One of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season has been the stellar play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was drafted by Washington with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, it isn’t to say it’s surprising that he would play well, he was drafted that high for a reason. However, I don’t think anyone would have expected him to be THIS good.
Through four games, Daniels is completing 82.1 percent of his passes, which is the highest all-time after four games for any QB in the history of the NFL. He’s thrown for 897 yards with three touchdowns, compared to just one interception. He’s also ran the ball 46 times for 218 yards and four TD’s on the ground. That is unprecedented success that we have never seen before with a rookie, and his team has benefited greatly.
Before the season, Washington was slated third on BetMGM’s oddsboard on who would win the NFC East, just slightly ahead of the New York Giants. However, both of them were distant from the two frontrunners in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, who were No. 2 and No. 1, respectively. The Commanders have closed the gap considerably with the favorites after the first four weeks of the season.
While they are still in third place, they are now just +260 to win the division, up from +700 before the season began. The Eagles are still in first place at +105 odds, and Dallas remains in second at +240, but you can see how drastically Washington has closed in on them for the division crown.
Philadelphia has had an up and down first few weeks, but there has been plenty of drama building in the city of brotherly love. QB Jalen Hurts has turned the ball over six times already through four games, and there is a ton of heat on head coach Nick Sirriani to bring this very talented team to the playoffs. They are 2-2, and things have been trending down after their blowout loss to the Buccaneers.
Dallas also sits at 2-2, and they have had their own set of issues as of late. Many think that their window to win a title has passed them by, and trusting QB Dak Prescott in the big games has become a problem. The Cowboys also lack a consistent rushing attack, and their defense has been questionable at best this season.
Will Washington be able to keep this kind of offensive performance up? I don’t think they can be this good for an entire season, and some regression is bound to hit the team and Daniels eventually, but they have proven that they can play. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Commanders make it in as a Wild Card team at the end of the season, but their defense will need to get better for that to happen.
Right now, 33 percent of the tickets are on Washington to win the division, as well as 12.3 percent of the handle. Philadelphia has a whopping 41.9 percent of tickets and 79 percent of the handle to take the NFC East.
Get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets at BetMGM! All you need to do is CLICK HERE, sign up for a new account, make your first deposit and bet! Don’t miss out!
Related
