The Washington Commanders won their third straight game with a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, their first 3-1 start since 2011. Here are five takeaways from the afternoon.

1. The defense showed up.

The Commanders had one of the worst statistical defenses heading into Sunday's game. While head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had seen some improvement, the unit's performance still wasn't quite up to their standards. At the end of the day, the session at State Farm Stadium looked like the complete opposite.

The Cardinals entered Sunday with a 1-2 record but had one of the league's best offenses, ranking seventh in yards allowed and fourth in points per game. With a conversion rate of 45.5%, they were one of the few teams that converted third downs better than the Commanders. For this reason, many expected a duel full of offense.

The Cardinals didn't live up to that prediction. While they scored on their first possession, they averaged just 4.6 yards per play on the remaining drives and 5.1 on the day. After Marvin Harrison Jr.'s two-yard touchdown, they punted three times in a row and endured just four third-down conversions.

Another sign of Washington's growth was that it was rarely beaten for its explosive plays. James Conner had a 20-yard pickup on a 104-yard day and Harrison had a 19-yard completion on fourth-and-12, but there was none of the draining play that has plagued Washington's defense for years.

There is still a long way to go for the defense, but the team has shown that it is learning to play together.