Over the past few years, the Washington Commanders have earned the reputation of the “gray mouse” of the NFL. But bold decisions on and off the pitch are now catapulting the franchise onto the road to victory – which may finally end in the playoffs.

When wide receiver Noah Brown caught the ball, the crowd at the Washington Commanders’ Northwest Stadium erupted. Just moments before, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had fired a last Hail Mary towards the Bears’ end zone.

The Commanders win the game 18-15, turning the game around with the final play. The crowd goes wild, cheering, players and coaches embrace. Maybe, just maybe, the Commanders have finally found their luck this season.

It’s been almost two weeks since the Commanders’ last home game. Since then, the franchise has celebrated another work victory against the New York Giants and, with a record of seven wins and two losses, is leading the NFC East. The gray mouse is surprisingly and clearly on course for the playoffs.

Commanders’ years of athletic drought

Because the franchise has been floundering in the league’s nowhere for the past few years. The last division win came in 2020, and the last playoff win was a good 19 years ago. The Commanders ended the previous season with eight losses in the last eight games.

In addition to the sporting decline, owner Dan Snyder repeatedly made negative headlines – from financial embezzlement to inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

Snyder sold the franchise in mid-2023 to an investor group led by Josh Harris, which has been running the Commanders ever since and is now reaping the first sporting rewards.

Commanders: Important decisions off the pitch

The new owners initiated a rebuilding process for the Commanders after the 2023/24 season. General Manager Adam Peters was lured from the San Francisco 49ers to Washington and helped find the next head coach.

Dan Quinn, who impressed as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys for several seasons and already gained experience as a head coach at previous stops, was chosen.

His job was to stabilize the shaky defense and develop an identity for the offense. Quinn brought Kliff Kingsbury on board for the job. The young offensive coordinator had failed as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, but had often enough demonstrated his abilities as the brains behind an offense.

The lineups from general manager to head coach to the coordinators have turned out to be lucky choices in the current season and have exceeded expectations so far.

Jayden Daniels is developing into a franchise quarterback

The development of the squad in particular should be at the forefront. The team was rejuvenated in the offseason, and the Commanders have a lot of cap space available over the next few years, compared to the rest of the league.

Ideally, this money should be used in the future to extend the contracts of the team’s own talent. This includes, for example, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The first-round pick quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff and has become one of the faces of the upturn.

Marshon Lattimore to Commanders: Not without risk

Because the trade for star cornerback Marshon Lattimore signals: the Commanders want to push the title window further open. On the field, the 28-year-old is a clear upgrade for the secondary.

At the same time, the Commanders had to fork out a third, fourth and sixth-round pick for Lattimore (and a fifth-round pick), and the cornerback is one of the better-paid players at his position.

Washington continues to invest in success in the here and now. This is understandable, given that the playoffs are close and the last victory was almost two decades ago. It is therefore high time for the franchise to experience success again.