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NFL

Not the Washington Commanders: this is the team with the biggest turnaround in NFL history

The Washington Commanders finished last season at the bottom of the NFC, but a new coach and a new QB have this team on the verge of making history.

The Washington Commanders finished last season at the bottom of the NFC, but a new coach and a new QB have this team on the verge of making history.
NIC ANTAYAAFP

Despite the current dynasty era we are in the midst of courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL prides itself on parody. The salary cap, the draft, and free agency allows teams to put together a winning team with the same amount of chips to start the season. That’s not always the case, and for many bad teams the rebuilding process can take years. The Washington Commanders are in the midst of a breakout season and threatening the St. Louis Rams’ most incredible turnaround in NFL history.

New era in the capital

Last year the Commanders were the bottom of the NFC barrel last year. They had a defense that allowed the most points and the most yards in the league, and their offense wasn’t much better. Sam Howell was the starting QB, and despite a decent start to the season the defense gave them little chance to win football games. They ended the season 4-13 after losing their final eight games of the season. That would lead to the firing of head coach Ron Rivera and the release of Howell as their QB.

Dan Quinn was brought in from Dallas as the head coach that was going to lead this new age in the nation’s capital. Washington owner Josh Harris didn’t just bring in Quinn to change the culture in Landover, he used the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft to make what looks like it’s going to be a generational selection that has already reaped benefits. Jayden Daniels was taken with the two pick, and not even the most die hard and optimistic of Commanders fan could have imagined the kind of turnaround this quickly.

Daniels came in and acted like a veteran from the first day training camp. One thing is training camp, but the regular season is a whole different issue. They lost to the Tampa Bay Bucs, but Daniels and the Commanders showed signs of promise against a team that got to the Divisional Round the year before. Washington would win seven of their next eight shoot up the NFC Standings, but a thee game skid cast doubt on this teams’ staying power. They ended the season on a five game win streak, and then beat the Bucs for the first playoff win Washington fans have witnessed in over 7,000 days. After their win over the top seeded Lions they are win away from the Super Bowl and two wins over maybe the biggest turnaround in NFL History.

Greatest Turnaround on Turf”

The 1999 St. Louis Rams made history in their Super Bowl winning season, but it wasn’t just Kurt Warner and the “Greatest Show on Turf” that broke barriers and set records on their way to the Lomardi Trophy. The offense was the star of the show, and with good reason. There was no team in NFL history that had even come close to putting up those kinds of numbers before that Lombardi Trophy winning season. But the turnaround in just a year’s time is what made that season so remarkable.

But people tend to forget how dreadful the Rams were the year before. Kurt Warner played just one game and threw 11 passes in 1998, Dick Vermeil was in his second season as coach in St. Louis. They would go just 4-12 and finish at the bottom of the NFC.

That offseason they brought in Marshall Faulk from Indianapolis, drafted Tory Holt with their 6th overall pick and Vermeil benched QB Steve Bono and entrusted for a former Arena League quarterback who was working at a grocery store not long before getting the starting job in St. Louis. They won their first six games of the season, finished with a 13-3 record to clinch the one seed in the NFC. They won their two NFC playoff games to set up a meeting with the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl and Mike Jones last second tackle would win the game a complete the most incredible turnaround season in NFC history.

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