The Commanders, who were 4-13 a year ago, a franchise of ill repute for a generation, are going to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday.
Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez, right, kicks the game winning field goal from the hold of Tress Way during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)
The Washington Commanders set an NFL record for highest fourth-down conversion percentage (87%) by a team with at least 10 attempts.
Washington is making just its third playoff appearance in the past 10 seasons, and the team will finish with a winning record for the first time since 2016.
Even from the top of section 412 – the standing room area that’s about as far as one can get from the battle taking place between the Washington Commanders and the Atlanta Falcons – Northwest Stadium is a cauldron of noise.
One of NBC’s final updates from Tampa on Sunday night was a 40-second video of Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez repeatedly adjusting his sock.
The top-seeded playoff teams had wildly divergent experiences on Saturday, as the Chiefs rolled to another win before the Lions' season was upended.
The Washington Commanders have some similarities between them, including their affinity for attempting fourth-down conversions.
Washington followed its first playoff win since the 2005 season with a historic divisional upset against Detroit on the road.
The Washington Commanders earned an emphatic victory over the top-seeded Detroit Lions and advanced to the NFC championship game.
Detroit Lions’ playoff loss to the Washington Commanders Goff had three interceptions, two of which came in the first half. One was returned for a touchdown, albeit the return should have been called back for a blatant missed helmet-to-helmet hit that nearly concussed Goff.