifth-round selection in front of a porous offensive line incapable of coping with Eric Bieniemy's pass-happy demands. He made some mistakes that eventually resulted in his departure, but very few signal-callers would have succeeded in this sort of environment.
The Commanders conceded 3.8 sacks per game on average in 2023. This was tied with the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets in the basement. Only the New York Giants posted a worse number. Decreasing this total should be the biggest priority above all else.
Washington has a franchise quarterback to protect in No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels. They've made some potentially useful upgrades to their protection, but the edge options look vulnerable if Andrew Wylie's indifferent form continues or rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman cannot adjust quickly to blindside duties.
Keeping Daniels upright is essential. Anything less comes with grave consequences attached.