Tag: Washington Commanders

This might be the year to win the Super Bowl for these three teams

With parity as high as ever in the NFL, a few unlikely clubs could have their best chance to get rings

Coming into the NFL season, predictions were made on who could win the Super Bowl in February, and there’s still a good amount of time to see if those views play out. The majority of those views probably had what one could call the usual contenders: the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens topping the list in the AFC, while the Philadelphia Eagles (defending champs), Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions gathered the majority of votes from the NFC. After that’s determined, the next question centers around teams who can announce themselves as a threat in their own right. The Houston Texans (who went home after the divisional round each of the last two seasons) were a trendy pick, but have been underwhelming to this point. The Green Bay Packers, particularly after they acquired linebacker/defensive end Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, became the team everyone is supposedly chasing, but many questions remain if they can even win the NFC North (let alone make a championship run). One thing (and perhaps the only item) we have learned is there isn’t a stand out team playing right now. As a result, three squads who weren’t looked at as serious contenders may have as good a chance as ever to emerge as the top dog.

The first of this trio is the Indianapolis Colts. It would be interesting to see if even the biggest Colts fan living within the Indianapolis city limits had this on their bingo card, but this team is tied for the best record in the league at 5-1. Somewhere along the line, it was forgotten how good running back Jonathan Taylor was and is. Taylor is reminding everyone up to this point, as he leads the NFL in rushing yardage (603) and touchdowns (seven). Combine that with the efficient play of quarterback Daniel Jones (yes, that guy who flamed out with the New York Giants), and the offense is on a level that makes them hard to stop. The Colts defense has been good enough to bend, but not completely break, and they have forced nine turnovers in their six games. Complementary football has been a strength for Indy, and Shane Steichen has cooled off talk of being on the hot seat to lose his head coaching job. In other words, the Colts have the ingredients to stay in the fight for a while.

Second on the list is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is the team tied with Indy for the league’s best record. The Buccaneers could be at least 2-4 if a play or two doesn’t go their way, but they have found a way to make those plays, and the scary thing with this squad is they can become much better as the season moves on. If there is one reason why Tampa Bay sits where they are, it probably starts and ends with QB Baker Mayfield, who would probably be the MVP if the season ended today. Mayfield has been the definition of clutch, as he has been the architect of a few game-winning drives. It’s even more remarkable when considering Mayfield is playing at this level without the team’s top-two receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr.). There was a little talk about the Bucs being a contender going into the season, but the combination of how good they can be and the league being up for grabs could see them become a favorite before too long.

Finally, the Denver Broncos find themselves on the list of teams who could walk up to a championship this season. With the Broncos coming off of a wild card appearance last year, the prevalent thinking was they could continue to ascend, and perhaps, knock the Chiefs off from the top of the AFC West. The main reason is their defense, led by cornerback Pat Surtain II (the defensive player of the year in 2024) and linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper. Most people would say Denver’s defense is at championship-level, but what could make or break their visions is whether or not quarterback Bo Nix can consistently stay on the same page with coach Sean Payton, and bring the offense close to par with the other side of the ball. Throughout the year, Nix has been hit or miss with the execution of plays. If he can provide more of the good version, the Broncos could be on the cusp of a high on the Rocky Mountains.

There are other teams that could have made this list (the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots among them), but at this time, the Colts, Buccaneers and Broncos seem to have more in their favor to continue the upward trend. Of course, things can escalate quickly in the NFL, and what looks good one week might not the next, and vice versa. Who knows? Those teams who were listed as favorites might ultimately end up there come January. The beautiful thing about sports is games will be played, and everyone will get to find out as it happens. What we know is the gap between contenders and pretenders doesn’t seem to be as wide, and if that continues to be the case, don’t be surprised if this year’s Super Bowl winner is someone not exactly on the radar from the beginning.

