Who will be the NFC Champions?
By: Jake Rajala
The Washington Commanders were so close to being NFC Champions last season. Their divisional foe in the Philadelphia Eagles, knocked them off in the NFC Championship. We’re talking about a Commanders team that stomped the Detroit Lions in the divisional round. With that said, should we expect to see a Commanders team that could be playing in the Super Bowl this season?
It won’t be that easy.
The NFC is loaded with superb teams. The Lions will have Aidan Hutchinson back in the line-up. He nicely forced a fumble on Derrick Henry last week. The Packers will be a tough team to beat in the postseason. They brought in Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary leads the league in sacks (with 4.5). Even the 49ers look like their old selves, despite losing Nick Bosa to a torn ACL.
The Commanders have the swiss army knife in Deebo Samuel, but the Pro Bowl WR Terry McLaurin fell off a cliff. He’s injured right now and that comes after a couple of below average performances. He was rumored to be traded this prior offseason. I wouldn’t be stunned if he’s shipped out of the nation’s capital soon. Austin Ekeler is also on IR, and he will surely be missed.
The Commanders pass defense last season was horrid. It hasn’t been that much better in 2025. They’re 23rd in passing YPG allowed. They traded for Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore last season, and it hasn’t exactly paid off. He has a PFF grade of 46.9. Ouch. He may be best on the bench, to be honest.
The Commanders also don’t have a lot of success against their nemesis, Dallas. They are 1-3 against the Boys in their last four meetings. They are also 1-3 against the Eagles in their past four showdowns! They can’t afford to throw away key divisional games, especially when they see these teams twice a season!
I do like some of their veterans, such as Bobby Wagner and Von Miller. Each of those defenders have made plays and they’re both bound to make it to the Hall of Fame. They are a big reason that their D has eight sacks on the season, which is tied for fifth in the NFL.
It’s a positive sign that the Commanders can win without their star QB Jayden Daniels. Marcus Mariota is a talented, dual-threat QB. He can be an admirable replacement for any QB.
I’d like to see more ammunition for Daniels. We’re witnessing the best dual-threat QB in the NFL, Lamar Jackson, struggle to carry his team when Derrick Henry makes mistakes. When there are primetime games, Daniels needs all the help he can get.
It’s especially important that the former second overall pick, Daniels, gets more aid, as he will be playing against the other NFC East QBs for a long time. Jaxson Dart is a rookie, Jalen Hurts is 27 years old, and Dak Prescott is even somewhat young at 32 years old.
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