For the first time since 1992, the Washington Commanders made it to the NFC Championship, one win away from the Super Bowl. Division rival Philadelphia Eagles ended D.C.’s Cinderella run on Jan. 26. Yet, as fans of a team that went 4-13 last year, Washingtonians can finally have hope after a dark quarter-century. To understand the gravity of this moment, the Voice decided to write a real retrospective for students.
On Jan. 4, 1992, in the pouring rain, the Washington Commanders defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-7 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at the now defunct RFK Stadium. As the final minutes of the fourth quarter ticked away, the 55,181 fans in attendance showered the field with the yellow seat cushions they received at the entrance. One week later, in the NFC Championship, the Commanders dominated the Detroit Lions with a decisive 41-10 victory. This win secured their place in Super Bowl XXVI, where they triumphed over the Buffalo Bills with a final score of 37-24, marking their fifth Super Bowl appearance and third championship title.
Now, it is 33 years, six U.S. presidential transitions, 35 starting quarterbacks, 12 head coach changes, three owners, two stadiums (and soon another), two name changes, and a wildly unsuccessful “swinging gate” trick play later. The Commanders’ drought was the longest in the NFC and second-longest in the NFL, trailing only the Cleveland Browns, who haven’t been to a conference title game since 1989. That distinction now belongs to the Cowboys, one of the Commanders’ bitter rivals, who last made the NFC Championship Game 29 years ago, in 1996.
Much of the Commanders’ decades of failures can be attributed to longtime owner Dan Snyder, who purchased the team in 1999. In his 20 years of ownership, the franchise plunged into the deep waters of mismanagement and constant public scandal.
Snyder began his controversial reign by making the Commanders the first NFL team to charge fans for training camp admission in July 2000. He also developed a reputation for frequent coaching changes, firing head coach Norv Turner in December 2000, despite a winning record at the time. In 2022, financial misconduct allegations surfaced when the U.S. House Oversight Committee investigated claims that Snyder had underreported ticket sales to the NFL, allowing him to retain more revenue. Further scrutiny revealed that Snyder had secured a $55 million line of credit in 2018 without the knowledge or approval of the team’s board of directors, leading to a 2023 federal grand jury investigation.
Snyder’s legacy also includes a series of even more serious missteps, from staunch resistance to changing the team’s formerly racist name to pervasive allegations of sexual misconduct and facilities neglect. Under his leadership, the once-proud franchise, known for its Super Bowl championships and passionate fan base, devolved into an organization plagued by poor performance, toxic culture, and a reputation that discouraged players from joining. Fortunately for the franchise, Snyder sold the team in 2023 to an ownership group headed by private equity investor Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion. Since then, Snyder has reportedly been dismissive of the Commanders’ success, with a colleague reporting “he f—ing hates it.”
Harris took command quickly to unravel Snyder’s damage, and his scrappy offseason moves formed the genesis of Washington’s transformation. First, the new ownership group hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as head coach. Quinn was a top candidate, with Dallas ranked fifth in points allowed per game for the 2023 season, and he had previous head coaching experience. However, that experience came with some trepidation. Fans were afraid of the defining moment of Quinn’s career: while leading the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, he allowed Tom Brady’s Patriots to come back from a 28-3 deficit late in the third quarter.
Still, the experience of both Quinn and new general manager Adam Peters led Washington to a highly graded 2024 draft class, headlined by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick, and savior in Washington. Daniels had a historic season for a rookie quarterback. The star from LSU set the record for most offensive yards by a rookie, highest completion percentage in a game by a rookie, and the most yards in a playoff game by a rookie. At time of writing, Daniels is the heavy favorite for offensive rookie of the year.
While the rookie class is exciting, veteran players serve as the backbone of this Washington team. On offense, wide receiver Terry McLaurin provided the safety blanket that helped Daniels adjust to the NFL. McLaurin caught the most passes of any Commander and went over 1,000 yards receiving for the fifth consecutive season. Off the field, the vet has modeled training and film study at the pro level for Daniels, and the two developed a tight connection over their faith.
On the other side of the ball, Quinn brought in future hall of fame linebacker Bobby Wagner to anchor the defense. While Wagner may not return next season after the expiration of his one-year deal, his locker room leadership helped mentor Washington’s young defensive unit.
Last week, the Commanders ended their conference championship game drought with an incredible divisional round win over the Detroit Lions 45-31 in Detroit. In a historic second quarter frenzy, Washington outscored Detroit by 14 points—the highest-scoring quarter in NFL playoff history—to take a 31-21 lead at halftime. While the team could not make the full journey to the Super Bowl, something yet to be achieved by a rookie quarterback, this mix of sage veterans and eager rookies should excite any Commanders fan for the future of this franchise.
