The vibes surrounding the Washington Commanders are high. On Sunday, Washington defeated the Carolina Panthers 40-7, but they lost rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels after the first possession.
Veteran Marcus Mariota relieved Daniels and, after a slow start, looked as good as he had in years, completing 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
Sure, Carolina is arguably the NFL’s worst team, but previous versions of the Commanders couldn’t do what the 2024 version did on Sunday. One player who has been around a while understands there’s something different about the 2024 Commanders.
Veteran left tackle Cornelius Lucas is an 11-year NFL veteran with Washington since 2020. After Sunday’s win, Lucas was asked how he felt about the Commanders.
“Feels different,” Lucas said. “Feels a lot different from the other previous four seasons I was here. Feel untouchable, unstoppable, especially after losing 5 (Daniels) and seeing Marcus come in and pick up right where he left off.”
Why does Lucas think the Commanders are playing so well right now?
“Everything,” he responded. “The changes from top to bottom. The mentality from top to bottom. Can’t really put my finger on one thing. I feel it’s the entire program, the entire setup.”
What a freaking quote from Commanders left tackle Cornelius Lucas.
I asked him what does the vibe feel like right now in the locker room?
Cornelius said, “feel untouchable, unstoppable.”
Been a long time since Washington could say that. pic.twitter.com/7c9DnDypID
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 21, 2024
It’s special to hear these quotes from battle-tested veterans like Lucas. Lucas had the opportunity to head elsewhere in the offseason but chose to return to the Commanders under the new regime. He’s now an integral part to one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.