It’s Jan. 18 and Washington Commanders fans are jumping and screaming in exultation. Their team has just executed an unbelievable upset of the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions and is now advancing to the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game for the first time in 34 years. This moment marked a point where the Washington Commanders achieved what many believed was impossible.
During the offseason, the former owner Dan Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris, a successful businessman, D.C. native and owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, a National Basketball Association team.
Due to Harris’s prior success in sports ownership, this change was widely accepted as a major upgrade. Harris went straight to work, flipping the team upside down by hiring a new coaching staff and a new general manager.
At the time of these changes, the Commanders seemed like a team stuck in a long rebuilding stage with little hope for the future. The Commanders were last place in both offense and defense the previous season with a record of 4-13, the second worst in the National Football League (NFL).
Luckily, the new coaching staff led by Harris and Dan Quinn (the head coach) had a very successful draft, picking quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick. Led by their new young quarterback, they were able to end with a 12-5 record, and the seventh and 13th best offense and defense, respectively.
Already exceeding expectations, they progressed into the playoffs for the first time in five years. The Commanders proceeded to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round on a last-second field goal.
Despite the outstanding season, few NFL followers believed that the Commanders could advance past the Divisional Round given that they were scheduled to play the Detroit Lions, the second best team in the NFL. However, the overachieving Commanders ended up blowing out the Lions, advancing to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1991, ending a 34-year drought.
Unfortunately, the Commanders’ incredible season would come to an end after a hard-fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the next round.
This successful season generated a passion within the Commanders’ fanbase that many fans had yet to experience.
Lifelong Commanders fan of over 40 years, George Springsteen highlights the way the season reignited his love for D.C. sports in general.
“This year was different,” Springsteen said. “Watching the Commanders compete and win games brought back an excitement I haven’t felt in a long time.”
That same excitement brought his family together and Sundays quickly became a time to bond with his family over football.
“Before this, every Sunday consisted of me and my son watching the games alone, but that changed this season, my family would all gather together to watch the game, cheering for a team they never thought they would celebrate,” Springsteen said.
For Springsteen, watching the team play football was what he truly valued about watching the Commanders break out.
“It wasn’t all about football anymore, it was about spending time together, going through the highs and lows, as a family,” he said. “We would sit around, order food, laugh, and just enjoy the moment. It made Sundays special again.”
For many fans, the season wasn’t all about the wins and the losses, but restoring and building a stronger connection, not just with the team, but with the people that they love.
All in all, the Commanders’ turnaround season has given D.C. sports fans a rare sense of optimism and hope for the future, a feeling many haven’t experienced in decades. Whether this success will continue remains to be seen, but for now, Washington football fans finally have something to celebrate.
By Geordie Springsteen and Refik Hurcan
