The Washington Commanders are atop the NFC East. Are they for real?

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It was the kind of stuff good teams do. In less than two minutes of game time Sunday, the Washington Commanders unleashed an onslaught of superb, three-phase football that bled from the end of the second quarter into the start of the third. In the process, they turned a one-score contest into a blowout, refusing to relent until they could celebrate a 42-14 victory in the locker room.

The theatrics started with a big play from a defense that had scraped near the bottom of the NFL the first three weeks. With 34 seconds remaining until halftime, the Arizona Cardinals tried to convert a fourth and one from the Washington 35-yard line. Defensive end Dorance Armstrong tossed aside quarterback Kyler Murray for a seven-yard sack, which led to rookie quarterback prodigy Jayden Daniels delivering a tidy 29-second scoring drive, which ended with Austin Seibert kicking a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give the Commanders a 17-7 lead at the break. Then they began the third quarter by scoring a touchdown in 68 seconds, with Daniels trotting into the end zone after a patient dash behind an offensive line playing stellar ball.

After the spurt, Washington led 24-7.

When the afternoon concluded, they grinned beneath a lopsided scoreboard at State Farm Stadium and offered coy shrugs when answering the question the entire NFL is now wondering.

Is this team for real?

One month into their latest rebirth, the Commanders have exceeded hope. They have a 3-1 record despite playing three of their first four games on the road. They're on a three-game winning streak. Their offense has grown from green against Tampa Bay , to a field goal fest against the New York Giants , to unstoppable against Cincinnati , to sustainably explosive against Arizona . And their defense, while under heavy construction that will require multiple seasons of roster development, just showed some promise.

It's too soon to make grand declarations about the Commanders. It's too soon to get carried away about any team's early success. One month doesn't make a contender. But with Washington residing in first place in the NFC East, this fast start — and the manner in which the team is growing under Coach Dan Quinn — means you can follow the Commanders without trepidation.

It's not too soon to invest your emotions in this team. It's not even about where it currently stands. It's about where it's headed. It's on to something here. You can see an identity forming. You can see the Commanders' cohesion, their commitment, their professionalism, their enthusiasm. And atop all of those good signs, there is a budding franchise quarterback to amplify it all.

Skip to end of carousel Tracking Jayden DanielsSee how the Washington Commanders' rookie quarterback is progressing each week . End of carousel September couldn't have gone any better. Quinn's leadership style is bearing immediate results. The locker room is engaged and full of belief. And while there are plenty of checkpoints remaining before we can call Daniels a superstar, he has done everything possible to legitimize the hype.

He's also delightfully understated, the perfect temperament for a 23-year-old who must operate under intense scrutiny and expectations. He's completing 82.1 percent of his passes this season, a record-setting start. Against Arizona, he was 26 for 30 for 233 yards. He threw his first NFL interception, but he also passed for a touchdown and ran for another. Ask him how his day went, and he deflects.

"We won," he said with a shy laugh. "It went pretty well."

If you animated his postgame remarks, you would be tempted to include a steady stream of shrug emojis. Rookie quarterbacks aren't supposed to be this accurate. Even veteran quarterbacks don't command offenses like this. But Daniels is so impressively unimpressed by it all.

"We've still got room to grow," he said. "We're not a finished product at all."

At 3-1, Daniels doesn't consider his team a surprise. That's not ego talking — just youth.

"I don't know. I didn't have any expectations," he said when asked about the first month. "For me, it's just: How much can we learn? And how much can we keep going?"

The Commanders keep showing dimensions. They're not just a spread offense living off short passes. As they showed against the Bengals, they can push the ball down the field. On Sunday, they simply ran over the Cardinals. Of their 449 yards, 216 came on the ground. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 101 yards. Jeremy McNichols, subbing for Austin Ekeler while he recovers from a concussion, added 68 yards and scored two touchdowns. Their leading receiver was Olamide Zaccheaus, who finished with six catches for 85 yards. Daniels completed his first nine passes. For the game, he completed passes to nine receivers.

Only those with the most burgundy blood and gold skin could have fathomed the Commanders would have this much going for them so soon, with a new coach, general manager and rookie quarterback. But they're rolling, and it's not just because Daniels may be The One . It's not just because he has a great rapport with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who seems intent on reestablishing his reputation as a creative offensive mind. No matter how great Daniels has looked, he can't amplify what doesn't exist. He stands alongside an interesting collection of players that seems intent on making progress quickly.

Surely, harder times will come. That may start the next two weeks against physical AFC North foes Cleveland and Baltimore. But the Commanders are operating from a strong foundation now. The way they have learned and improved in September inspires belief they will be able to adjust in the future.

"This is the most fun I've ever had on this team," said tackle Andrew Wylie, who is in his second season in Washington after leaving Kansas City. "It's just been fantastic. The main thing is just the locker room culture we have. That's what it boils down to, I feel like. When this team's together, we're having fun. And when we're out on the field, we're putting in work, and so this is how we operate. Everyone is having a great time."

Washington hasn't had a winning record after four weeks since 2011. If you know your history, that Mike Shanahan team fell apart after a 3-1 start and finished 5-11. There are no guarantees, but this has been a much-needed glimpse of what the new front office is building. For a change, the early stages are something to marvel.