Why Commanders Can Go From Worst to First in NFC East

The Washington Commanders could get back on top of the division this season.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 4, 2024

Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders hope to do the improbable and go from last place to first this season in the NFC East.

The Commanders won just four games last season, but Bleacher Report writer Brett Sobleski believes that they can find themselves on top of the NFC East this season.

"A potential Houston Texans-like rise could occur from the Commanders," Sobleski writes. "Much like the Texans, a talented young quarterback has the potential to lead the way. Jayden Daniels should be dynamic from Day 1, even if he struggles to pick up some things because of his athleticism. Also, Quinn's track record of building defenses should drastically improve upon last year's 32nd-ranked unit. In a shaky NFC East, a Commanders emergence wouldn't be a surprise."

In 19 of the last 21 seasons, at least one team has gone from last place to first, so the chances of that happening again this season are high. The Texans did it last year, and they had the exact same setup as the Commanders: new coach and a rookie quarterback.

The Commanders are already light-years different than what they were a year ago, so last season shouldn't come into account when analyzing them this season except for the fact that they have nowhere to go but up.

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

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders WR Expected to 'Thrive' With Jayden Daniels

• Dan Quinn Claims Washington Commanders Are Ahead of Schedule in Rebuild

• Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Reveals Mindset Ahead of Debut vs. Bucs

• Washington Commanders Week 1 Rankings Boosted by New QB Jayden Daniels

Published Sep 4, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.