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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

One big thing to know about each QB on Washington's schedule

Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Nevada, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Nevada, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

The 2024 NFL schedule is two days away from being released to the masses, which means that fans will soon be circling their calendars for key dates to watch their favorite teams.

It's an important year for the Washington Commanders, who are going into the season with a new head coach and general manager. Dan Quinn and Adam Peters started the new era by taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick, and while they are taking his development slowly, he'll eventually be asked to lead the franchise into the future.

Regardless of whether he's named the Week 1 starter or takes over the roll later in the season, Daniels will be exposed to several veteran quarterbacks, all of which have different approaches to the position.

So, Commanders.com is going to look at each team's quarterback -- in some cases, more than one -- and how they performed in 2023.

Dallas Cowboys

  • Dak Prescott
  • Record: 12-5
  • 410-590, 4,516 yards, 36 TDs, 9 INTs
  • QBR: 72.7
  • Passer rating: 105.9
  • One big thing: After putting together an underwhelming campaign in 2022 and leading the league with 15 interceptions, Prescott finished second in MVP voting for leading the league in completions and touchdowns, earning him his first Pro Bowl selection since 2018.

New York Giants

  • Daniel Jones
  • Record: 1-5
  • 108-160, 909 yards, 2 TDs, 6 TDs
  • QBR: 36.3
  • Passer rating: 70.5
  • One big thing: Injuries derailed Jones' fifth season five games in, but the quarterback still seemed off when healthy after his best performance in 2022. His QBR, passer rating and interception rate (3.8%) were all the highest of his career.

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Jalen Hurts
  • Record: 11-6
  • 352-538, 3,858 yards, 23 TDs, 15 INTs; 157 rushes, 605 yards, 15 TDs
  • QBR: 60.1
  • Passer rating: 89.1
  • One big thing: Though the jump in passing yards from 2022 to 2023 (157) is a fraction of the leap from 2021 to 2022 (557), Hurts continues to show his improvement as a passer. He hit a career-high in completed air yards (2,161), which has become a yearly trend for the 2020 second-round pick.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Kirk Cousins
  • Record: 4-4
  • 216-311, 2331 yards, 18 TDs, 5 INTs
  • QBR: 63.2
  • Passer rating: 103.8
  • One big thing: Cousins' torn Achilles left him sidelined for the rest of the Vikings' 2023 season, but he was on pace for a career year and had a shot at hitting 5,000 yards for the first time in his career. He was also taking care of the football; his eighth turnover-worth plays were the eighth fewest in the league among quarterbacks with at least 160 attempts.
  • Michael Penix Jr.
  • Record: 14-1
  • 363-555, 4,903 yards, 36 TDs, 11 INTs
  • Passer Rating: 157.1
  • One big thing: It'll depend on when the Falcons play the Commanders on the schedule and whether Cousins is healthy, but Penix could line up under center against the Burgundy & Gold this season. Penix was one of the best deep throwers in college football last season, tying for third with 27 big-time plays on passes over 20 yards.

Carolina Panthers

  • Bryce Young
  • Record: 2-14
  • 315-527, 2,877 yards, 11 TDs, 10 INTs
  • QBR: 33.4
  • Passer Rating: 73.7
  • One big thing: Was it the team around him or Young's lack of development? We'll never know for sure, but one thing we do know is that Young needs to avoid keeping his team behind the sticks. His 477 yards lost on sacks were the most in the league.

Cleveland Browns

  • Deshaun Watson
  • Record: 5-1
  • 105-171, 1,115 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs
  • QBR: 42.9
  • Passer rating: 84.3
  • One big thing: Although injuries have made life difficult for Watson since being traded to Cleveland, things have not gone as intended for the former Pro Bowl quarterback. His touchdown rates in 2022 and 2023 (both 4.1%), QBR (40.4 in 2022) and success rate (41.6 in 2022 and 38.3 in 2023) are the lowest of his career.

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders' rookies, undrafted free agents and tryout players during rookie minicamp.

