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.
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.