It’s been so damn long since the now-Washington Commanders have won 11 games in a regular season. The year was 1991, the same campaign that represents the franchise’s last trip beyond the divisional playoffs and the then-Redskins’ most recent Super Bowl victory. As the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls started their dynasty and Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a box-office success, Washington’s ongoing-32-year drought with a 10-win-maximum season began.
It’s by far the longest streak in the NFL. The Jaguars have the second-longest streak, last reaching that mark in 2007. Only four teams haven’t achieved the feat in the last decade, with the Jets, and Dolphins joining the mix, making the Commanders the only NFC team to not reach the 11-win threshold. It’s easier now than ever, with an 18-week regular season, with simple math showing Washington can lose six games, and still end that horrible stat. That likely wouldn’t have helped the Commanders that much in the last 32 years, only reaching-double digit wins three times: in 1999, 2005, and 2012. Robert Griffin III’s rookie season was the last time the franchise won double-digit regular-season games and that feels like a lifetime ago. So how long will this streak continue? There’s a path to that win total as the Commanders don’t currently suck. However, a few factors make that answer murkier than it may appear.
The offseason addition of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, paired with the elevation of Sam Howell to starting quarterback, could be exactly what the franchise needs and has lacked for most of those three-plus decades: stability under center. Washington’s professional football team hasn’t had a signal caller as the team’s primary starter for more than three seasons in a row during that entire stretch. While Howell would have to finish the 2026 season to break that trend, with a sophomore quarterback with one previous NFL start not being a betting-line favorite to do so, he’s absolutely worth a shot with Bieniemy pulling the strings. The Commanders have done much worse than that duo. And I’m still not over-trading for currently unemployed Carson Wentz last March.
The rest of the Commanders’ offense isn’t elite, but it’s beyond serviceable. The team’s rotation of running backs, led by Brian Robinson Jr., should be above average in the NFL. Washington has a star-stuffed wide receiver in Terry McLaurin and a few B-list receivers in Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel. The team’s offensive line is improving as well. The Commanders’ defense is also one of the most underrated in the NFC, with one of the best defensive lines in the league, with almost too much talent for the spots it has. On paper, it sounds like that 11-win goal wouldn’t be too far away. Yet, two major roadblocks exist in getting to a number of regular-season victories where a spot in the postseason is nearly guaranteed, one external, and one internal.
The easier to diagnose of the pair is Washington playing in the best division in the NFL. The rest of the NFC East made the playoffs last season, with that trio being three of the last four NFC teams left standing. Philadelphia, Dallas, and New York have shown no signs of slowing down, even if the Commanders have gotten better this offseason too. The other is easy to spot and much harder to predict with Washington’s ownership changing hands from the slimy grip of Dan Snyder and into the control of Josh Harris. Anything’s better than Snyder, who took Washington from one of the league’s most-feared franchises with a loyal fan base that resembles what the Chiefs look like today to ruin. Rebuilding in the middle of off-field turmoil is going to take a long time as reducing the capacity of FedEx Field four times since 2011 is a horrible sign for the health of the franchise.
Washington can do it, which will be a frustrating sign for the fan base. A few fewer blown leads and a few more opportunities to capitalize on would turn the tide. Yet, there are plenty of reasons why Washington has been in NFL purgatory for three decades, and no one has had sustained success in the nation’s capital. Here’s a golden opportunity to change all that with a slightly above-average roster at worst. If Bieniemy’s magic touch duplicates from Kansas City, 11 wins is on the table. And now we wait for whatever Hindenburg-style disaster comes up next.