In 2024, the Washington Commanders came within one game of a Super Bowl appearance. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, but they fell short in embarrassing fashion, losing 55-23.
As the 2025 season approaches, expectations are high for the reigning NFC runner-ups. But was their surprising run the start of something special, or just a flash in the pan?
Are Doubters Right to Question the Commanders’ Ability to Repeat?
Two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody joined ESPN’s morning show “Get Up” to talk about what lies ahead for Washington.
“Jayden Daniels could have a better season, but the Washington Commanders might take a step back,” said Woody when asked what would make this season a success. “I thought the Washington Commanders overachieved last year.”
Woody added, “Jayden Daniels was spectacular, no question about it. But if you look at the whole of the Washington Commanders, like really, they shouldn’t have been on the field with the Philadelphia Eagles last year.”
The Eagles drop 50 points in the NFC Championship! 😮💨
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/eXrpsc1aCo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 26, 2025
The former New England Patriot said the Commanders’ 2024 bar will be tough to meet again.
“They actually might take a little bit of a step backwards,” said Woody. “I think their defense is underwhelming and some of these other NFC teams are on the come-up. The Rams and some of these other teams. So Jayden Daniels could be better, but they might take a little bit of a step backward.”
Can Washington’s Defense Keep Up in 2025?
Washington’s high-flying offense was the engine behind most of their wins in 2024. But their defense? It was just good enough.
They finished 17th on PFSN’s 2024 NFL Defense+ metric with a 73.2 (C) grade, doing enough to help the Commanders to a 12-5 regular season. But once the playoffs started, the defense was exposed against better teams.
Sterling Xie at PFSN broke down how the Commanders fell off when it mattered most.
He said, “The Commanders’ performance was largely consistent based on their level of competition,” Xie wrote. “Against three high-powered offenses in the playoffs, Washington couldn’t rely on its defense in any of those games, resulting in a rough end to its magical season.”
Xie continued, “In the NFC Championship Game, Washington recorded a season-worst 58.4 (F) grade. That was the eighth-worst performance of the season (out of 568 team games) and the worst by any team this postseason.”
This offseason, general manager Adam Peters added defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and safety Will Harris to help shore up the holes that were exposed in 2024.
Meanwhile, Daniels has nearly all his offensive weapons back, and the team added Deebo Samuel to the mix. With that much firepower, the Commanders should be able to put points on the board.
The big question for 2025 is whether the defense can step up and give the offense a real chance. If they can put the pieces together, another exciting run might be in the cards.