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Russell Wilson
  • Record: 7-8
  • 297-447, 3,070 yards, 26 TDs, 8 INTs
  • QBR: 50.7
  • Passer rating: 50.7
  • One big thing: Wilson isn't cooking the same way he was for most of his career, when he was elected to nine Pro Bowls in 10 years, but he's still got some of that magic in him. He had four fourth-quarter comebacks in 2023, which led all quarterbacks last season.
  • Justin Fields
  • Record: 5-8
  • 227-370, 2,562 yards, 16 TDs, 9 INTs; 124 rushes, 657 yards, 4 TDs
  • QBR: 46.1
  • Passer rating: 86.3
  • One big thing: Running the ball will always be a part of Fields' skill set, and while the jury is still out on him as a passer, he's clearly one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league. Over the last two seasons, he's amassed 1,303 yards before contact, averaging 6.2 yards per carry for his career.

Tennessee Titans

  • Will Levis
  • Record: 3-6
  • 149-255, 1,808 yards, 8 TDs, 4 INTs
  • QBR: 33.2
  • Passer rating: 84.2
  • One big thing: There's a ton of pressure for Levis to prove himself as the Titans' long-term answer at quarterback with the team surrounding him with offensive firepower. Assuming he plays well, he could be the first quarterback to throw for at least 4,000 yards since the franchise moved to Tennessee.

Chicago Bears

  • Caleb Williams
  • Record: 7-5
  • 266-388, 3,633 yards, 30 TDs, 5 INTs
  • Passer rating: 170.1
  • One big thing: The film was better in 2022, but Williams was still one of the best quarterbacks in college football in a down year for him. He had the second most big-time throws under pressure, scoring eight touchdowns to four interceptions.

New Orleans Saints

  • Derek Carr
  • Record: 9-8
  • 375-548, 3,878 yards, 25 TDs, 8 INTs
  • QBR: 56.5
  • Passer rating: 97.7
  • One big thing: Though his team came up short in the playoff race, the change of scenery seemed to help Carr look closer to his old self. He improved his completion rate (68.4%) from 2022, completing 375 passes for the first time in two seasons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Baker Mayfield
  • Record: 9-8
  • 364-566, 4,044 yards, 28 TDs, 10 INTs
  • QBR: 54.4
  • Passer rating: 94.6
  • One big thing: It was a career year for Mayfield in several categories, all of which highlighted that the former No. 1 overall pick can still deliver as a passer. He had 2,103 completed air yards -- his most since 2020 -- which ranked 11th in the NFL last year.

Take a look from the war room to the draft stage in Detroit and the touch down in Ashburn as the Washington Commanders take Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick. (Photos by Emilee Fails and Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders)

Baltimore Ravens

  • Lamar Jackson
  • Record: 13-3
  • 307-457, 3,678 yards, 24 TDs, 7 INTs
  • QBR: 64.7
  • Passer rating: 102.7
  • One big thing: It was one of the best overall seasons for Jackson, hitting a career-high in passing yards with an interception rate of just 1.5%. He had the third-best offensive grade among quarterbacks from Pro Football Focus, coming behind Patrick Mahomes (90.5) and Josh Allen (92.1).

Arizona Cardinals

  • Kyler Murray
  • Record: 3-5
  • 176-268, 1,799 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs
  • QBR: 47.2
  • Passer rating: 89.4
  • One big thing: Teams love to pressure Murray and give him almost no time to process the defense. He had the ninth lowest pocket time 2023, facing pressure on 18.8% of his dropbacks.

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Joe Burrow
  • Record: 5-5
  • 244-365, 2,309 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs
  • QBR: 51.6
  • Passer rating: 91
  • One big thing: It's hard to judge Burrow's performance in 2023 since he dealt with injuries all year, but just as a reminder of how impressive he is when healthy, Burrow completed 69% of his passes in 2021 and 2022 combined, scoring 69 passing touchdowns to just 26 interceptions. He's going to be a problem once again in 2024.

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