Commanders may have unknowingly helped spark a QB breakout

The NFL exists in a co-dependent ecosystem of sorts, and because of it, the Washington Commanders have an impact on every team with everything they do.

Take, for example, last season when Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. injured himself against the Commanders in Week 1. That moment has ripple effects that roll down over every Buccaneers game after it, and those impacts spread to others, in a spider web of events that only prove the 'Butterfly Effect' to be a truly impactful thing.

Those are examples of less quantifiable ramifications, though. For more direct ones, we look at how Washington helped receiver Dyami Brown unlock a new level in his game. One that the Jacksonville Jaguars are now hoping will trickle down into a breakout season for their quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Dyami Brown (5) and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16). | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"This offseason, the Jaguars have spared no expense to ensure Lawrence maximizes his potential and joins the ranks of the elites. And the blueprint they've followed aligns with the "Three Ps" theory we've proposed on the Move the Sticks podcast, which suggests teams need elite play-callers, playmakers, and pass-protectors to help a young quarterback succeed early in their career," says NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.

One of those playmakers, of course, is Brown, the former Commanders receiver who had a breakout postseason performance aiding the team's rise to the NFC Championship Game one year after winnin just four regular season contests in 2023.

Brooks says Brown, "should add some sizzle to the lineup as "catch-and-run" specialists with big-play potential."

"Brown, who joined via a one-year, $10 million pact this offseason, is the kind of deep-ball weapon this team desperately needed on the outside," Brooks continues. "It's true that his regular-season production has not matched his potential to this point; the 2021 third-rounder dwarfed previous career highs with just 30 catches and 308 receiving yards in Washington last season. But we did get a good look at his big-play potential during the Commanders' surprising playoff run, when he put up 16.4 receiving yards per catch."

Washington and Jacksonville do not play each other in 2025, but if Lawrence has the kind of breakout season Brooks thinks might be coming, look no further than his burgundy and gold days for a direct connection into how this franchise could help that one be this year's biggest riser.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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