The NFL season is still a few weeks away, but training camp and preseason have given teams a pulse of what their season could look like. For the Washington Commanders, they’re remaining hopeful of what’s to come this season, though their season could go a multitude of directions.
What is the team’s ceiling and floor in terms of win/loss totals? ESPN’s John Keim analyzed both the team’s ceiling and floor while listing an x-factor for the season. For the x-factor, the answer was quite simple. The offensive line could just dictate how the season goes for the Commanders.
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“The Commanders revamped their line, adding three new starters — center Tyler Biadasz, guard Nick Allegretti and rookie tackle Brandon Coleman. Washington allowed a franchise-record 65 sacks last season, although the playcalling and quarterback Sam Howell were big reasons why,” Keim wrote.
With Jayden Daniels taking over under center, the Commanders’ offense hoists plenty of potential. His dual-threat ability could make life easier for the offensive line. However, the new-look line must do whatever they can to keep the Heisman-winning quarterback’s jersey clean to ensure the offense can run smoothly.
“But if the Commanders receive solid play up front, they can provide a tremendous boost to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and allow new OC Kliff Kingsbury to run a more varied attack,” Keim wrote.
So, with the offensive line being the x-factor, what is the Commanders’ ceiling and floor for the season? Keim believes it’s a five-win gap, with the ceiling being nine wins and the floor being a 4-13 season.
A 9-8 season would be an incredible start to Washington’s rebuild and reset. It’d be similar to what the Houston Texans achieved last season, and would likely mean Daniels emerged as a star for the franchise.
However, a 4-13 floor absolutely makes sense. Sure, they’re returning the least amount of production, which is fair for a four-win team. They aren’t set to be a worse team, and posting the same record makes sense for a floor.
Landing somewhere in between those two results would be fine for Washington, as long as obvious potential and development is being shown over the course of the 17-game schedule.
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