Can the Commanders contend in 2023?

How Close Are We to Becoming Contenders?

As fans, we want only one thing, TO WIN!! We want to cheer and be loud without being called trash, mid, garbage, etc. Also, as fans, some of us want the perfect situation to be able to win super bowls or be playoff contenders. In other words, what does it take to become playoff contenders? How close are we to becoming playoff contenders?

2020: The Inaugural Riverboat Season (7-9)

Coaches: HC Ron Rivera, OC Scott Turner, DC Jack Del Rio

In 2020, the Washington Commanders announced former Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera as their new HC. Along with the new HC change, a new name came along as well, The Washington Football Team. Rivera chose his GM Martin Mayhew and coaching staff OC Scott Turner and DC Jack Del Rio, along with new position coaches except for retained coaches Randy Jordan and Chris Harris. Year one was challenging, with Covid-19 taking the league by force and forcing the league to make adjustments, changing the gameplay. No fans in the stands, safety protocols, and social distancing changed how the league conducts business from a typical standpoint.

In conclusion, the season was not a letdown despite being 7-9 and winning the division, drafting three rookies (Antonio Gibson, Chase Young, Kam Curl) who were heavy starters and impactful on both sides of the ball.  

2021: New Season, New Name, QB Change. (7-10)

Coaches: HC Ron Rivera, OC Scott Turner, DC Jack Del Rio

Starting the 2021 Season as the Washington Football Team, it was time to start winning games. Despite the name change debacle and the ownership issues, Washington remained focused on the on-field task. Washington signed FA QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who did not last past week 1 with a hip injury. Taylor Heinicke came in as a backup, finishing the season with his career high, 3417 Passing Yards, 20 TDs, and 15 INTs. He finished the season with a passer rating of 85.9. Guess what? We still finished the season at 7-9. Terry McLaurin had his 2nd 1000-yard receiving season this year, which was a major plus considering the barrage of QBs he had to play with during his time so far in Washington. Chase Young was out due to a season-ending ACL injury.

Once again, Washington has drafted some quality rookies to plug into the roster who have significantly impacted the field (Dyami Brown, Samuel Cosmi, Jamin Davis, John Bates, and Benjamin St-Juste).

MUST READ: What is Kam Curl’s Worth to the Commanders?

2022: THE REBRAND! (8-8-1)

The Washington Football team has finally chosen a name for the rebrand. While the reveal was not the best, Washington has decided to call themselves the Commanders. This rebrand came with new uniforms, a new marketing team, and a spirit squad to excite home-field fans during home games. The media and marketing team has done an outstanding job with the rebranding, community outreach, and fan engagement. At the end of the season, The Commanders also revealed their Mascot, Commander Tuddy the HOG. The organization did a good job keeping the fans involved in selecting the mascot.

We talked about the rebrand; now, let’s talk about what happened on the field and in the locker room. Washington waited too late to grab their QB in FA and traded for former- Colts QB Carson Wentz. Fans gave mixed emotions on this decision, mainly because of the contract Wentz took, and some did NOT want him in Washington. In my opinion, Wentz did not have a shot at surviving in Washington.

Aside from the Wentz fiasco, Washington has again drafted some impactful players to the roster. Ron and the front office did well-drafting players that fit the team. However, is that good enough to take us over the hump? This season, Washington struggled after winning the home opener against the Jaguars. Kam Curl missed six games, and Rookie RB Brian Robinson missed five games after being shot during the preseason. The additions of Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner was also a complete bust. Turner and Norwell showed nothing for me to want them back in the offseason. There was also a big misevaluation on CB William Jackson, who was traded midseason to the Steelers.

Aside from the failed attempts of Turner and Norwell, some players stepped up big-time. Curl finished as a top-3 rated safety according to PFF.com. Other key mentions are Pro Bowler Jeremy Reaves, Rookie S Percy Butler,  Davis, and St-Juste. The front four of that D-Line is straight-up nasty. DT Daron Payne has recorded his highest number of career sacks in an NFL Season (11.5). The D-Line alone racked up 35 sacks as a collective unit which is impressive. Not to mention with the return of Chase Young late in the season, it was indeed exciting to see him back in action and still create pressure.

On Offense, Robinson came back after the injury and became just as productive as we fans knew he would be seeing him inside of the preseason. Rookie WR Jahan Dotson has exceeded expectations, having 523 receiving yards and 7 TDs. The future is bright for these rookies.

Now that you have quickly been through memory lane ask yourself, how far are we from being playoff contenders? What do we need? Here are the three things that we need to be successful.

Looking Towards The Future 

Coaches: Finding the OC

First, we need to figure out who will be our OC. Who will be the man who calls the plays and develops the QBs? In the past month, we have heard a few names hit Washington that could be the OC after firing former OC Scott Turner. OC Candidates are as follows: 49ers Assistant HC/RBs Coach Anthony Lynn, Chiefs OC Eric Beinemy, Miami Associate HC/RB Coach Eric Sudeville, Tampa Bay OC Byron Leftwich, Rams Assistant HC/TEs Coach Thomas Brown, Falcons QB Coach Charles London, Former Browns and Giants HC Pat Shurmur, and Commanders QB Coach Ken Zampeze. The candidates are reasonable and will be creative, innovative, and effective with the offense.

It is crucial to find an OC who cannot only call the plays but is able to develop the starting QB Sam Howell and make sure that the backups are ready to go when needed. That comes with ensuring you have a good QB coach and an excellent passing game coordinator.

Finding your Franchise QB

Howell is just one piece to the puzzle, so you need to add some competition inside the room to keep it interesting. Sam Howell has the potential and the opportunity to become the starting QB and keep the job. The ideal situation is to release Wentz, keep Heinicke as a backup, and bring in a young stud to compete for the backup position. Yes, you heard correctly, battle Heinicke for the backup position. I see enough from Heinicke to know what I can get from him. Go in the draft and get a 3-5th round stud to compete.

Evolving the CB Room is Essential

Please, and I mean PLEASE, get Joey Porter Jr. at 16 inside of the draft. Bringing in a top CB prospect in the draft will benefit the secondary. I love Fuller and St-Juste, but we need another guy added to the mix. While we draft a CB, we can also look into the FA to add a slot or nickel corner. This offseason will consist of some quality CBs to add to the roster.

We are two or three pieces away from being playoff contenders. Coaching will fix many of the issues the team suffered this past season. Better coaching comes with bringing in better talent and getting the best of each position group. Next season is Ron’s make-it-or-break-it season; with a new owner on the horizon, Ron will have to show that owner that he means business, or else Ron won’t make it past the 2023 season.