Commanders named as one of six contenders who could dethrone Eagles
Can the Washington Commanders move past the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025? The NFC East rivals met three times last season, with the Eagles winning two of those meetings, including the most important one in the NFC championship game.
After a 55-23 loss in the NFC championship, Washington general manager Adam Peters spent the offseason planning to dethrone the Eagles. Peters focused on reinforcing the offensive line, adding depth at cornerback, and improving the run defense.
Have the Commanders done enough to dethrone the Eagles in 2025?
Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com named six teams he believed could dethrone the defending Super Bowl champions and Washington was one of those six teams:
Washington was the feel-good story of 2024, which amounts to good and bad news. The good news is that head coach Dan Quinn immediately established a winning culture within a franchise that had been languishing for years and found a burgeoning superstar in quarterback Jayden Daniels, last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year. The bad news is that the Commanders won't be sneaking up on anybody any longer.
General manager Adam Peters was once again aggressive in his second offseason on the job, as he engineered trades for former 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel and former Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Washington still needs more help when it comes to rushing the passer, but it's obvious how this team wants to win games. The Commanders plan on putting as much pressure as possible on opponents with Daniels engineering a prolific offense. Last season, Washington went on a seven-game winning streak before losing to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game. The Commanders scored at least 30 points in four of those wins, including 45 in a Divisional Round victory at Detroit and 36 in a Week 16 triumph over Philadelphia. The Commanders ultimately proved last season that they're not intimidated by anyone.
This season will bring a different set of tests, including adjusting to how defenses attack Daniels in Year 2 -- remember the struggles that the highly touted Texans experienced last year after quarterback C.J. Stroud had exploded onto the scene as a rookie in 2023? -- and whether Washington can handle life as a perceived heavyweight.
The other five teams on the list were the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Lions and Rams.
Before anyone writes off the Commanders only because of the NFC championship result, remember that just weeks earlier, the Commanders, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, took down the Eagles in Week 16. Daniels passed for a career-high five touchdowns in Washington's win over Philly's No. 1-ranked defense. That was one of the Eagles' only three losses.
Anytime you have a franchise quarterback, you can beat anyone. Finally, the Commanders have one in Daniels. Also, Washington should have a better roster in 2025.
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