Another NFL Draft, another chance for teams to get right at quarterback

For these three clubs, the hope is 2024 brings a player to build the foundation around

In sports, there might not be a more important position than the quarterback in football. While some teams have had unprecedented success finding their guy to build a team around, others have gone through purgatory to find something remotely close. With the NFL Draft behind us, there were front offices everywhere who spent countless nights trying to make sure they have the right QB (if they don’t already) to be the face of the franchise. This is especially true for three clubs, all who have had tremendous difficulty finding someone to lean on for various reasons. It’s time to dive into why they may have finally got it right, or maybe, why their search will continue far beyond this draft.

The obvious team to start with is the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. The Bears haven’t had a bonafide starter since Jim McMahon was the man during the 1980s. Since then, the quarterbacks who have played in the Windy City have provided mixed results at best. Rex Grossman (Remember him?) was the man when Chicago went to the Super Bowl in 2006 (losing to the Indianapolis Colts), and the franchise thought the found their man in Jay Cutler in 2009, but inconsistencies and turnovers equaled disappointment at the end. The latest experiment involved Justin Fields, who the Bears selected with the 11th pick in 2021. The reasons for why Fields would end up being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers can and have been debated for weeks, but the next man is former USC QB Caleb Williams. The feelings about Williams will be discussed later, but for now, let’s say the belief in him isn’t as high as what the mainstream media displays.

Sitting with the second pick of this year’s draft was the Washington Commanders. Like the Bears, it’s been musical quarterbacks for the better part of the last three decades for Washington, who have seen 27 players take their turn at the position since 2000. In 2012, they thought they had their man in the form of Robert Griffin III, and there was reason to believe this was the case after Griffin III won the Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately for the player and the team, injuries would derail RGIII’s career, and the Commanders would turn to Kirk Cousins, who was taken in the fourth round of that same draft. Cousins played pretty well overall, but was never able to lead Washington past the wild card round of the playoffs during his tenure. Since seeing Cousins leave to sign a record contract (at the time) with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2018 campaign, they haven’t settled on a consistent starter. The latest contender, Sam Howell, was just traded to the Seattle Seahawks last month. So who is next to try their hand at solidifying the QB position in Washington? That question seemed tougher to answer than it would be for Chicago, but former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the choice. For the Commanders’ sake, let’s hope No. 28 is more consistent than the last 27.

Lastly, let’s slide down the draft order to No. 12, where the Denver Broncos resided. In the grand scheme of things, the Broncos haven’t been as bad off as the first two squads. After all, they have been fortunate to see two of the best quarterbacks ever to wear their uniform (John Elway and Peyton Manning). Outside of those years, it’s been up-and-down. Before the 2022 season, Denver felt they had a roster that was ready to compete for a championship, and the missing piece was that QB. So they decided to trade a nice haul of draft picks and players to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson, then signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract extension. The two years that followed were nothing short of disastrous, and Wilson is now with the Steelers (like Fields). Meanwhile, the Broncos are eating $85 million in dead cap money, and they’re once again in the market for a quarterback. In an attempt to remedy this ongoing problem, they acquired Zach Wilson from the New York Jets Monday, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if they reached for another one. As it turned out, it’s Bo Nix who could be next in line, depending on who wins the competition to start that’s coming in Denver.

It’s no secret the quest to find the quarterback of the future is never-ending in the NFL. A few teams (the Kansas City Chiefs among others) get it right, but it appears most of them can’t. More often than not, it’s different year, same problem. In this year’s edition of the quest, six of the first 12 picks were QBs. The Bears, Commanders and Broncos hope this is the year they end their nightmare search. Of course, we have to see these men actually get on the field and play before making any determinations, but if we’re going off of a projection before the draft, I would say nay on Chicago, yay for Washington and neutral for Denver. Personally, I felt Daniels was the best quarterback in the draft, and was never high on Williams (probably an unpopular opinion). For Nix, I can see a solid starter, but that probably won’t be enough for starving, impatient fan bases. The beauty is we’ll start to get right or wrong answers soon enough, and for these three teams, a rest off of the QB carousel would be close to heaven.

