Sam Cosmi adjusting to his new normal amid Commanders' culture shift

It's been a long time since the Washington Commanders had this sort of momentum. Their victory at home to the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 made it four straight triumphs since their opening-day loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The culture is changing rapidly, and the entire league is looking at this once-downtrodden organization differently for good measure.

While it would be easy to get carried away, things can change quickly in the NFL. The Commanders have 12 more games to navigate and some difficult challenges on the schedule. That starts next weekend with a mouth-watering road contest against the Baltimore Ravens, which will provide a much better measuring stick of where this squad is and what they could potentially achieve in 2024.

The Commanders will take things one game at a time and see where it takes them. Fans are riding the wave of positivity and enjoying being part of something exciting at long last. For the players who've experienced nothing but misery since arriving in Washington, this surge in expectations and standards came with an obvious adjustment period.

Sam Cosmi urges Commanders' teammates to avoid complacency

This was a sentiment echoed by stud offensive lineman Sam Cosmi. He acknowledged being part of a thriving culture is not something he's experienced before in the pros. Although he loves the new atmosphere, he wants his teammates to keep their feet on the ground, maintain their strong professionalism, and avoid any sense of complacency amid the team's ongoing adulation.

"When DQ [Dan Quinn] came in, I didn't really understand culture. I haven't been part of a 'good culture'. This year, slowly by slowly, I see it. It's really cool to see and be a part of. Talking and acting on it. I'm excited about that. As a team, I'm interested to see how we go against adversity when adversity hits us. We've been doing a really good job of leading ahead. We can't sleep on that. We've just got to keep working, keep coming, and not get complacent. That's a huge thing right now."

- Sam Cosmi

This is the right mentality - one that is being preached across the locker room. Nobody is getting carried away. Nobody thinks the job is done. The Commanders have earned back respectability and caught the national media's attention, but staying on an even keel is of paramount importance.

Ron Rivera praised the culture he'd built in Washington. Even on his way out of the door, he was adamant the right foundations had been laid. While it was a slight improvement - which wasn't a high bar for which to aim - it was nowhere near this. And it's taken Quinn just a few short months rather than years to pull it off.

Cosmi won't be taking his foot off the gas. The right guard is being paid handsomely after receiving a new contract this offseason, which is motivation enough to repay the faith. However, he's also eager to attain some form of success after enduring significant hardship since joining the franchise as a second-round pick.

Culture matters. It's what descended the Commanders into toxicity under Dan Snyder's ownership. It's also the reason why this sleeping giant is starting to show signs of life much sooner than expected.

Celebrate these moments, there haven't been many of them in recent years. There will be tough times as Cosmi hinted, but the strong culture in the building inspires confidence that the same trend can continue this season and beyond.

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