The Washington Commanders are no stranger to overcoming predictions, but usually those are pointed straight at them.
It isn't normally the situation that the Commanders are innocent bystanders in national projections, since plenty of people have enough to say about the team directly.
However, in the case of Jeffri Chadiha's recent projections for NFL.com, Washington caught a lot of strays.
In his bold predictions, Chadiha listed six, and five of them stand to impact the Commanders in a negative way, potentially. The only one that doesn't is that former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award as the leader of the Indianapolis Colts.
Beyond that one, every other prediction stands to wound Washington, some more generally, others more intimately.
The prediction that impacts the Commanders closest is the one that says the Eagles will win the NFC East Division, becoming the first to repeat the achievement in 21 years.
Of course, this doesn't immediately mean Washington will lose one or both of its matchups against the rivals, but it is ultimately an outcome no burgundy and gold fan wants to see come to fruition.
Again, this is a stray bullet, not a direct hit, but Chadiha says, "We know this is one of the longest-running streaks in the league, but it's time for it to end. That's how good Philadelphia is going to be this coming season. As much as the Eagles have to fill in some holes left by key offseason departures -- the defense, in particular, lost five key veterans -- the core of the defending Super Bowl champions remains very much intact."
Williams may have been the No. 1 pick in 2024, but fellow quarterback Jayden Daniels was the No. 1 rookie, and it wasn't close.
In fact, you could even point the finger at Daniels and his Commanders for cursing the Chicago Bears who lost on a Hail Mary pass from NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to receiver Noah Brown in what would become the NFL's Moment of the Year. Following that heartbreak for the Bears, they went on to lose nine more in a row before potentially exercising some demons by beating the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin.
Now, Chadiha predicts that win not only broke the streak, but will break Williams free from his restraints with head coach Ben Johnson being the man with the key to unlocking his potential.
Of Williams in 2025, he says, "One thing that shouldn't be doubted is whether he'll become the first Chicago signal-caller to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Williams won't just reach that barrier; he'll blow it away, especially when considering all the advantages he has working for him now."
Chadiha also predicts Williams will throw 35 touchdowns. Needing to throw just over 235 yards and two touchdowns per game to hit that mark, it is highly likely he'd surpass his 131 yards and no touchdown performance in 2024 against Washington, putting the team at risk for a disappointing home loss to the Bears.
"The Chiefs have reigned over the division since 2016 and they've barely been challenged during most of the years that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been under center," says Chadiha. "Most of that success comes down to the Chiefs' greatness but they've also been helped plenty by the ineptitude of the teams sharing the AFC West with them. ...The Broncos have an elite defense, and it looks like they landed a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix in last year's draft. We know Payton can coach up the offense, especially as the Broncos add more playmakers. We've also seen how Denver gave Kansas City fits last season in Arrowhead, with a blocked field goal keeping them from securing an impressive upset. Denver is good enough to win this division now. With the other teams also creating more resistance to the Chiefs -- who went 5-1 in the AFC West after resting their starters in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos -- Denver will earn its first crown since Peyton Manning was their quarterback."
Even if the AFC West is improved, it is going to take a substantial amount of wins for the Broncos to unseat the Chiefs.
And we all know a surprising division switch like this isn't going to happen easily, so Denver is going to need some big wins down the stretch to make it happen. Like, for example, a Week 13 win on the road over the Washington Commanders.
Well, if Chadha's projections of madness come to fruition, and Washington gives up big numbers to Williams, loses to Nix, and gets beat out for the division by Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, then there's a strong possibility Daniels doesn't join the ranks of quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as those who won the NFL MVP Award in their second NFL seasons.
Since he's predicting all this negativity against the Commanders, it makes sense then that Chadiha's June selection for MVP is not Daniels, but Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Though, given that it is a quarterback award, but also that wins and losses are quarterback stats when it comes to who wins it, we're not sure how Burrow is going to pull it off with no defense as the Bengals continue to alienate not one, but two talented edge defenders.
Why stop at the division and individual accolades when you can just drop the hammer on the whole stinking season?
If you're a Commanders fan hoping to see the greatest thing since 1992, you're going to have to wait until 2027, at least.
Chadiha's way too early prediction for the Super Bowl? The Buffalo Bills.
Washington doesn't have to demonstrate the dexterity of Neo to avoid all these strays; it just has to play sound ball.
Secure a post-bye home win against the Broncos, stifle the Williams-led Bears offense just as it did the Jared Goff-led Detroit Lions offense, and step up against the Philadelphia Eagles' rushing offense, and by the time 2025 ends, it could be Chadiha needing to dress his fictitious wounds, not the Commanders.