Three teams that could emerge as Super Bowl contenders

They might not grab the attention right now, but a different story could be written before too long

As the NFL season prepares to kick off Thursday night, it’s time for one more projection in a land that’s flooded with them. In the AFC, most are good with saying the Kansas City Chiefs (defending Super Bowl champion), Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills will be the conference representative in Las Vegas when February’s league showcase comes around. As for the NFC, it’s the Philadelphia Eagles (conference champs from last season), San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys who are the favorites. While it’s not out of the ordinary to hear these six teams mentioned amongst the favorites, it’s almost inevitable a squad that’s under the radar will rise to be in the mix. That’s what this article is all about, finding those squads that could be surprises, and here are three that might be fitted for the crown.

In the AFC East, there’s a lot of hype surrounding the Bills and New York Jets (with the addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers), but the Miami Dolphins shouldn’t be an afterthought. Of course, a lot of what the Dolphins do depends on the health of QB Tua Tagovailoa, but if he’s right, the offense is as potent as there is in the league. Tagovailoa is complimented by an explosive duo to throw to in wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, good running backs in Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. and a good offensive line that continues to improve. While there aren’t many questions about the offense, the defense is a different story. Knowing this, Miami did what they could to address the doubts during the offseason, bringing in Vic Fangio as the defensive coordinator and trading with the Los Angeles Rams to get cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The latter, combined with fellow DB Xavien Howard, looks like one of the top pairs of corners on paper, while the former has been an architect of some of the best defenses in recent memory. If the defense can be on par with the offense, the Dolphins will be dangerous to deal with.

Moving over to the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers, even after all of these years, can’t be overlooked. Being objective, this division has the potential to beat each other up, but the Steelers look like they can do their share of inflicting pain. The defense, led by linebacker T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, is traditionally a top unit in the league. The offensive line is a major question mark (perhaps THE major one). If they can protect second-year QB Kenny Pickett, look for him to take a significant step towards being the man in Pittsburgh for years to come. There’s not a lack of weapons in the Steel City for Pickett to spread the ball around to. Running back Najee Harris is one of the best all-around ball carriers in the NFL, and for pass-catchers, wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, along with tight end Pat Freiermuth, can combine to give the Steelers some much-needed explosiveness to compliment their stout defense. It also helps to have Mike Tomlin, who hasn’t had a losing season since he took over in 2007, as the head coach. There is a chance Pittsburgh can get caught up in the web of the AFC North, but if they do emerge, look out.

Heading over to the NFC, how about the Washington Commanders? Sure, they have the Eagles, Cowboys and New York Giants to contend with in the NFC East, but the Commanders have the talent to play with anyone. The keys to Washington’s car has been turned over to Sam Howell, the quarterback who was selected in the fifth-round of the 2022 draft, and the team hopes he can provide stability to a position that has seen so much turnover in past seasons. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Brian Robinson Jr. are among the skill players who should help give Howell support through the tough moments. As for the defensive line, it’s possible the best group could be in the nation’s capital. Defensive end Chase Young is ready to return and join a group that features fellow DE Montez Sweat and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. This group can stop the run, while generating pressure without help from blitzing. While there is something to be excited about on the field, it’s off the field where the most excitement might be. Billionaire Josh Harris has replaced Dan Snyder as the owner, and to say the air has cleared since that finalization would be an understatement. The hope is under Harris, the team can stop being mentioned as part of investigations into a toxic environment and workplace misconduct, which was constantly a topic under Snyder. For the first time in a while, there is true hope the Commanders can make some noise, and FedEx Field will actually be a true home-field advantage. A change in leadership could be enough to add two or three more wins, which would probably be the difference between making and missing the playoffs.

This wasn’t easy to pick three teams that could be sneaky Super Bowl contenders, because there are many who could fit this mold. Someone else’s list could be completely different from this one, and chances are a compelling case could be made for it. Just remember when it comes to these choices, the Dolphins, Steelers and Commanders are all picked to finish third or fourth in their respective divisions (according to most oddsmakers). The talent on all of these squads can be matched with anyone. It’s just a question whether or not everything can come together at the right time. If it does, don’t be surprised if one, or all, of these teams are in the running for title contention come December and January.