The Commanders are enjoying a surprise resurgence on the pitch this season, even as the organization continues to spill the beans for the wrong reasons. Players and coaching staff have much merit in a context that is not obvious.
It’s been going nowhere since Daniel Snyder bought the franchise in 1999. Just six successful seasons, two small playoff wins and no presence in the conference finals are evidence of the slump on the football side.
Worse, the organization has been mired in an investigation of the toxic work culture that reigns internally for months.
In 2020, a Washington Post report created bombshell effect by revealing that about forty female employees at the organization, including cheerleaders, had been victims of sexual harassment and other forms of abuse by Snyder and other members of management since 2006.
Financially, Snyder has had some gimmicks under his belt, too, and now even his co-owners can’t see him in color anymore. That’s good because he seems to be crowding around his yacht most of the time…
Resilient Players
It is often said that the success of an organization, in the world of work in general as well as in sports, begins at the top of the pyramid.
Try to imagine how difficult it must be to focus on your work as a Commanders player in such chaos.
For every positive thing that happens in the field, two negative things happen in the office. Who is responsible for all this trouble on a daily basis when Snyder and his big shots are in hiding? Players and coaches, of course.
In that context, the fact that the Commanders are coming into Week 13 with a 7-5 record in the midst of fighting for a playoff spot is quite an achievement.
Improved team
If the Commanders beat the Giants, they will be three games over .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2012. That’s a big deal.
For the past seven weeks, the captains have been 6-1, and during that promising period, the defense has ranked third in the league in points allowed and yards conceded. Also, the team ranks first in this sequence in terms of revenue difference (+7).
Tackling duo Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen are among the most prolific in the league. Both claim 6.5 quarterback sacks and have 27 tackles to a loss.
Without being the most dominant, the attack seems to have found its identity between Taylor Heinicke’s zeal and prolific play on the ground. No one will confuse commanders with track powerhouses just yet, but this team can take on the best.
Producing day after day for an organization that gets nothing but praise can be overwhelming. Nonetheless, these players continue to show their full potential. We must take our hats off to them.
The best we can wish them for next year, well beyond making the playoffs, is that the owner cashes his sales check and a new culture settles in Washington. Things really get going in the changing room.
5 things to watch out for
1. Already a champion?
We’re entering the stage of the season where teams can already qualify for the playoffs. A win or a draw and a loss for the lions may be the case for the Vikings. This scenario would guarantee them the Northern League title and a ticket to the playoffs at the same time. The Eagles can also qualify with a win combined with losses to the Commanders, 49ers and Seahawks.
2. Close games
This season, 79 games have been decided by differences of no more than six points, a record after 12 weeks. Teams that succeed in these close duels will compete against each other this week. The Giants are 5-0 in six-point games while their opponents, the Commanders, are 5-2. The Vikings are 4-0 and the Jets are 3-1 in that regard. It promises!
3. Meetings at the top
Week 13 features three matches pitting top teams against each other. The Titans, first in the South Division of the American, go to the Eagles, first in the East Division of the National. The Dolphins, first in East American, visit the 49ers, first in West National. Then the Chiefs, first in the American West, go to the Bengalis, at the head of the American South. A whole program!
4. Quite a duel
If there’s one one-on-one duel not to be missed this week, it’s Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and Jets rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner. Jefferson just clinched the title of offensive player in November thanks to 29 receptions for 480 yards and three touchdowns. For his part, Gardner leads all cornerbacks in the league with 14 knockdowns.
5. Good old Reid
Andy Reid has enjoyed tremendous success since taking over the Chiefs in 2013. If the Chiefs beat the Bengals today, he will have led his team to a tenth win for the eighth straight season. In history, only Bill Belichick (17 straight seasons with the Patriots) and George Seifert (8 straight seasons with the 49ers) have done that. It would be Reid’s 17th 10-plus season. Only Belichick and Don Shula, with 20 seasons of at least 10 wins each, will precede him in history.