Ahead of the start to the 2024 NFL season, the Washington Commanders were projected 6.7 wins with a 12.5% of making the playoffs by ESPN before even taking the field. With questions swirling about the team's new ownership, a new coaching staff and a rookie quarterback, Washington wasn't expected to be a playoff contender.
These are all things guard Nick Allegretti – among others including linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, and defensive end Dorance Armstrong – knew when he signed with the Commanders in March, although he also understood what the team was capable of.
"A lot of guys, when they signed here, we knew the organization's past, the history," Allegretti said in the locker room postgame. "Our goal was to change it and change it quickly, and we had the guys leading with [Head Coach Dan Quinn] D.Q. and [General Manager Adam Peters] A.P. to give us that chance."
Fast forward to Week 17, and the Commanders have certainly become a team with a winning football culture and defied all pundits' expectations. For the first time since 2020, Washington clinched a playoff berth with the defeat of the Atlanta Falcons, 30-24, in a thrilling overtime win.
"We knew it was going to be a big game," Armstrong said postgame. "All week we knew what we had to come here and do. We got the job done and we're happy. We still have work to do but we're going to use that as momentum for sure."
After the win, the locker room was abuzz with music blasting and players embracing one another. It was hard for punter Tress Way to put into words just how special a post-season appearance is to him. Having been on the team since 2014, Way is the longest-tenured player on the roster and is embracing the moment, as well as the fans' buy-in to the Commanders' new winning culture.
"I think the coolest part, and the thing the fans have really gotten behind, is that we just win," Way said in the locker room after the game. "We have 11 wins, like, what? I love the way D.Q. talks to us. Every week is not going to be cookie cutter, it's not always going to be the same, we're going to need a play here, we're going to need a play there, offense, defense, special teams. It does help when you have No. 5 [quarterback Jayden Daniels] on your team, that dude's pretty frickin' good, so it is just this attitude.
"Like he came in and talked to us and he said, 'What I love about you guys is that you're never out of the fight.' We were all pissed off at halftime. We didn't see it going this way, let's get it going. And everybody just fights, it's so fun and we're frickin' going to the postseason. We've got Dallas again, but it's just such a special room to be a part of, a special organization to be a part of, and that environment out there with the fans tonight -- that was so cool. I'm getting chills thinking about it. It was loud, crazy, so I'm very thankful."
Despite it being his first year in Washington, Wagner also understands how much not only a winning season, but a post-season appearance means to the DMV and fans.
"It feels good, especially because the city's been waiting for something like this, and to come here the first year and have a group of guys that believe in one another is special," Wagner said of the team's winning moment. "I remember coming here the first day and just having conversations with people around the city, the feeling of new ownership and leadership with Coach Quinn, and we just wanted to give them something to cheer for. We knew if we did that, they would come out and show out."
Getting the win on Sunday Night Football with the entirety of the country watching made the win even more special for Luvu.
"We're built for the spotlight and those moments, so we've just got to go win them," Luvu said in the locker room after the win. "I'm just happy right now and just trying to calm down and celebrate with my family after."
For wide receiver Jamison Crowder, safety Jeremy Chinn, and others in the Commanders' locker room, the win solidifies their first trip to the post-season, checking a box on their professional bucket list.
"It's everything you dream of being a fan of this game, being a player of this game," Chinn said.
"The fans showed up, they really were behind us," Crowder added. "Obviously, we've got a lot to clean up. First half, we didn't play like we wanted to, but the fans stayed behind us and we needed it down the stretch. We were able to get the dub so I'm very happy. Shout out to the fans, they showed up and showed out for sure."
While celebrating a post-season berth is necessary, players aren't getting ahead of themselves. The Commanders know there are sloppy elements they need to clean up if they want to achieve their next goal of winning a playoff game. Against Atlanta, Washington committed 13 penalties giving up 108 yards and allowed Daniels to be sacked five times.
"We've got a good team, like I said, but we've got a lot to clean up," Crowder admitted. "Obviously, a lot of penalties, a lot of self-inflicted wounds; we can't have that once we get to the playoffs going down the stretch, but if we clean those up, we can be a dangerous team."
Like Crowder, Wagner's faith in his team is unwavering. He knows what his teammates are capable of when they're at their best. If they clean up their game and don't get ahead of themselves, Wagner believes the Commanders can be a contender.
"We can be really dangerous," Wagner said. "At the end of the day, we just understand that it's one game and every game is win or you go home, and we don't want to go home."
Luvu's biggest takeaway from the game is the team's ability to work together and never give up. It's those values of "grit, tenacity and brotherhood," that have guided the Commanders toward the position they're in and will continue to push them moving forward into the post season.
"We talk about it everyday and that's what we found out today." Luvu said. "And moving forward that's what we're going to stand on."
