The Washington Commanders opened the 2024 season with a 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

1. Jayden Daniels was the catalyst on offense.

There were hints of what Jayden Daniels could do with his legs in training camp and the preseason, although the rookie intentionally kept it in check to focus more on what he could do as a passer.

Sunday's game against the Buccaneers was the first time Daniels truly flaunted that part of his skill set, and while it wasn't enough to consistently light a spark for the Commanders' offense, it did show what the unit could look like in the future.

Daniels got busy on the ground early, scrambling for a nine-yard gain on the second play of Washington's second drive. It was the start of a trend for the Commanders, who often needed Daniels to use his legs to move downfield. He converted a third-and-4 with a 17-yard drive on the same drive and later accounted for 28 of a 74-yard scoring drive on the ground. He also scored two of the team's three touchdowns with one-yard runs.

Daniels ended up leading the team with 88 rushing yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. It wasn't enough to secure a win, but it will give something for defenses to prepare for going forward.

2. Explosive plays are still a problem.

One of the biggest issues for Washington's defense was its tendency to give up explosive plays in the passing game. The new coaching staff has taken some steps to fix that, but it looks like the group still needs more time.

It took some time for the Buccaneers to operate smoothly, but it was humming by the end of the afternoon. They put up 392 yards of offense, and that effort was fueled by the explosive plays that they put up. They had nine that went for at least 15 yards.

Those explosive plays also came at some of the worst possible moments for Washington. Tampa Bay's first touchdown came on a 17-yard pass from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans. The longest play of the day -- a 32-yard screen pass to Rachaad White -- came after Washington cut the lead from 16 points to nine and helped Tampa Bay score on a 72-yard drive.

Then, on the Buccaneers' final drive of the day, Bucky Irving's 31-yard run was followed up by a 24-yard catch from Chris Godwin.

There's still time for Washington to prevent last year's problems from returning in 2024, but they need to find a solution quickly to avoid that possibility.

3. Issues on third down.

If allowing explosive plays was Washington's biggest problem last season, giving up third downs wasn't far from the top of the list. Either way, it was another one of Washington's problems from 2023 that made a return in Week 1.

Seeing the Buccaneers convert third downs with ease was unpleasantly familiar for Washington. Not only did they keep the chains moving, but they did so in convincing fashion, as many of their most explosive plays came when Washington could have gotten them off the field.

At the start of the fourth quarter, for example, Mayfield found McMillan for a 32-yard touchdown on third-and-7. Godwin's 24-yard catch in that same drive also came on third down with the Buccaneers needing 18 yards to convert. Mayfield also converted a third-and-6 four plays later with an 11-yard run.

Tampa Bay ended up converting 69% of their third downs Sunday afternoon. If Washington hopes to show that it is making progress, it must find a way to get off the field.

4. Execution vs. lack of execution.

There was one key difference between the Commanders and Buccaneers Sunday afternoon: one team knew how to finish drives, while the other struggled to do so.

Tampa Bay made a habit of ending drives with more points on the board. They scored either three or seven points on their first five drives before being forced to punt, which occurred in the third quarter. That series ended up being a speed bump, though, as they scored two more touchdowns to put the game away.

Washington, meanwhile, sputtered from the start with their first play resulting in a fumble. There was some positive movement after that, but two of its scoring opportunities came up fruitless because of misses from Cade York.

The lack of execution became more troublesome as the game progressed and Tampa Bay kept scoring points. They had two punts in the second half, when they put up a combined 27 yards.

There were certainly some signs of growth on Sunday, but the uneven performance from the offense is another sign that it is not a finished product.

5. Time to bounce back.

As disappointing as Washington's performance was against Tampa Bay, it's time to look ahead, and the Commanders do have a good opportunity in front of them.

The Commanders will come back home to take on the New York Giants in Week 2, giving them a chance to not only get to .500 but also get a leg up in the division standings. They don't play another division game until Week 9, when they take on the Giants again on the road.

Sure, Washington's showing against a playoff caliber team was frustrating. It's important to remember, however, that the team still has plenty of strides to make. It was expected for it to look imperfect at times, and the best way for it to show growth is by turning the page and bouncing back from an ugly loss.