By almost any metric, the Washington Commanders' season has been a roaring success.
Fans no longer cringe when their owner’s name shows up in the media. The new general manager drafted and signed a bunch of players who are contributing to a winning franchise. And they seem to have found their long-term quarterback.
There is a lot of work to complete, but the future is looking as bright as it has in decades.
With one month remaining in the regular season, Washington hasn’t secured anything. A bad stretch of games to close out 2024 could still leave the franchise in search of its first winning record since 2015.
For that to happen, Dan Quinn’s squad would have to lose all four remaining games, which does not seem likely. But just a couple of losses could knock them out of a playoff spot, especially with the revived Los Angeles Rams nipping at their heels.
Commanders fans will be rooting for wins. The division is most likely out of reach at this point, but a strong finish could move Washington past the Green Bay Packers and into the second wildcard slot.
That would probably allow them to avoid a difficult first-round matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles and take on a team like the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Rams instead. None would be an easy out, but each would be preferable to their NFC East rivals.
That will all play out over the next month. If the past is any indication, it will not play out as we expect.
One team will get hot. Another will collapse. It always seems to go that way. Hopefully, Washington is more likely to catch a spark coming out of their bye than to fall apart, but only time will tell.
Even though we don’t know how the games will turn out, we do know that Commanders’ fans will have several things to look forward to as we approach the festive season. Here are the top four things to get excited about.
Exciting things Commanders fans can look forward to after the bye
Meaningful games in December
Because seven teams from each conference make the playoffs, most clubs are still mathematically alive well into December. Even last year, when the Washington Commanders tanked badly, they still had a sliver of a chance for the postseason until fairly late.
But this year it is different.
This year, the Commanders won’t be sneaking in through the backdoor as they did in 2020 when they took the NFC East despite having a losing record. This year, Washington can gather some momentum and not simply make the playoffs. They can make a run.
They may not be as complete as teams like the Detroit Lions or Eagles, but Dan Quinn's men have shown the ability to compete with anybody.
When teams are out of contention in December, they start doing odd things. Washington made it to the postseason in 2020 in part because Eagles' coach Doug Pederson made the indefensible decision to play Nate Sudfeld at quarterback in the second half of the final regular season game in place of Jalen Hurts. That’s what teams with nothing to play for do.
Washington will be giving its best at the end of the season in games that matter. No fan could ask for more.
Commanders' young players stepping forward
Just because they will be involved in meaningful, high-pressure games, that does not mean Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will shy away from putting his rookies on the field.
Most of them are no longer rookies by this point anyway considering how heavily most have been involved. And it is a good bet that at least two of them will step up over the final month.
Jayden Daniels has been doing it all season, but the other youngsters have had less showy rookie campaigns. Mike Sainristil has emerged as a steady cornerback. Johnny Newton looks to have a great future playing next to Daron Payne in the middle of the defense. Brandon Coleman looks more comfortable every time he gets another game under his belt at left tackle.
Those four players are already making solid contributions. Expect to see one or two others make plays for the Commanders in the final month.
Ben Sinnott has seemed on the verge of a breakout for several weeks now. Zach Ertz is still going to get the majority of the looks at tight end, but the No. 53 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft could lessen the load on the 34-year-old and begin making a name for himself.
Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu have been crucial to Washington’s revived defense as a formidable linebacking tandem. But if Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. want to get them some rest, Jordan Magee could see the field.
Magee has contributed primarily on special teams since his return from injury. It might be time to get a glimpse of what the rookie has learned playing behind Wagner all season. That will be a big boost to Washington's defensive depth if nothing else.
Luke McCaffrey, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and undrafted free agent Tyler Owens could all play some important snaps in the final games. If they do, a couple of them are going to make plays.
Marshon Lattimore's return
It looks as if the Marshon Lattimore era with the Washington Commanders will officially begin when they take on the New Orleans Saints. Of course, this is the team general manager Adam Peters acquired the standout cornerback from with just hours remaining before the 2024 trade deadline.
Lattimore played for his first eight seasons in New Orleans. If everything checks out throughout practices this week, he'll make his Washington debut versus the team that made him surplus to requirements.
If the former third-round pick out of Ohio State doesn’t have too much rust, Lattimore's introduction into the starting lineup should begin paying dividends immediately.
Besides being an immediate talent upgrade on the perimeter, Lattimore's presence will allow Washington's defensive coaches a great deal of flexibility when shuffling the other secondary pieces. That is a luxury coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and his staff hasn't been afforded much this season.
Ideally, rookie second-rounder Mike Sainristil will be able to move from the perimeter — where he has been forced to play much of this season — back to the slot. This is where he has all the tools to be a game-changer.
The other perimeter cornerback spot remains an issue. Benjamin St-Juste, Noah Igbinoghene, and Michael Davis all have holes in their games. But with Lattimore locking down one side, Whitt can begin designing ways to help out the other outside corner, whoever he may be.
Again, this is the benefit of having a genuine lockdown presence. Something the Commanders haven't legitimately possessed for a long time.
Aside from Lattimore, Washington’s other four cornerbacks have a combined 11 career interceptions. Eight of them come from Davis, who plays less at this point than the others.
Lattimore has 15 picks all by himself. He will make the defense better the moment he steps onto the field and should be chomping at the bit to repay Washington's faith.
Commanders' prosperous offseason position
Since there will be meaningful games into January, fans may not be quite as prone to look forward as in previous years. That had become something of an annual panacea over the past decade.
The team wasn’t in contention for the postseason, but at least the Washington Commanders usually had a good draft pick. Mock drafts and simulations became a pleasant way to kill a few minutes.
The Commanders will not have a top-five pick in the 2025 draft to get excited about. But due to intelligent moves by general manager Adam Peters and his staff, they will most likely enter the college selection process with a virtual full slate.
They currently have seven picks — with no pick in the fourth round and two in the seventh. Even more exciting, if you like to peruse the list of pending free agents, Commanders’ fans can do so with the knowledge that Washington has an outstanding salary-cap situation for 2025.
Peters cut some deadwood and did not lock the team into high-priced contracts this past year. If he decides to go after a young offensive tackle like Alaric Jackson of the Los Angeles Rams or wants to poach breakout linebacker Zach Baun from the Philadelphia Eagles, he will have more than enough cash to do so.
If he wants to aim higher and dangle an offer in front of wide receivers such as Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin, he will have the wherewithal to do that as well. For the first time in many years, talented wideouts will want to come to Washington to catch passes from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
All that makes the game of playing general manager a lot more fun for fans as the season winds down. Of course, all of the above become a lot more fun if the Commanders find a way to win three or four of these final games.
