Washington Commanders 'Resetting,' Dismissed as NFC East Division Contenders?

The temperatures are hot and cold around the Washington Commanders depending on the level of the media pool you're swimming in.

Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5), Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (0), and Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (11) prepare to pass a ball during OTA workouts at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

There's a funny thing that happens when teams have as much of a shakeup as the Washington Commanders have had this offseason. There tends to be either a hot or cold response from the media covering the team.

For example, there are those who have tagged the Commanders as the No. 1 'worst-to-first' candidate this year, believing if anyone can have a Houston Texans-esque turnaround in year one, it's this team.

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But then there are those still fixated on Washington not selecting North Carolina Drake Maye over LSU's Jayden Daniels almost two months ago now, assuring - mostly to themselves - anyone who will listent that their choice for the team was the better one.

Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5), Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (0), and Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (11) prepare to pass a ball during OTA workouts at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

"They're resetting."

- Mike Garafolo, NFL Network

Even those who aren't fixated on the quarterback that could've been still seem to have a pretty cold outlook for what the Commanders may or may not accomplish this year, and it appears NFL Network's Mike Garafolo might be among them.

In a recent appearance on the Locked On Giants podcast Garafolo was asked about the possibility of New York becoming the top team in the NFC East Division this year, a group that is known for the lack of repeat champions.

In his answer, Garafolo broke down the state of the other three teams competing with the Giants for divisional supremacy.

“Teams are looking at the Dallas Cowboys saying they're not doing enough, right? They're just not doing enough. And I know that's the casual fans approach and down in Dallas they're saying, ‘Ah, you guys are underestimating what we're going to get from some of the guys already on the roster and what we're going to get from this rookie draft class.’ But teams around the league are looking at it like, ‘Yeah, I don't know that they've got.’ Especially because they think (Mike) McCarthy's basically a lame duck coach…So they're vincible," Garafolo said to host and Giants beat reporter Patricia Traina. "The (Philadelphia) Eagles as well, I mean, I know they've replaced both coordinators with more proven guys, but those proven guys had question marks at their last couple of spots. You saw the reaction from the (Miami) Dolphins players after Vic Fangio left basically saying that they didn't really like the guy at all, and he can be a little gruff at times, so who knows what's happening down there. Washington, they're resetting.”

What stands out here is the more in-depth considerations of both the Cowboys and Eagles while the Commanders get a three word summation at the end.

Of course, nobody can truly say Washington deserves more than that yet, as practice hype and top-shelf messaging have been seen around the league before without producing enough wins to be elevated in the eyes of national observers.

So while the local scene is buzzing with excitement about what's to come and more confident the team is finally in good and competent hands, it's going to take more to convince those who view the league threw a wide lens. Parts of the Commanders fan base are even still actively resisting getting excited until the team gives them quantifiable reasons to do so.

It's certainly fair, and should also serve as a strong reminder to anyone in Washington feeling the highs a little too much that there's a reason so much turnover happened in the past five months, and the climb to the top of the division and the league may be a marathon not a sprint.

You can hear the full interview with Garafolo on the Locked On Giants podcast.

READ MORE: Looking at a Potentially Different Offense Under OC Kliff Kingsbury

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.