Who is the Washington Commanders' Biggest Rival Today?

Who is the Washington Commanders’ biggest rival today? While the question may be subjective, there is a legitimate debate between three teams.

Rivalries are what give the NFL its pulse. Strip them away, and the sport feels a lot more ordinary. Just another Sunday game. Another matchup on the schedule.

That has never really been the case for the Commanders.

Who is the Washington Commanders’ Biggest Rival Today?

Washington fans have spent decades building a pretty healthy list of teams they cannot stand. Some of those grudges started long before today’s players were even born. Others came from one brutal loss that nobody in the fan base ever fully got over.

That is how rivalries tend to form.

One bad moment. One game that still makes people shake their heads years later. Suddenly, that opponent is circled every time the schedule comes out.

In the NFC East, that feeling shows up a lot.

Dallas Cowboys

Let’s not overthink this one.

The Dallas Cowboys sit at the top of the list for most Washington fans. Ask the question in a bar around D.C., and you will probably hear the answer before you even finish asking it.

The tension between the teams started decades ago. Back in the early 1960s, Dallas owner Clint Murchison Jr. and Washington owner George Preston Marshall were already butting heads while the Cowboys were trying to establish themselves in the league.

That disagreement helped light the fuse.

By the 1970s, the rivalry had grown into something much bigger. Both teams were good. Really good. Division titles and playoff spots were often hanging in the balance when they met.

Washington captured multiple Super Bowls during the 1980s and early 1990s. Dallas answered with its own run of championships not long after. The success on both sides kept the rivalry alive and loud.

Even now, the reaction remains the same. Washington fans still look at the Dallas games first when the schedule drops.

Beating the Cowboys always hits a bit differently than any other team.

Philadelphia Eagles

The relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles carries a slightly different kind of hostility.

Dallas may be the historic rival, but Philadelphia often feels like the team Washington fans genuinely cannot stand the most right now. Some of that probably comes from the fan bases themselves. Eagles fans tend to be loud about their team, whether the game is in Philadelphia or somewhere else.

The rivalry started to grow during the late 1980s and early 1990s when both teams leaned heavily on defense and physical play. When those squads met, it rarely turned into a pretty game.

It turned into a fight.

Fast forward to the present, and the Eagles have been one of the more successful teams in the conference. Their Super Bowl victory after the 2017 season only made things worse from Washington’s perspective.

The Commanders have spent several years trying to stabilize the franchise and rebuild the roster. Watching a division rival stay near the top during that process tends to increase the frustration.

At the moment, Philadelphia probably represents the biggest obstacle in the division.

New York Giants

Then there are the New York Giants.

This rivalry does not always get the same attention, but it has been around longer than most people realize. Washington and New York have been meeting on the field since the early decades of the league.

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, those games often felt like defensive battles. Both franchises were competitive during that era, and both eventually brought home Super Bowl trophies.

More recently, the rivalry has been harder to predict.

In some seasons, both teams struggle. In other seasons, one of them suddenly looks dangerous again. The Giants’ Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011 reminded everyone that things can change quickly in the NFL.

Regardless of the records, the games still matter. NFC East standings rarely stay settled for long, and one divisional result can shift everything late in the season.

Which Rivalry Feels Biggest Today?

Historically, the Washington Commanders’ biggest rival is Dallas. There is entirely too much history and too many big games even to debate that.

Right now, though, Philadelphia probably feels like the bigger challenge. Their roster depth and recent success have kept them near the top of the division.

Of course, the NFC East rarely stays predictable.

If Washington starts winning consistently again, every one of these rivalries will heat up quickly, and any one of these teams could easily become the top rival.