Hope for DC: Washington Commanders enter a new era of playoffs

Hope for DC: Washington Commanders enter a new era of playoffs

Landover, Maryland - Even from the top tier in section 412 - the standing area, which is about as far away as you can get at a game of the Washington Commander against the Atlanta Falcons - Northwest Stadium is a cauldron full of noise.

On this rainy, uncharacteristically warm December night, the Commanders are playing in the biggest game of the weekend and aiming for their first Playoff spot in the NFL since the 2020 season. Here, in the upper tiers of the stadium, the wind whips the rain into the fans' faces as they cheer, creating a noise that grows louder as the Falcons offense comes onto the field for its first attack. The noise reaches a new level when the Commanders force an interception. This atmosphere is typical of big games in a football city that is getting used to such events again.

Hope in Landover

The scenery couldn't be more contrasting than during the Covid-19 marked season four years ago. Back then, the team had a different name and had a negative record despite winning the NFC East Division. There were no fans in the stadium all season - just cardboard cutouts who made no noise and showed no emotion.

Today, however, the atmosphere in Landover is one of hope. There are many reasons for this hope. Both in the management office and on the field - even into the halls of Congress - there are signs that soccer is revitalizing in Washington, DC. More importantly, faith has grown that this revival can actually last.

A new generation of commanders

The 12-5 Commanders are coming off their best season since 1991 and will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in the penultimate game of the Wild Card Round NFL playoffs. It's another prime time for a franchise that hasn't advanced past the first round of the playoffs since the 2005-06 season.

Regardless of what happens against the Buccaneers on Sunday, this season is already a success – and could be a turning point for the Commanders. Tress Way, the team's punter and longest-tenured player, believes the recipe is simple.

“I think it’s more about winning than just making the playoffs,” he said CNN Sports in the squad room after the Commanders defeated the Falcons to secure their spot in the postseason.

The long dry spell

From the early 1980s to the early 1990s, the then Washington Redskins were the flagship team of the NFL. Three Super Bowl championships in 1982-83, 1987-88 and 1991-92, as well as another Super Bowl appearance in 1983-84. This meant that DC was one of the centers of the football universe. But after the 1992 Super Bowl, the wheels fell off. The team made the playoffs the year after its Super Bowl victory, but it took until January 2000 to play in the postseason again.

Since its last Super Bowl victory in the 1991-92 season, Washington has returned to the playoffs just eight times and made it past the first round just three times. High-profile, high-paid players came and went without bringing the success that Washington fans were used to. Mediocrity on the field became not just the expectation, but the new normal.

Times are changing

After the death of owner Jack Kent Cooke in 1997, long-time fan Daniel Snyder purchased the team, ushering in a period of frustration and disappointment that eventually erupted into a toxic atmosphere that went so far as to... Congress got involved.

The franchise has been under pressure to change its name, particularly after the killing of George Floyd, which sparked mass protests against systemic racism. The stadium's sponsor, FedEx, claimed the team to change the name. Companies like Nike, Amazon, Target and Walmart announced that they would no longer sell the team merchandise. In July 2020, Snyder finally announced that the name would be changed.

The current upswing

Under Josh Harris, the Commanders have made an effort to distance themselves from the Snyder era. “The best way to do that is to win,” Way said. The team has improved significantly since a 4-13 start to the 2023 season and fired head coach Ron Rivera to hire Dan Quinn, a defensive mastermind who came from the Dallas Cowboys. With him came a change in mentality that made the team difficult to beat.

“We just fight and try to win,” he said. “It may not always seem like a formula, but the way DQ empowers us always makes us feel like we are in the fight.” After defeating the Falcons, the Commanders won seven of eight games, sparking a remarkable comeback in the DC area - burgundy and gold appear on everyday clothing and flags.

The new superstar: Jayden Daniels

However, the main reason for the newfound hope among fans is one player: rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. His exploits this season have already made him the most popular player in Washington since the last young quarterback hopeful took the field here. His emergence as a game-leading quarterback appears to have inspired a rapid change for the Commanders, prompting inevitable comparisons to Robert Griffin III, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Daniels, who plays with both arms and legs, is putting up impressive performances and has already broken RGIII's record for most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback. "I wanted Jayden Daniels to break my rookie rushing record because I'm not the one rooting for the next generation. He deserves it," Griffin wrote on X.

A look into the future

While fans are consumed by memories of RGIII's painful injuries, Daniels shows that hope for the future is returning. His impressive play in critical moments has the potential to usher in a new era for the Washington Commanders. Fans and players agree that the team is on its way to getting back to the top.

With a new stadium, a fresh team spirit and hope for further success in the NFL game, Washington is at the beginning of a new chapter. The Commanders are back on the field, and the relationship between the fans and the team is strengthened by this running back named Daniels. The path forward appears promising.