The Washington Commanders secured their fifth victory of the season and surpassed their win total from 2023 with a 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers. Here are five takeaways from Week 7.

1. An update on Jayden Daniels.

As big as the Commanders' win over the Panthers was for the season and franchise, it did come with some concern. Quarterback Jayden Daniel left the game with a rib injury and did not return after the offense's opening drive.

There hasn't been much official news from the team regarding Daniels' status. Coach Dan Quinn said after the game that Daniels would go through more testing on Monday but did not have any new information at the moment of his press conference. What we do know is that Daniels returned to the sideline in street clothes in the second half, flashed a few smiles and waved to the crowd. It also helped that Washington was up 27-0 at halftime, so there wasn't an immediate need for him to come back.

Daniels' teammates couldn't provide much intel, either, but none of them seemed worried about their quarterback.

"I'm not gonna speculate on his injury, but he's a tough guy and I know he's gonna do whatever it takes to try to be ready for next week," Terry McLaurin said in the locker room.

The Commanders have been cautious about not putting a player on the field if they aren't healthy. That will be the case for Daniels, as his status will certainly be heavily monitored this week. The hope is that he won't have to miss time, but his health remains the top priority.

2. The defense smothered the Panthers.

The defense has been making steady improvements since their Week 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday's game against the Panthers was perhaps their biggest jump in production.

Aside from their opening drive (more on that later) and a couple in the fourth quarter, the Panther found almost no success on offense. They were held to just one third down conversion and 110 yards in the first half, and they were even less productive in the second, as they ended the day with just 180 total yards on 43 plays.

While the defense as a unit played better than they have all season, there were a few players who stood out and were particularly disruptive. Mike Sainristil led the team with seven tackles, several of which were in the open field. Frankie Luvu also added another sack on the season and added four stops, one of which was for a two-yard loss.

And as for Andy Dalton and Chuba Hubbard, two of the Panthers' biggest weapons, they were held to some of the lowest yardage totals in their careers. Dalton was limited to less than 100 passing yards for just the ninth time in his career in game where he was the starter, and Hubbard had his second worst rushing performance of the season with 52 yards.

3. The offense didn't miss a beat with Marcus Mariota under center.

Sunday's game was a test for the Commanders' offense, which had been performing as one of the best units in football. Daniels was out for most of the game, and it was an opportunity for the players to show how they could fare when they weren't at full strength.

But the Commanders' offense continued to roll with Marcus Mariota under center. His first drive was a little rocky and resulted in a three-and-out. After that however, things looked relatively routine for the unit.

For starters, it helped that Mariota was efficient playing in relief for Daniels. After missing a few of his first throws, he ended the night completing 78% of his passes with a 138.2 passer rating. He led the offense on a 92-yard drive to wrap up the first half and tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz to put Washington up 27-0.

"You know what, I'm really proud of Marcus," Quinn said. "So, if your moment gets called, then you're ready to deliver for the team and I think that's a really powerful thing and he was able to do that tonight."

The Commanders also had Brian Robinson Jr. back in the lineup, and Quinn said that he could feel the running back's strength. He had 71 yards on 12 carries, several of which helped Washington keep the chains moving. He also scored his sixth touchdown of the season, marking a career high.

Although losing Daniels was not ideal, Washington had another exceptional offensive day, putting up 421 yards while converting 50% of their third downs. And they certainly had plenty of trips to the end zone, as they put up 40 points for the first time since 2020.

4. Dante Fowler balled out.

The Commanders didn't waste much time setting the tone on Sunday, and Dante Fowler Jr. made sure his team got the afternoon started the right way.

It was third-and-9 at the Commanders' 25-yard line. Dalton, who had completed two of his first three passes, dropped back and looked to dump off the ball to Miles Sanders. He overshot it, though, and the pass went right to Fowler, who shook off an attempted tackle from the opposing quarterback and ran 67 yards for the touchdown.

"Man, that was so cool," Fowler said. "That was my first interception. Just be able to return it for a touchdown, man, that was like I was in a dream."

It wasn't the only positive play from Fowler, who filled the stat sheet with two tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hit. Fowler also took down Hubbard for a two-yard loss on fourth-and-1 by wrapping up the running back before the play could even take shape. The play led to Washington getting in range for a 49-yard field goal.

Fowler needed to step up with Dorance Armstrong being inactive. Consider that goal achieved, and now the former Florida Gator is leading the team with 3.5 sacks.

5. Hope for tomorrow.

Mariota had a simple answer when asked about what's possible for the Commanders now that they have won five games through the first seven weeks.

"Tomorrow," he said with a laugh. "And I think that's the beauty of it. Coach Quinn talks about all the time [that] we're just trying to get better every single day and that's all we can control. If we just focus on that and we just keep stacking these days, when we pick our heads up in January, I think we'll like where we're at."

There's still plenty of time between now and the playoffs, but it becomes more and more difficult to avoid thinking about how the Commanders could be competing for something in January. They were expected to beat the Panthers, but it speaks to their maturity that they were able to live up to those expectations, even without their starting quarterback.

And it seems like the team is no longer a group that is looking to win games by outscoring opponents; their defense is starting to catch up, which creates even more possibilities for what the team can accomplish.

Washington's season is still full of challenges. They need to play the Cowboys and Eagles twice; the Steelers are solid as ever; and the Bears, Washington's next matchup, seems to be surging as well.

The Commanders have shown they can handle themselves, though, and while the players can't look too far down the road, the fans can see a bright future.