It's not an overreaction: Commanders can win the NFC East
Last season, Washington shocked everyone, going 12-5 in the regular season and advancing all the way to the NFC championship game. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles were just better. Washington did have one victory over its NFC East rival last season, when quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for five touchdowns against the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense to shock the Eagles.
If there's a positive to losing to a divisional rival in the NFC championship, it allows you to see where you stack up. Philly not only had a better roster than Washington last season, but the Eagles had the NFL's best roster. Stacked at almost every position, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, Washington GM Adam Peters had his work cut out for him this offseason.
The Commanders were aggressive, trading for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, while also adding a smaller draft class, but one where all five picks could find a role in 2025. Washington also made several defensive moves. Are those moves enough?
ESPN's Dan Graziano covered several topics in his latest column. He would render a verdict on each one on whether it was an overreaction or not an overreaction. One of those topics was whether or not it was the Commanders' turn to win the NFC East. Graziano determined that this was not an overreaction.
Not much was expected of the Commanders last season, but they were one of the great surprises. Led by new head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders won their final five games of the regular season (including one against the Eagles) to make the playoffs as a wild card. Then they upset the Buccaneers and Lions to advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Washington's 12-5 record put the team only two games behind Philadelphia, and they traded for veterans such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in an effort to take the next step and maximize Daniels' rookie-contract window. The Eagles still look phenomenal and deservedly will open as the division favorites, but no team has repeated as NFC East champion since 2004. The Commanders have their sights set on bigger things in 2025.
It's probably actually the Giants' turn, because every other NFC East team has won the division at least three times since New York last did it in 2011. But since a Giants division title would be an even bigger surprise than what Washington did last season, let's keep it focused on the Commanders for now.
Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in his second season as Atlanta's head coach, so he's not one to temper expectations. The experience Daniels got and the poise he has already shown in fourth quarters of huge games should only help him moving forward.
Championship-seasoned veterans such as Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz, who were brought in to help jump-start a fresh culture, are back for another run. Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore should be better than he was in his post-trade-deadline stint last season. And while there's no reason to doubt the Eagles, it's incredibly tough to repeat as champion in this division.
Dallas should be better with quarterback Dak Prescott back healthy, but Washington looks to have more than the Cowboys do. It's very possible that the Commanders take another leap and finish on top in the East.
The Eagles are still the class of the NFC East. Sure, Philadelphia lost some key players, such as defensive end Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams, but the Eagles were so deep at those positions that they are more able than most teams to withstand free-agent departures.
Things are different for Washington now because it has a quarterback. Jayden Daniels gives the Commanders a real chance to win a championship. His presence allows Peters to rebuild around the young franchise passer the right way and remain a contender.
What about Dallas and New York? The Cowboys will compete for a playoff spot, but are not a threat to win the NFC East in 2025. The Giants should be improved in 2025, but it may not be enough to save GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: It's no overreaction: the Commanders can win the NFC East
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Golden State Valkyries vs. Connecticut Sun: live game updates, stats, play-by-play
Tina Charles scored 24 points, Bria Hartley and Marina Mabrey both added 15 and the last-place Connecticut Sun rolled to a 95-64 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday. The Sun (4-20) had a season high for points thanks to season bests of 12 3-pointers, 53% overall shooting (35 of 66) and 14 steals. French rookie Leila Lacan had six steals in just her sixth game.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Knicks reserve guard could see increased role next season
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride could be the biggest beneficiary of Mike Brown being hired as the team's new head coach. Per SNY's Ian Begley, McBride could see an increased role compared to his role under Tom Thibodeau. 'We don't know how Knicks coach Mike Brown will deploy his rotation. But it's logical to think that McBride will play significant minutes with Clarkson and Yabusele,' Begley said. In the past, it would appear at times as though McBride wasn't being utilized properly in the rotation. Now with Brown, it's possible that McBride could see an increased role in the offense. McBride has the ability to play in several different types of lineups for the Knicks thanks to his ability to space the floor and defend at a high level. McBride himself spoke with Begley about sharing the second unit with new acquisitions Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele. 'Obviously (Clarkson's) a vet in this league. He's done great things,' McBride said, per Begley. 'Obviously, he can fill up the stat sheet and really score the ball at a high level. And obviously adding Geurschon as well. I think everybody's seen what he did in the Olympics and carrying that momentum into (last season), so we're really excited about him.' 'I feel like we're going to play fast, we're going to be using a lot of different guys,' he added. 'If you saw the Finals, they (Oklahoma City and Indiana) had a lot of depth on both teams, and I feel like we're all NBA guys. So if you're on the team, I feel like you're able to help out.' McBride averaged a career-best 9.5 points per game last season off the bench, and shot 37 percent from three-point range. Next year could be a breakout season for him should he get an increased role.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
INDYCAR Driver 'Happy to Not Get Hit' While Stuck in Blind Spot
In the closing laps of the Java House Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, INDYCAR driver Marcus Ericsson high-centered on the exit of turn six, lost control, and slid into the gravel and back onto the racing surface before stalling. He then sat there for several laps trying to get the race restarted while the course was under a local yellow in his sector. INDYCAR on Fox broadcaster James Hinchcliffe noted on the replay of Ericsson's crash that he was lucky to stop and not go further into the racing line to get collected by the full-speed traffic at the time of the incident. "So lucky to not continue going driver's left and be collected by another car," Hinchcliffe said. "That could've been much, much worse." The problem was that Ericsson was marooned, unable to start, sidelined on the asphalt as drivers continued, not seeing the No. 28 Andretti Global until they were within a few yards of it. The INDYCAR on Fox broadcast showed a portion of the course from Pato O'Ward's helmet cam, highlighting just how close the drivers were before Ericsson came into view. The full-course yellow was thrown after several laps, and the Andretti of Ericsson was brought back to the pits for a DNF with heavy damage to the floor of the race car. When Ericsson was first released from the race care center and asked if he thought the yellow was thrown late, he said he didn't know since he was too focused on getting his car going. "I don't know," Ericsson answered Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, "I was just trying to get the car started again, that was my main focus." Following the race, Ericsson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was happy to be safe following being stuck in a blind spot for multiple laps. "Happy to not get hit whilst sitting at a blind spot on the track for 3 laps..." Ericsson wrote. "Onto Portland." You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
