ClutchPoints
In today’s Washington Commanders world, a former Super Bowl hero urged the team to pay its star wide receiver. And Joe Theismann knows how important it is to keep a talent like Terry McLaurin happy. But where do Theismann’s teams rank among the 10 greatest Commanders squads of all time?
And does last year’s NFC Championship team make the top-10 list? We’ll count down the greatest Commanders teams in the history of the organization. It dates back to 1932, when the Boston Braves posted a 4-4-2 record and finished fourth out of eight NFL teams. The team changed its nickname in 1933 and moved to the nation’s capital in 1937.
This is more of a nostalgic pick. The franchise had suffered without head coach Joe Gibbs for over a decade. He came back, made an important trade for Clinton Portis, and Washington turned playoff-relevant again.
The team beat the Buccaneers in the playoffs before losing to the Seahawks in a tough divisional round setback.
It’s difficult to include a team from this era of the NFL. But we’ll give a nod to Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, and sneak the NFL champion Washington squad into the mix at No. 9. They beat the previously undefeated Bears in the title game.
A strong defensive finish made this team legit. The Skins allowed only 19 total points over their last five games, including the 14-6 championship win. Baugh didn’t have to light up the scoreboard to get the Skins a title.
It’s easy to dismiss this team based on the roster. This group would not make the top 20 in overall talent. But this isn’t a list of the most talented teams of all time. It’s a ranking of the greatest teams of all time. And the 2024 Commanders scored a ton of points, won almost every close game, and reached the NFC Championship game.
The 12 regular-season wins tied for the third-highest total in franchise history. This team, and its star rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, belongs in any top 10 conversation.
With Jay Schroeder torturing defenses with deep balls, the ‘Skins stayed step for step with the Giants for most of the season. And when the NFC Championship rolled around, they met them again.
Unfortunately, a windy day in Meadowlands Stadium zapped the ‘Skins passing attack, and the Giants pitched a shutout. Still, the ‘Skins won 14 overall games.
This team still had John Riggins and Joe Theismann. So it felt like Washington could win it all after two straight years in the big game. The ‘Skins won the NFC East, but the 15-1 49ers were prohibitive favorites in the playoffs.
A tough 23-19 playoff loss to the Bears didn’t diminish a terrific year with 11 wins. Art Monk set the then-NFL record for most receptions in a season.
You can’t sell this bunch short. Yes, the roster was...
