Commanders 2-0 start displays a resilient identity

Fresh off of an improbable comeback victory after trailing the Denver Broncos by 18 points in the first half, the Washington Commanders’ are now 2-0 to start the season and appear poised to write a new chapter for the franchise on the field.

In years past, Sunday’s contest in Denver might have had an uglier outcome. Over the past two decades, many a Burgundy and Gold team no matter how talented, lacked the resolve to win and at times accepted their fate in lopsided contests. Not every player who played for the Burgundy and Gold during the Dan Snyder era is guilty of not playing to their best, but there are a lot of players and teams on a whole that didn’t win when the pressure was at its greatest point.

The Commanders now have a roster that’s littered with talent, albeit youthful talent.

Coach Ron Rivera has a group that can compete with most teams in the NFL and now finds themselves garnering expectations around the DMV.

Many want to know, how good is Washington?

Are they a playoff team or a team that beat two opponents that aren’t that good?

The answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Washington is good enough to compete for an NFC Wildcard berth. They did beat two teams that many like me predicted they would outclass to start the season 2-0.

The #NFCEast is out of the gates fast and showing why I said all four teams will be in the playoffs. It should’ve happened last year. A combined 7-1 record to start the year. #httc #NFL

— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) September 18, 2023

This Sunday, however, will be a midterm exam of sorts for the Commanders to see where they are as a team when they face the Buffalo Bills (1-1). Buffalo is a viable championship contender and has been for the past several seasons. They are a team that’s still hungry to advance and win a Super Bowl as the window of opportunity is closing on them to do so.

The Bills have a franchise QB in Josh Allen and a stout defense. A recipe for success for most teams in the NFL and one that Washington hopes to pattern with the emergence of quarterback Sam Howell and an already impressive defense.

The Commanders will have their work cut out for them if they want to make a game of it with the Bills. The margin for error is slim against a playoff-seasoned opponent.

What Washington has going in their favor, however, is resiliency. Starting in the preseason, the Commanders regardless of the starters to the third-string players on the roster, have battled, scratched, and clawed their way to a 3-0 preseason and now two straight wins to start the 2023 campaign.

Those are signs of a team that’s finding ways to win when things look bleak. Washington is battling to the final whistle and has taken on the identity of a team that won’t quit regardless of the score or the time left in the game. That’s what fans of the franchise have been wanting to see which is similar to the glory years.

The Commanders have the attention of the DMV. If they are to gain the attention and respect of the rest of the National Football League, they will need to battle the Bills and make a game out of Sunday’s contest.

A win would signal the arrival of the resilient and never quitting Commanders.