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NFL

Commanders Can Become Relevant For 1st Time this Century With Win Over Eagles

navjoallen@yahoo.com photo
By navjoallen@yahoo.com · 4 min read
Washington Commanders
Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) celebrates after a fumble recovery during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders must beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday to remain relevant. Harsh, but true. Anyone who has followed the Washington Commanders knows this is the best chance they’ve had in almost a decade to have a decent season.

The team has had a revolving door of quarterbacks, coaches, and staff. This season, the fans see something different: stability. The Dan Snyder era is over. The team uses words like “brotherhood” and “process.” If they can take this new resolve into Thursday night and beat the Eagles, it will not just be a win but a turning point.

An Eagles Win Will Shake the NFC East

Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) walks off the field after defeating the Cleveland Browns at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The team missed an opportunity to sweep Pennsylvania in their 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. That would have capped off a season of complete domination of the NFC East. Why? The Commanders beat the New York Giants both at home and away. Dallas is not even part of the conversation with three wins this season. Sweeping an entire state would have been nice, but one cannot cry over spilled milk.

Thursday night’s game gives the Commanders a chance to close out the week with a win against the Eagles and go into their bye week on a high note. No one is asking for bricks to be made without straw here: just beat the Eagles. An Eagles win also puts them back on top of the division, a place they held onto up to Sunday’s loss.

How Relevant Is Thursday’s Matchup?

To understand the plight of every Commanders fan, understand Thursday night’s significance. Since the early ’90s—particularly 1992—there are only three times Washington has won 10 games. What’s even more significant is they’ve never won more than 10. Sports Illustrated quoted head coach Dan Quinn as “fired up” for Thursday night’s game. He should be, considering the Commanders only won four games last season. The new Commanders’ staff and ownership took the most underrated team in the NFL and turned it into an NFC juggernaut.

NBC Sports reported Thursday, “Since 2000, the Eagles have seven NFC championship game appearances, as well as three Super Bowl appearances. In that time, the Commanders have been to the second round of the playoffs only once. In the last two years, Philadelphia has 25 wins in the regular season. Washington has 12.”

An Eagles Win One of Two Benchmarks for Daniels

While beating the Eagles Thursday night is significant, the new and improved Commanders must cross one more bridge: beat the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are not having the best of seasons, but even they know how important that game is. Daniels has already eclipsed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as a rookie. Don’t forget Daniels’ rock star performance in Week Three on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals was history-making. He finished that game completing 21 throws for 254 yards, setting an NFL rookie record for his completion percentage of 91.3%.

It was Prescott who previously held that rookie record, going 32-of-36 (88.9%) in 2016 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To make the game even more interesting, he’ll be out of action Nov. 24 when Dallas comes to Northwest Stadium due to injury. Prescott, 31, injured his hamstring in the Cowboys’ Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He is currently looking into “focus on himself” for a while after having a successful surgery on the hamstring Wednesday, according to reports.

Final Thoughts

The Commanders have a good chance this season to reach new heights and move forward as a healthier organization. They focus on the fundamentals of football now; they care more about their people. It’s not a situation of trying to buy an all-star team. The fans are behind the quarterback again. I, like so many Commanders fans, am not just hoping “he works out.” It’s more than that. There’s excitement in the air, so winning Thursday night will show they can hold their own with top-tier teams and are not just a flash in the pan. They need this. The fans do too.

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