The Washington Commanders made incredible strides during their first season under the new regime. However, there is a long way to go before this franchise enters perennial contention.
That was the brutal reality check Washington received courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles. Their fierce NFC East rivals outclassed the Commanders in the conference championship game. They followed this up with a demolition job on the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch the Super Bowl.
The Commanders were the last team to beat the Eagles this season. It needed Jalen Hurts going down with a concussion coupled with a sensational fightback from quarterback Jayden Daniels, but it's positive nonetheless.
Getting complacent is not an option.
The Eagles aren't going away anytime soon. They could lose a couple of important pieces in free agency, but general manager Howie Roseman is a master of finding solutions to personnel changes. Adam Peters is off to a good start in Washington, so confidence is high he can keep pace and give the Commanders a fighting chance of divisional supremacy.
Commanders must respond positively to Eagles' Super Bowl triumph
This starts in the trenches. While Hurts won Super Bowl MVP, the game was won on the offensive and defensive lines. The Eagles bullied Kansas City in these critical areas. They did the same versus Washington en route to a convincing triumph.
If the Commanders want to stay competitive with the Eagles, they must treat these position groups with the urgency they deserve. This is the correct way to build. From the inside out is always preferable — something that makes things easier for the quarterback and provides a solid foundation for defensive consistency along the way.
Anything less will inevitably come with dire consequences.
The Eagles are ruthless, capable of exploiting even the smallest weakness to their advantage. Washington found that out to its cost this season, but they are well-placed to make the enhancements needed in the coming months.
Peters is loaded with salary-cap space and seven draft picks. Philadelphia doesn't have much wiggle room financially, so it'll be interesting to see how things play out with pending free agents such as Milton Williams, Zack Baun, Josh Sweat, and Mekhi Becton.
The Commanders have no such concerns. They are also an attractive destination once again after years in the proverbial NFL wilderness.
Opportunity knocks for the Commanders. Having the defending Super Bowl champions within their division only raises the stakes. They were the most talented team in the league. Easily disposing of the Chiefs — a team going for something no franchise has ever accomplished before — confirmed that fact.
How the Commanders respond to this will go a long way to determining their fate in 2025. The Eagles won't be settling after reaching the mountain top again. If anything, it'll make them more motivated to achieve similar success when competitive action begins later this year.
If the Commanders do their part and maximize Daniels' rookie contract, this could be the start of a special renewed rivalry with high stakes attached. But if Peters cannot find the right recruits or a false sense of security sets in the locker room, the Eagles will remain dominant.
Philadelphia was the cream of the crop that rose to the top. It must provoke a positive counter from the Commanders in their quest to unseat them at the summit.