Commanders' season-defining gauntlet will make or break NFC East title hopes

With great success comes raised expectations for the Washington Commanders in 2025. If head coach Dan Quinn needed any further proof of that, one only has to look at the way the team's schedule for the upcoming campaign is structured.

The Commanders have gone from an afterthought to among the league's prime-time darlings. They are center stage more often than not, with no fewer than eight stand-alone games as things stand. There is also a daunting gauntlet midway through the campaign that will make or break their ambitions next time around.

No game in the NFL is easy. The Commanders won some extremely close contests during their memorable run to the NFC Championship game in 2024. Things could have been different had they not come through in clutch moments, which is a testament to how well organized and disciplined Quinn had his squad throughout.

They'll need all that and more when competitive action commences again. The Commanders have a tougher schedule. They've gone from the hunter to the hunted in the blink of an eye. They are in the glaring spotlight as one of the leading Super Bowl challengers. And their run from Week 5 to Week 11 will ultimately determine just how far they'll go this time.

Commanders must navigate daunting stretch successfully in 2025

Here are the games in question:

• Week 5: at Chargers
• Week 6: vs. Bears
• Week 7: at Cowboys
• Week 8: at Chiefs
• Week 9: vs. Seahawks
• Week 10: vs. Lions
• Week 11: at Dolphins (Madrid)

One could make a strong case for all these teams making the playoffs next season. The Commanders must hit their stride at this exact point of the campaign. Anything less comes with significant ramifications attached.

Quinn knows what's expected. He knows momentum is higher than it's been for decades. It's a franchise on the up with lofty goals on the field and monumental plans away from the gridiron. He can ill afford standards to slip, but the personnel available give them a fighting chance if nothing else.

The Commanders will never be out of the fight with Jayden Daniels under center. He's the great hope with an improved supporting cast at his disposal. If games are close down the stretch, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year almost always comes through.

If the Commanders can navigate this testing stretch successfully, the better their chances will be. Considering they'll play divisional clashes in four of their final five regular-season engagements, every little helps.

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