Talk Commanders

Some four and a half months ago Dan Quinn brought his new team to Tampa Bay for their first foray into real football. “New” was the operative word. The coaching staff had been “Oil Changed.” The Quarterback was starting his first game that would count. And, the roster had been essentially “Zero Staffed.” Only the players with longer and more expensive contracts were safe from the scythe that new General Manager Adam Peters wielded. Adding to the mix the opponent had won their Division three times in a row. Their coach was old friend Todd Bowles. He is considered a master at disguising Defenses. Surely the new QB would get schooled as the new WFT got trounced into disorganization. Tampa won handily. But, the game left an impression on Bowles.

“Stand up. Get your air. Use your God-given abilities. Go win us the game.” Those sound like words from a football coach. But, that was the coaching coming from veteran backup QB Marcus Mariota to a gassed Jayden Daniels. One play later…Touchdown, Playoffs, and bedlam. If you wrote this for a play or movie it would be dismissed as predictable and corny. It was neither. It was just simply glorious.

A year ago, the Washington Commanders were finishing with four wins and securing the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There were plenty of people saying that Washington should pick Drake Maye if the Bears took DMV native Caleb Williams. Some said to just trade back and take J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix. The only voice that mattered was Adam Peters, GM of the Commanders, when he chose the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels. They were ridiculed for taking him to Top Golf as part of a pre-draft group outing, and they were ridiculed by others for picking him over the other quarterbacks.

That 20/20 hindsight is making Peters look smart as Daniels seems to be running away with the Rookie of the Year award. Nobody imagined, except Daniels, that on December 29, the Washington Commanders would have 11-wins and a playoff berth with the most wins in this franchise since the 1991 Super Bowl season. Led by Daniels, the Commanders beat the Falcons and Penix on Sunday Night Football to clinch a Wild Card spot, with one regular season game to be played. And forget the fools who claimed that Daniels “stole” the Heisman from Penix.

Whatever reservations the fanbase may have had about Jaden Daniels last week’s game should have erased them. His touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder in the waning seconds was simply a masterpiece. There have been no shortage of analysts breaking down the play. Basically Daniels read the inside Linebacker’s approach to Crowder. Recognizing a zone type pivot instead of chest-to-chest pivot Daniels cut the ball loose in a millisecond. Had the Linebacker gone to a man pivot then the other receiver crossing towards the middle would have been open. Daniels’ reading speed on that play was other-worldly. As teammate Tress Way said of Daniels, “If he’s on the field you got a chance.” And, that about sums it up.

Last week a one-point win resulted in a very grumpy “Victory Monday.” Would any WFT fan be similarly fussy with a one-point win this week? Unfortunately, some would…but, not too many. This fan base has been marinated in toxicity for long enough that fair winds and following seas are considered a source of annoyance. Such grouchiness doesn’t simply melt away. It has to be slowly peeled back layer-by-layer until the core of the onion is in plain view. This takes more time than a single season affords. A win this week would surely loosen another layer. At least one would hope so. But, there are no guarantees.

In honor of Bob Dylan, and the movie that was released about his life, it is an opportune time to quote his words from The Times They Are A-Changin’: “Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen, and keep your eyes wide [because] the chance won’t come again. And don’t speak too soon for the wheel’s still in spin, and there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’. For the loser now — will be later to win, for the times they are a-changin’.” Dylan believed that cycles could go from losing to winning. Dylan Crews talked about the same from his time at LSU when he won the National Championship in his final season.

The Washington Commanders will finish the 2024-2025 season with a winning record for the first time since 2016. That in itself should be reason to celebrate on this Victory Monday as Washington is now 9-5 on the season after this 20-19 win over the New Orleans Saints.

For the Burgundy and Gold it is squarely time to go to the whip for the stretch run. The bye week came late in the season. This is a team that surely could have used a break earlier. But, the upside is that it gave the team a chance to reset just in time for the last four games. Of those four games three appear to be very winnable. It’s nearly impossible to avoid doing math: 2 wins equals 10 for the season; 3 wins equals 11 for the season. Since 1978 only 20 teams have failed to make the playoffs with 10 wins. Only 2 failed to get to the dance with 11 wins. But, first things first: A win gives this team a winning season for the first time since 2016. In August such a thing seemed like a bridge too far.