Torres Way of the Washington Commanders stands on the sideline during the national anthem before the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 8 in Tampa, Florida.
Jaden Daniels was the first to get his number. Then he accepted the job.
Washington Commanders punter Tress Way, who gave up his No. 5 jersey for a first-round pick last May, is one of the best players in the NFL at his position. But thanks to their historically good offense, they haven’t had to be on the field much this season.
Way has punted just four times through four games. Last season, he took 17 shots in the same period. What could be more daunting? Way has only kicked the ball once in the past three games.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Wei told NBC News this week. “After every third, it’s like, ‘Okay, here we go.’ , no punt. Another game, one punt.”
Why did my time suddenly run out on the field? Daniels and new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s team will remain nearly unstoppable in 2024.
The Commanders (3-1) scored 38 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1991, when the franchise last won a Super Bowl. Until their only punt in Week 4, they had 16 consecutive scoring drives (excluding knee-down situations).
After more than 30 years of playing as a subpar quarterback, Daniels was an extraordinary addition to his hopes of ultimately being Washington’s answer. His 82% success rate is the best in NFL history through four games. Their quarterback rating of 107.4 ranks them second in the NFC and third overall in the league.
If the offense continuously marches down the field, no one needs to punt.
Way said of Daniels, “He’s very calm, collected and cool.” “It’s hard to explain, but when you’re on the sideline and you’re watching it happen in real time, it’s not surprising. You see his talent day in and day out in practice, but his feel for the game… How’s the play? It’s really impressive. It’s really fun to watch.”
Way said the biggest challenge this season — if there is one — is getting into a rhythm. He doesn’t punt very often, so finding his groove isn’t easy. Wei said he’s always thinking from the sidelines about when to check in, what the wind speed is and what specifically to aim for.
When he finally punted with 3:07 left in the first half against the Cardinals, he “almost had preseason anxiety.”
“I was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t been out in a while,’ which is kind of cool,” he said. “Obviously I just tried to knock the cover off the ball and just had bad direction. It was a decent punt where our guys went down and made a great tackle. So we went down the field. I flipped out and got out of there.”
See more from sports
Way has been with the franchise for the past 11 seasons, and most of that time has been down. During that time, Washington has advanced to the postseason just three times, losing in the first round each time.
But things have changed over the past year.
Dan Snyder, known simply as “the worst owner in the NFL,” sold the franchise to investors including Josh Harris last offseason. Adam Peters, an executive who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos and led the San Francisco 49ers to the title game, has been named general manager. Dan Quinn, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and most recently the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, has accepted Washington’s top job. Oh, and they added Daniels, who could be the potential face of this franchise.
All of these moves have created a “purposeful energy” around the facility that wasn’t there before, Wei said.
“[Wide receiver] Terry McLaurin looked at me in the third quarter of the game against Arizona. He said, “Well, this is fun.” I was like, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun,'” Way said. “I love being here. I’m honored to be here. I’m just on demand. Hey, whenever you need me to punt, I’m ready to roll.”
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com