4 false narratives surrounding the Commanders in 2023
By Dean Jones
Commanders cannot compete in the NFC East
There wasn't much to like about the NFC East once upon a time. It was seen as the league's worst division by a considerable margin, but that is no longer the case after almost everyone attained monumental leaps forward in 2022.
The Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys made the postseason last time around. Had a couple of close results gone the Washington Commanders' way, all four within the NFC East could have been in the knockout stages.
The Giants managed to win a playoff game and Philadelphia went even better than that en route to an NFC Conference championship and Super Bowl appearance. It doesn't look like the aforementioned trio is any weaker all things considered, which makes this another stern challenge for Washington during a make-or-break campaign for head coach Ron Rivera.
It won't be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. But those saying the Commanders cannot be competitive aren't doing this team justice.
Washington's formidable defense should be enough to keep them in games. If Sam Howell and the offensive line make improvements under Eric Bieniemy's expert tuition, then a playoff push might not be too far behind.
Winning the division might be difficult considering how strong the Eagles look with the NFC's best quarterback in Jalen Hurts. However, there is nothing to suggest a wildcard berth isn't possible if everything clicks right away.
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