Nothing in the NFL is easy, but the Washington Commanders' offense sure made it feel that way at times during Jayden Daniels' rookie season. This year, things look, and feel, more difficult, and it's played a role in the team's up-and-down start.

If last year's version of the Commanders' offense was a sprinter -- they finished with top 10 rankings in yards per game, plays per game and yards per play -- the 2025 iteration is more like a freight train. It can move at speed when the engine is hot, but it takes some time to get things going. There are several reasons for the change in pace; injuries to key players like Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown are partially to blame, but teams have also found new ways to keep the unit from gaining traction.

Regardless of the reason, the Commanders' slow offensive starts have played a role in their 3-3 record through the first third of the season. They have started games in at least a 10-point hole four times and are 1-3 in those contests. Obviously, the Commanders want to smooth out that pain point, and they have the answer for how to do it: they simply need to execute.

"When the play call comes in, we gotta execute," Jayden Daniels said after the Commanders' 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. "It starts with me. It starts with all 11 of us on the field at the time. We gotta execute better."

That's been easier said than done for the Commanders this season. Although the Commanders are still finding a way to get in the end zone (they're seventh in points per game), there's a stark difference in how they have operated in 2025. They ranked 26th in plays per game, compared to 16th at a similar point in 2024, and 15th in first downs per game. They also haven't been on the field nearly as often as they were last year; the same offense that ranked seventh in time of possession in 2024 is now 26th in 2025.

The sputtering from Washington's offense has allowed opponents to get ahead of them. They went down 14-0 to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 before they could put together a drive for more than 12 yards. The Atlanta Falcons had more points (10) than the Commanders had total yards (-6) in their first two drives. In their most recent game, the Commanders gave up the ball twice in the first quarter, which the Bears used to put together a 13-0 lead.

"We've continued that slow start, and we've become way too accustomed of digging ourselves in a hole too early," head coach Dan Quinn said Monday night.

The only example of the Commanders coming back from a double-digit deficit came against the Los Angeles Chargers, when they scored 27 unanswered points after going down 10-0. They nearly accomplished the feat again on Monday night, but three turnovers -- a new problem for the offense -- made the margin for errors even smaller.

Quinn loves the way the Commanders fight back, but he also knows that the team needs more than spunk to get where they want to go.

"If we're going to be a team that gets better and does those things, we've got to consistently be about it," Quinn said.

The players prefer to keep the solution simple. They want to be more consistent in executing the plays that are called. Daniels knows he can't turn over the ball and puts the blame on himself for the botched handoff between him and Jacory Croskey-Merritt, saying that he needs to focus more in those critical moments. Luke McCaffrey said it's "more specific stuff" that has caused the offensive lulls at the start of games and added that he needs to watch more film to nail down the cause.

Quinn is looking for a more creative solution to the problem. In typical fashion, he said Tuesday he might implement some sort of competition since that's normally how he gets the most improvement from the players. He wants to make sure it gets folded into their daily routine to drive the point home even further.

He's turning over every stone to find an answer, though.

"I also want to dig in to the leaders and say, 'What are some things that we need to do to hit it?'" Quinn said. "And it's not a score as much as an attitude, a mindset to go. I want to make sure I'm clear on that because if you only base it just on that, I think you could miss it."

One thing that could lead to more results: getting better on third downs. It's another area the Commanders have struggled in compared to last year. They're 29th in conversion rate this season, whereas they finished last season sixth in the category in 2024. Tight end Zach Ertz said the responsibility to find ways to stay on the field falls on the entire offense.

"It's really just winning matchups," Ertz said. "It's not like you can pinpoint one thing and say, 'This is exactly where we need to improve.' It's really all 11 guys need to improve and take the next step."

There's an opportunity to do that against the Dallas Cowboys, who not only have the league's worst defense in yards per game but also give up more third downs than any other team (53.16%). And with the possibility that the offense could get healthier with players like McLaurin and Sam Cosmi potentially getting back into the lineup, there's a chance for them to capitalize on that.

There's also a need to do so with the Cowboys boasting the third best scoring offense in the league. If they falter again, there's a chance they'll be in familiar territory, trying to dig themselves out of another hole.

"We got the chance to take this thing to another level," Daniels said. "Obviously, the stats are the stats, but...we could score with the best of them, and we can put up points, but we just have to be better with the details and execution. So, we don't have slow starts or anything like that, so that's something that we're just homing in and focusing on more."