It's been less than two years since Dan Snyder relinquished control of the Washington Commanders, but it must feel like a lifetime to fans, such has been the transformation since then.
The former owner presided over a somewhat toxic era for the franchise, on and off the field, and his decision to sell it in April 2023 was as good as it got for some long-suffering fans. Until now.
Because what has actually been a lifetime for any fan under the age of 34 is the wait for their team to return to the NFC Championship game, and that wait ends Sunday.
In the 1990-91 season they beat the Lions to win the NFC title and the Bills to win the Lombardi Trophy. This time, the Lions have been defeated a round early, to set up a title game with their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
It's the culmination of a season that was unthinkable two years ago in the dying embers of the Snyder era, the backdrop to which was the investigation into “sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment” and his years-long refusal to accept that the 'Redskins' name was no longer acceptable.
What was worse for fans was that the off-field problems seemingly reflected a directionless team, with many voting with their feet, as evidenced by games played in front of swaths of empty seats at FedEx Stadium.
Jayden Daniels has had an incredible rookie year and is one game away from the Super Bowl
Magic Johnson, one of the new owners of the Commanders, poses with fans and cheerleaders
'Dan Snyder has destroyed a once-proud franchise,' Eric Bickel, a Commanders fan and co-host of The Sports Junkies radio show, told the Washington Post in 2022. '(Attendance) is humiliating, but this is what happens when you alienate the core of your fan base.'
Fans were angry about just five winning seasons under Snyder. But off-the-field issues dominated the news cycle. The accusations against Snyder's organization were varied, but equal in their objectivity.
There were the 25 former employees who said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team, including the claim that Snyder demanded a video compilation of “lewd” outtakes from the “Beauties on the Beach” video, which chronicles the making of the cheerleader 2008. swimsuit calendar.
Then there were allegations of financial misconduct: The team may have withheld up to $5 million in refundable deposits from season-ticket holders; and that the team may have kept two books to hide revenue records that should have been shared league-wide. In short, he ripped off fans and other teams.
Commanders' toxic Dan Snyder era now just a memory for team fans
The last time the Commanders reached the Super Bowl was in 1992, when they beat the Bills.
There was also the dispute over the Redskins name, which was finally relented after the murder of George Floyd pushed institutionalized racism to the top of the new agenda.
In February 2022, the league hired Mary Jo White to investigate misconduct allegations against Snyder. Seventeen months later, they “sustained both Tiffani Johnston's allegation of sexual harassment by Mr. Snyder and Jason Friedman's allegation of the Club's deliberate underreporting of NFL income to avoid its VTS sharing obligations.” There was not enough evidence to support this involvement in the calendar issue, but the fact that this happened speaks to the toxic environment.
The league ordered him to pay $60 million, a drop in the bucket for a man who sold the franchise in 2023 for $6 billion to a consortium led by Crystal Palace shareholder Josh Harris and involving the basketball legend Magic Johnson.
It was in this context that Ron Rivera had done everything he could to make the team competitive, but when they finished the 2023 season with a 4-13 record it was time for the new owners to act. They brought in Dan Quinn, the renowned defensive coordinator who had been the Falcons' head coach in the 28-3 Super Bowl collapse against the Patriots. A head coach and a franchise, each with a point to prove, can be a potent combination.
There was also a key new face on the front office: Adam Peters, the general manager, who had been an assistant general manager with the 49ers for three seasons. He and Quinn set to work with enthusiasm.
This latest chapter in the franchise actually begins 12 weeks after Quinn was hired; more specifically around the time the Chicago Bears took Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. That decision cleared the way for the Commanders to select 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels with the second pick.
Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs is carried off the field after leading his team to Lombardi.
Josh Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers, is the new owner of the Washington Commanders
Did you know he was as good as he has proven? It's unlikely, although NFL insider Dan Orlovsky reminded us last week that he was saying the Bears should go with Daniels over Williams at that point. Then there's the clip of Joe Schoen's son telling him to trade for Daniels, but the Giants general manager decided not to follow the advice. The commanders certainly knew they had a man who would elevate the offensive.
It has obviously helped that there were offensive weapons to help the new man. Despite having a slew of second-rate quarterbacks hand him the ball, Terry McLaurin had posted 1,000 yards in four straight years after gaining 919 in his rookie year in 2019. Unsurprisingly, he emerged as the Daniels' favorite target this regular season, as he racked up 1,086 yards. . But it was his touchdown production that improved notably, with 13. His previous best had been seven.
Then there was running back Brian Robinson Jr, who only played two-thirds of the season but had 789 yards and eight touchdowns. In fact, Daniels proved to be the Commanders' leading rusher, his 891 yards setting a record for most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in league history, surpassing the former Washington first-rounder's 815 yards. , Robert Griffin III. And that was on top of Daniels' 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns through the air.
But as much as this season's remarkable run was due to Daniels fitting seamlessly into the offense, the real benefit to the team came in the aggressive approach to free agency as the new top men proved their worth.
A photo from July 2020 shows a sign welcoming fans to the Washington Redskins stadium.
Many of the biggest contributors to the victory over the Lions, especially on defense, in the Divisional Round only joined the franchise in the last 12 months. This suggests a front office that is doing more than just paying lip service to building a winning team (Jerry Jones, take note). For this, Peters and Quinn really should be commended.
Safety Jeremy Chinn, who had seven tackles, five assists and an interception – on the last significant play of the game – against the Lions, turned down a higher offer from the Steelers for the chance to work with Quinn last March. He signed two days after Frankie Luvu, the linebacker who had five tackles and four assists last Saturday, signed a three-year contract. Also brought in was Bobby Wagner, the veteran linebacker who was part of Quinn's Legion of Boom defense in Seattle a decade ago; eight combined tackles and 0.5 sacks were his contribution against the Lions. Then there was Marshon Lattimore, a former defensive rookie of the year acquired from the Saints for picks in November, with four tackles.
But it wasn't just the veteran defenders: Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil, the 50th overall pick, intercepted Jared Goff twice. Every player stepped up when needed, a sign not only that they have been well coached, but that the team has found players with the right mindset to thrive on a Dan Quinn team. Sometimes in the league, finding a guy with the right mindset is harder than finding one with the right skills.
As for the offensive veterans in free agency, Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz have made important contributions all season, even without putting up the numbers. And although they were relatively quiet in the Divisional Round, Ertz scored the touchdown that opened the crucial ten-point halftime lead.
Dan Quinn has led his Washington team to the NFC Championship game in a brilliant year.
Like Wagner, Ertz knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl, having done so with the Eagles seven years ago, when he scored in a 41-33 victory over the Patriots.
On Sunday, when they face a feverish crowd of Linc, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Carter and others, it's these players who will be crucial in ensuring Daniels keeps his head — not that he's shown any signs of disliking the big stage .
When Snyder paid $800 million for the Redskins (at the time it was the highest price paid for a sports franchise) in 1999 he said, “That's what I want, to bring home a Super Bowl trophy for the Redskins.”
He didn't, but his departure has paved the way for a team that can do it.