'Franking the Form' theory bolsters Commanders' legitimacy in 2024

There's an old phrase in horse racing called 'franking the form'. This is when placed horses behind a winner go on to achieve success in their future races, thus legitimizing the victor's previous triumph. It's one of the best ways to analyze form - something that also applies to the Washington Commanders following their sensational start to the campaign.

The Commanders proved their worth as a dangerous outfit by easily disposing of the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. It wasn't the perfect performance, but the explosive plays and ever-improving defense got them over the line with minimal fuss. Something has changed for the better much quicker than anticipated, which has fans dreaming of what this franchise could achieve in Year 1 of head coach Dan Quinn's tenure.

Commanders' sensational form looks better with every passing week

Some remain skeptical despite the Commanders sitting atop the NFC East with a 4-1 record. Opposing fans claimed Washington hadn't beaten anyone of relevance. They're taking advantage of less-than-stellar teams and their incredible opening to the season is nothing more than fool's gold. They believe it'll all come crashing down soon enough.

That might be wishful thinking looking at how things have unfolded so far. One look at the 'franked form' attached to Washington's four-game winning run lends further weight to their potential legitimacy.

Week 2, the New York Giants. This would have been a blowout had Washington turned its countless red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. They've just secured a stunning upset win at the Seattle Seahawks, which is a notoriously intimidating atmosphere for opposing teams. Not bad, right?

Week 3, the Cincinnati Bengals. This put the Commanders on the map after decades in the proverbial wilderness. After comfortably beating the Carolina Panthers, they came within a whisker - a missed field goal from a botched ball placement - of beating the Baltimore Ravens before eventually going down in overtime.

Week 4, the Arizona Cardinals. This was a demolition job by Washington from start to finish. Jonathan Gannon's men followed this up with a stunning victory at the San Francisco 49ers, who were missing a couple of key pieces but still boast a formidable roster.

That's called franking the form.

Winning in the NFL is hard. Gaining four straight triumphs is even harder.

This is unchartered territory for the Commanders, who've already matched their win total through all of last season in just five games with Quinn leading the charge. It could all go wrong from here on out, but that seems unlikely looking at the dramatic culture shift across the organization since Josh Harris' group assumed ownership.

We'll find out much more about the Commanders in Week 6 when they travel to the Ravens. They came within touching distance of the Super Bowl last season. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have come to life over the last three games, forming the league's most prolific backfield tandem. Their defense isn't playing well, but this represents the toughest test Washington has faced since Week 1.

If they can come through it with flying colors and perhaps even get another win on their travels, there's just no telling what this team might be capable of.

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