The Washington Commanders won their third straight game with a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals for 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. Although head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had seen some improvements, the unit was still not performing to their standards. The unit looked the exact opposite at the end of the day at State Farm Stadium.

The Cardinals entered Sunday with a 1-2 record but boasted one of the league’s best offenses, ranking seventh in yards and fourth in points per game. They were one of the few teams that were better than the Commanders at converting third downs with a conversion rate of 45.5%. That’s why many expected a match full of offensive behavior.

The Cardinals didn’t stick to that prediction. Although they scored on their opening possession, they averaged just 4.6 yards per play on the rest of their drives and 5.1 on the day. They punted three straight after Marvin Harrison Jr.’s touchdown. from two yards and tacked on just four third-down conversions.

Another sign of Washington’s growth was that it was rarely defeated due to explosive play. James Conner had a 20-yard pickup as part of a 104-yard day, and Harrison picked up a 19-yard completion on fourth-and-12, but there wasn’t the grueling play that has plagued Washington’s defense for years.

There is still a long way to go for the defense, but the unit showed that they are learning to play together.