Frankie Luvu and 4 emerging Commanders alphas who must thrive in the playoffs

The Commanders have no room for passengers.

Frankie Luvu
Frankie Luvu | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders are a feel-good story heading into the postseason. Their fairytale run under the new regime woke a sleeping giant and galvanized an entire fanbase. Reaching the playoffs was just the start — what comes next is even more important.

Washington wants to establish itself among the NFL's contenders. The Commanders have proven capable of going toe-to-toe with anybody when firing on all cylinders, even if the personnel needs to be upgraded before Super Bowl hopes increase.

Head coach Dan Quinn deserves enormous praise for the way he's gone about his business in Year 1. The Commanders gained eight more wins than last time out. The positivity across the organization is night and day compared to Ron Rivera's final campaign. This was the leader Washington needed to kickstart an exciting period in franchise history.

Quinn is confident his squad can make their presence felt in the knockout rounds. It won't be easy, but they have momentum after five-straight triumphs to close the regular-season.

The Commanders have no room for passengers. Everyone available must put in a strong performance and come up big when their number is called. That's the only way this incredible journey is going to continue as the stakes get higher.

With this in mind, here are five emerging Commanders alphas who must thrive in the playoffs. We'll start with dynamic linebacker Frankie Luvu.

Emerging Commanders alphas who must thrive in the playoffs

Frankie Luvu - Commanders LB

The Washington Commanders made signing Frankie Luvu one of their top priorities when the legal tampering period began. This interest was mutual, with the explosive linebacker turning down more money from the Carolina Panthers to join Dan Quinn's ambitious project.

Luvu penned a three-year, $31 million deal that included an $11.5 million signing bonus and $19.12 million guaranteed. This was money well spent looking at his sterling efforts throughout the campaign.

The former undrafted free agent out of Washington State is a phenomenal force on and off the field. Luvu's eight sacks are the most league-wide among linebackers. He's second in pressures with 33. Couple this with his high-end impact against the run and improving coverage ability, it's not hard to see why the player quickly became an integral part of the team's long-term plans.

Luvu is an inspiration within the locker room to heighten his influence further. His passion, desire, and relentless mindset demand others to adopt a similar mentality. This will be needed in no uncertain terms for however long Washington is in the postseason.

This will be Luvu's first playoff game after spending his career languishing with the Panthers and New York Jets before landing in Washington. He'll be relishing the prospect of making a name for himself.

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