The Denver Broncos rolled into Northwest Stadium with the most potent pass rush in the NFL, but it didn't feel like it during their primetime matchup with the Washington Commanders last Sunday.

That's because the Commanders' offensive line held the group, which at the time led the NFL with 49 sacks, relatively in check throughout the night. Nik Bonitto and the Broncos' pass rush only got to quarterback Marcus Mariota twice, and one of those was off a Broncos player touching Mariota as he lost his footing before taking off upfield.

Although the Commanders aren't celebrating any moral victories from their 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos, the offensive line's performance was one of the biggest positives of the evening. The front, which includes two offseason additions and a 2022 seventh-round pick, has shown steady progress throughout the year and quietly become a strength for the offense. While the Commanders have plenty to examine once the season comes to a close, it seems like it could be part of a foundation to build around.

"I was pleased with the pass protection in the game," head coach Dan Quinn said Monday. "It just felt like they were up for the challenge against a very good pass rushing unit blitzing as well."

It was a priority for the Commanders to upgrade their offensive line this offseason after quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick and long-term answer at the position, was sacked 47 times. They acquired Laremy Tunsil in March via trade with the Houston Texans and drafted Josh Conerly with the No. 29 overall pick in this year's draft. They bumped Brandon Coleman to left guard (he was later replaced by Chris Paul) and started a mix of players at right guard until Sam Cosmi returned from his ACL injury.

Cosmi's return has been an important factor in the group's cohesion. His first game back came in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, and since then he has slowly gotten back to playing at the level he was at in 2024, when Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 21st guard in the NFL in pass protection with a 64.8 grade in run blocking.

Sunday's game against the Broncos was his best game, Quinn said, and the numbers back that up. He allowed just one pressure on 55 pass blocks, according to Next Gen Stats and earned an 83.5 grade from PFF.

"I felt like him and Josh [Conerly] have felt more cohesive and like that continuity is helping because now they've been in that rhythm a good bit together," Quinn said.

Tunsil has proven himself worthy of the multiple draft picks Washington sent to Houston to acquire him. He has the best run blocking grade of his career from PFF (83.2) and has allowed just 15 pressures all season. Next Gen Stats notes that Tunsil also allowed just two pressures in his 28 matchups with Bonitto on Sunday.

As for Conerly, the rookie from Oregon has evened out his play after an up-and-down start to the season. He's played every offensive snap this season and allowed just five pressures in the last four games, none of them being sacks.

The Broncos, who Next Gen Stats notes led the NFL in pressure rate at 41.3% heading into Sunday's game, ran into trouble against the Commanders' front, which was tied for 17th with 27 sacks allowed. The Commanders held the Broncos to a 17.9% pressure rate -- their lowest since the 2023 season.

"Chris [Paul] and Laremy had quite a bit of reps together," Quinn said. "The combinations with Sam and Josh, that's a big deal."

Although the Commanders' aspirations of a postseason berth are on the brink of collapse, it seems as if they have at least found their long-term answers up front. Tunsil, 31, is the oldest starter. Cosmi signed an extension with the team last season; center Tyler Biadasz is under contract for at least another season; Paul will be a free agent this offseason, but Coleman is available if the Commanders decide not to re-sign him; and Conerly has four years left on his rookie contract.

There will be plenty of questions for the Commanders to answer in the upcoming offseason, but how to fix the offensive line won't be one of them.