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Hold on.
That’s really all Washington ‘Commanders’ fans can do.
And holding on… it’s a bitch. Because it’s all most of us have been able to muster over 25 years of desolation and disappointment. We’ve held on. And with the ouster of Dan Snyder, we’re sick to death of holding on. Many of our compatriots long ago tired of it all and stormed out or drifted away. This fanbase has been on life support for a long, long time.
A season full of sellouts at Fed Ex Field, this time mostly comprised of our own actual fans, speaks to a new belief and enthusiasm.
But as Thursday night’s ass whipping at the hands of the formerly woeful Chicago Bears emphatically reminded us, change does not often happen overnight.
It’s easy, in the anger and embarrassment of a shockingly bad performance, to slip back into negativity, pessimism, and cynicism. Nothing has changed. It’s the same old same old. Why do I continue to subject myself to this?
But things have changed. Monumentally. Seismically.
Lord Voldemort (please address him as ‘Lord’) is vanquished. Can there be a more paradigm-shifting event than the exit of Dan Snyder? I think we can say with some assurance that this franchise was doomed for our lifetimes with a Snyder at the top of the leadership structure. Not even Saint Joe could overcome that deleterious influence.
The second biggest limitation on this franchise’s potential rise has been the inability to find anyone approaching a franchise QB. Kirk Cousins, on a really good Sunday, did a reasonable impression of one, but even there, Cousins was smart enough to sprint for the exit the first chance he had.
By sheer dumb luck and good fortune, the current brain trust has stumbled onto Sam Howell. A year after drafting him in the 5th round, in an attempt to save his job and appease a restless fanbase, Ron Rivera has finally given the young UNC product a chance.
And man has Howell taken advantage of it. Sure. It’s early. But most of us have already seen enough. Howell is a gamer with a big arm, capable of incredibly accurate throws, dangerous with his feet, and possessing toughness and a never-say-die attitude. Imperfections and learning curve aside, it’s impossible not to love what we are seeing from Howell and begin to envision what he might be capable of in the years to come.
So, as unhappy and beleaguered as the Washington fanbase is this week – if you had said just two years ago, in 2023, Washington will be lead by different owners and may have found it’s franchise QB – one cannot overstate how ecstatic we would’ve been.
Be ecstatic people. These things have actually happened.
There’s more to be excited about.
Our offensive supporting cast is an impressive group, maybe the best we have had since Santana Moss and Desean Jackson were streaking down the sidelines. Our RB room is promising. Best of all, we may already be looking at the man who can make this offense a top 5 group that other teams dread facing.
Our defense, while underperforming especially early in seasons, has too much talent to be performing like they did last Thursday night. But we know, with the right coaches and scheme, there is huge potential there.
We are missing some significant pieces. The OL and DBs are huge question marks. Our LB corps (if you can call a couple of players a ‘Corps’) is suspect. We need a top tier defensive QB, the next London Fletcher, in the biggest way. We probably need an upgrade at placekicker. This is not a complete roster, but neither is it bereft of talent.
We’re not there yet. But you can see the potential. That’s a much greater position to be in than many franchises in a ‘rebuild’ face. Does anyone doubt that with another draft or two, with the right GM and coaches, that this team can be a legitimate playoff threat and maybe much more than that?
Yes. Last Thursday looked a lot like every other humiliatingly epic failure we’ve experienced over the years. Same old same old. But the changes really required for this franchise to finally have the opportunity to return to the respected ranks of top tier perennial playoff teams are yet to occur. But I have to believe they are coming.
They ARE coming.
We just have to hold on.
