#washington-commanders

#washington-commanders

When Ron Rivera took over as the head coach of the Washington Commanders in 2020, he brought long-time assistant Pete Hoener along with him to coach the tight ends. Hoener got an excellent year out of Logan Thomas. The following season, a promising young tight end named John Bates was ushered into the league. But Hoener was nearing 70 years old and ready for retirement.

Washington's bounce-back victory over L.A. showed improvement from the defense, which won at the line of scrimmage. That pressure aided a secondary that had been picked on early in the year, and Marshon Lattimore had his best coverage game of the season, allowing just 8.5 yards per catch on two grabs, per Pro Football Focus. That said, the secondary could still use some help on the outside and at free safety.

Despite being led by a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the Commanders in fact possessed one of the NFL's oldest rosters. Then, over the offseason, they got even older. It's what they had to do after four straight years of Ron Rivera's disastrous draft classes. Washington was left with very few pieces to build around beyond Daniels. Adam Peters was left to fill in the holes with stopgap veterans while playing the long game in waiting for his own projects to develop.

This is bringing a series of surprising breakouts, which is a testament to how well prepared players are by head coach Dan Quinn and his staff. Several are establishing themselves as potentially long-term pieces of the puzzle, and there is one name that could be the most stunning of all. Washington's offensive line didn't start the season well, especially on the interior. They were overwhelmed and outmatched with a national audience watching on Thursday Night Football in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.

The quarterbacks - who will face off for the second time Monday night at Northwest Stadium - will be compared throughout their careers. But as much as their individual performances matter, what is equally as important is how their teams build around them - particularly while they're still on their rookie contracts, before they're eligible to sign lucrative extensions in the 2027 offseason.

This immediately invoked memories of last season's encounter between the two clubs at the same venue. When it looked like the Bears were heading for a statement victory, the Commanders had other ideas. Jayden Daniels heaved a prayer near the end zone as time expired, which fortunately fell into the grateful arms of wide receiver Noah Brown for a Hail Mary miracle. It was an astonishing moment - one that sent the NFC adversaries on entirely different paths the rest of the way.

Toward the end of 2024, Washington Commanders' general manager Adam Peters began patching holes in his roster in preparation for the new campaign. The acquisition of veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore was one step toward rebuilding the secondary. He continued that work when he chose Trey Amos in the second round of the 2025 draft. Other positions of need - offensive line and wide receiver - were similarly addressed through high-profile trades and high-value draft picks.

One couldn't ever accuse Adam Peters of being an absent general manager. He's incredibly active, turning over every stone to improve the Washington Commanders' roster. Nobody would deny that it's not in a better place now. Some signings have paid off. The jury is still out on others. There are far more hits than misses, which is why the Commanders went from the NFL's basement to the NFC Championship game in the first season under his leadership.

We'll make sure we take all the right steps. Just like we do with all the guys. If they're able to, you know, fully express how they play and do the thing, then we're there. And if not, we'll have to keep waiting, but we won't decide yet. But with having an extra day, that never hurts going into it. But as we get a few more days from now, I think I'll have a better sense for if it's able to be done and what it looks like and how they're responding to it.

In hindsight, the Washington Commanders' battle with the Los Angeles Chargers was already over by the middle of the third quarter. But no one knew it at the time. The Commanders were up by a touchdown and had driven all the way to the Chargers' 13-yard line. They faced a 2nd-and-5. Washington was in the process of finishing a rather extraordinary turnaround after looking all but dead in the first quarter.

Quinn found the right formula. The Commanders recovered from a slow start to completely overwhelm the Chargers, scoring 27 unanswered points to come away with a comfortable victory on the road. This was a massive confidence boost when the team needed it most. But for one underperforming veteran, the outlook wasn't nearly as positive. Noah Igbinoghene is quickly becoming a Commanders afterthought. The Commanders made their stance on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene crystal clear.

Magee's been an innocent bystander, for the most part, this season. Washington's linebacking corps was crying out for an extra injection of explosiveness, but Whitt remained cautious when it came to the 2024 fourth-round pick. He finally got a chance to stake a claim at SoFi Stadium, and he took full advantage. It was only 12 defensive snaps, but Magee made the most of them. His athleticism and quickness off the snap were considerable assets to call upon. And the physicality displayed to secure a tackle for loss would have been a massive confidence boost for the second-year pro.

Things were teetering on a knife-edge for the depleted Washington Commanders in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Fans were fearing the worst after a sluggish start, but head coach Dan Quinn's squad once again proved they were made of the right stuff. The Commanders dusted themselves off. After some heated words on the sidelines, everyone got on the same page. Washington scored 27 unanswered points, moving to within one game of the Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East along the way.

Pressure is growing on this unit, which has not been at its best to start the campaign. However, it didn't take long to realize that the same problems would persist. Justin Herbert, the Chargers' superstar quarterback and legitimate NFL MVP candidate through four weeks, effortlessly moved the ball downfield. His long run was inexcusable from the Commanders' standpoint, and the signal-caller had no trouble punishing Washington after second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil's inexplicable offside penalty on the field goal attempt.

Rebuilding the roster with experienced players paid off handsomely for the Washington Commanders in 2024, with 30-plus-year-old middle linebacker Bobby Wagner the most notable success story. Sadly, the 35-year-old is starting to show his age at the quarter mark of his second campaign. At a surface level, Wagner remains a highly respected veteran who fits the credible plan executed by Adam Peters. The latter deserves credit for offsetting the risk of signing ageing players by acknowledging the greater value of proven commodities.

The Washington Commanders finally got some good news on the injury front as they prepared to head into a significant early-season clash with the Los Angeles Chargers. Dan Quinn confirmed that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels had been medically cleared to resume practicing and was expected to make his return. Almost as important, his leading receiver through the early portion of the 2025 season, Deebo Samuel Sr., would also be on the field.

The worst-case scenario has played out thus far for both players. Sainristil is off to a rough start, though he did come up with Washington's first takeaway of the year with a Week 4 interception. Lattimore looks like a shell of his four-time Pro Bowl self. He has been targeted in pass coverage and consistently struggled to keep up with faster receivers. Penalties have also been an issue for the Ohio State product.

When the Washington Commanders paid Frankie Luvu handsomely in 2024 free agency, it was a risk that turned into a rapid reward. A fringe rotational player with the New York Jets before becoming a standout on the Carolina Panthers, the hybrid linebacker-edge rusher had spent much of 2024 playing like a fringe NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Washington. His explosiveness, relentless energy, and versatility made him one of the most valuable pieces in Washington's front-seven.