The Washington Commanders won their third straight game with a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals for their first 3-1 start since 2011. Here are five takeaways from the afternoon.

1. The defense showed up.

The Commanders had one of the worst statistical defenses heading into Sunday's game. While head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had seen some improvements, the unit still hadn't performed up to their standards. The unit looked like the complete opposite by the end of the day at State Farm Stadium.

The Cardinals came into Sunday with a 1-2 record but boasted one of the league's best offenses, ranking seventh in yards and fourth in points per game. They were one of the few teams better than the Commanders at converting third downs with a conversion rate of 45.5%. Because of that, many expected a matchup filled with offense.

The Cardinals didn't hold up to that prediction. While they did score on their opening possession, they averaged just 4.6 yards per play on the rest of their drives and 5.1 on the day. They punted three consecutive times following Marvin Harrison Jr.'s two-yard touchdown and held to just four third-down conversions.

Another sign of Washington's growth was that it rarely got beaten for explosive plays. James Conner had a 20-yard pickup as part of a 104-yard day, and Harrison grabbed a 19-yard completion on fourth-and-12, but there wasn't the backbreaking play that has plagued Washington's defense for years.

There's still a long way to go for the defense, but the unit did show that they are learning to play together.

2. Jeremy McNichols filled in nicely for Austin Ekeler.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsburg was honest on Thursday when he said that Austin Ekeler being in the concussion protocol was a big loss for the offense, which would need to look for other answers to replicate Ekeler's production.

Enter Jeremy McNichols, who was named a game captain ahead of Sunday's game. McNichols made one of the key blocks on Jayden Daniels' game-winning touchdown pass against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, but this week was all about the rest of his skill set. He carried the ball eight times for a career-high 68 yards and two touchdowns on top of making one reception for six yards.

McNichols' best play came in the first quarter, when he escaped on the left sideline for a 27-yard run to the end zone, nearly being pushed out of bounds inside the 10-yard line but managing to keep his feet in while crossing the goal line. His next score officially iced the game, as he ran up the middle for a seven-yard touchdown to put Washington up 42-14.

The Commanders should get Ekeler back next week, but if they need to replace him again, McNichols has proven he can handle the workload.

3. Kyler Murray was bottled up and limited.

The Commanders knew what kind of player Murray was as they prepared to see the 2019 No. 1 overall pick. Murray had been accurate as a passer but just as deadly with his legs, putting up 161 rushing yards in the first three games.

Against the Commanders, however, Murray was far less effective. In fact, he only scrambled one time, and it was only for a three-yard gain. It marks only the third time in Murray's professional career that he has been held to one rushing attempt, and it's just the 11th time that he's rushed for less than 10 yards in a game. That's a credit to the Commanders' defensive line, who didn't over pursue their rushing lanes and largely kept Murray in the pocket.

Murray was forced to beat the Commanders with his arm, but he found little success there as well. He was 16-of-22 on the day but only threw for 142 yards -- his lowest total of the season and seventh lowest of his career. Once again, the Commanders' front seven played a role in this, as they sacked him four times, one of which came on fourth down seconds before the end of the first half.

The Commanders will face another mobile quarterback next week in Deshaun Watson, but they have now shown they can handle themselves.

4. Jayden Daniels threw his first pick but still looked good.

Daniels was inevitably going to commit a turnover at some point this season, and it finally happened in the first quarter. In a rare mistake by the rookie, Daniels made the right decision by targeting Terry McLaurin in the middle of the field but was a little off on the throw, which led to Garrett Williams coming down with the pick.

That doesn't mean Daniels had a bad day; in fact, the interception was Daniels' only error against the Cardinals, as he completed 26 of his 30 passes for 233 passing yards and a touchdown. Daniels also had eight rushes for 47 yards, bringing his season total to 218, and a score.

Daniels showed exceptional accuracy to start the afternoon, hitting his first nine targets before his interception. The pick did not deter him, though, as he went on to connect with Noah Brown in the third quarter to convert a third-and-13 and deliver a 17-yard dart to Luke McCaffrey. He also went back to McLaurin in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Daniels continues to be accurate and poised as he leads the Commanders' offense, which has been one of the main reasons they have been one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. His 82.1% completion rate through his first four games is the best in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 75 attempts in that span to start his career.

5. Early division lead.

There probably weren't many who predicted the Commanders would be at the top of the division after the first "quarter" of the 2024 season. But that is the case heading into Week 5, as they are one of just five teams in the NFC with one or fewer losses, and they have a unique opportunity as they enter the next phase of the season.

The Commanders will come back to Northwest Stadium to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, followed by a trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. They have back-to-back home games after that against the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. It's not wise to look solely at records in the NFL, but for what it's worth, the Commanders' next four opponents have a combined record of 5-10.

It's been known since January that the Commanders are in a rebuild as they try to become playoff contenders. The main question regarded how long that would take, and after stumbling out the gate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Commanders are one victory away from equaling their win total in 2023. And perhaps the rebuild won't take that long after all.

Click **HERE** to secure your ticket to the Commanders' Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns.