Did the Commanders have luck on their side in 2024?
Luck was a big factor in the Washington Commanders' 2024 success.
Sam Fortier of The Washington Post told John Keim on Keim's podcast why he felt the Commanders were recipients of much luck last year, resulting in their 12-5 season.
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Fortier began by saying he wasn't even including the one-score wins late, nor the low number of injuries suffered in 2024. He explained something regarding what is termed a "Luck Dashboard." Explaining it includes four things: dropped passes by an opponent, dropped interceptions by opponents, a reasonably easy missed kick (field goal/PAT) and when either team recovers a fumble, Fortier told Keim the Commanders were the luckiest team in 2024 since this metric was recorded, beginning in 2022.
Commanders fans will recall Malik Nabers' easy drop, which allowed Washington to win the Week 2 game against the New York Giants. Had Nabers made the routine catch, the Giants would have held the ball longer, and the Commanders would have had less opportunity to even their record at 1-1. Starting the year 0-2 was certainly more than possible, and yes, Nabers makes that catch the vast majority of the time. But for some reason, he dropped the pass against the Commanders, providing them an opportunity to score, and they did, defeating the Giants.
Fervent Commanders fans will also recall that in the home win over the Eagles, Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia quarterback, was injured in the first quarter, no doubt helping the Commanders' chances of winning the game (which they did). They will also recall that in the fourth quarter, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith inexplicably dropped an easy reception, forcing the Eagles to kick a field goal. Had Smith made the easy reception, the Eagles would have maintained possession and chewed up much more of the clock on the Commanders.
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Interestingly, Fortier told Keim that when he asked Commanders head coach Dan Quinn about luck, Quinn affirmed that he did indeed believe in luck. However, when Fortier asked starting center Tyler Biadasz, he responded, "I believe in five," referring to quarterback Jayden Daniels, of course.
GM Adam Peters has worked hard to improve the roster, so perhaps this season the Commanders will not need as much luck as they were afforded in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: The Commanders were the beneficiary of luck last season.
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