Commanders 'Have The Talent' For Playoff Push

The Washington Commanders aren't being talked about as a playoff team, but the talent being assembled might see Ron Rivera's team surprise this season.

When it comes to playoff teams in the NFC, many don't even think about the Washington Commanders despite being in a playoff position for the majority of last season.

Despite Eric Bieniemy being the new offensive coordinator and having some serious talents to work with in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, many think that Washington will be finishing bottom of the division.

But what is Ron Rivera's team's ceiling for the season? CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr thinks that on both sides of the ball, Washington has the talent to go to the postseason.

"There is plenty of hope in Washington after Daniel Snyder sold the franchise to Josh Harris and company, but the team is pretty good too," Kerr wrote. "Eric Bieniemy brings his talents over from Kansas City with a talented wide receiver group (led by Terry McLaurin and Jahon Dotson), hoping to spark an offense that has been lackluster in the Ron Rivera era. 

"The defense is the strength of this team, as the Commanders arguably have one of the league's best front four if Chase Young returns to his 2020 form. The secondary is better than many think, as Kamren Curl is set to be a star at safety (Emmanuel Forbes is also a strong compliment next to Kendall Fuller at cornerback). Washington has the talent to go to the playoffs."

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Making the playoffs looks to be a tall order for Rivera's side, and it would mean going toe-to-toe with the Cowboys, Eagles, and the New York Giants in the division. At the minimum, Washington would need to better their eight-win season last year.

That might be attainable, providing that Howell is the quarterback the Commanders think he is.

But Washington does have a bruising schedule, which makes getting to the playoffs harder as they face the Cowboys and Eagles (x2), the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, and the San Francisco 49ers.

Many are simply dismissing the Commanders this season, but they showed last year that they can do some damage as they beat both the Eagles and Cowboys. 

Much of Washington's success this season will depend on Jack Del Rio's defense and if they can maintain their top-10 status in the league.

Also, if Howell and the offense can play complementary football to help out their star-studded defense, who knows what the Commanders could amount to?