The Washington Commanders' incredible 2024 season came to a screeching halt on Sunday after the Philadelphia Eagles hung 55 points on Dan Quinn and Co. en route to a 32-point win. 

The loss is nothing to be ashamed of, as the Commanders are a team that's way ahead of schedule in terms of where they currently are. They weren't supposed to get this far or hell, they weren't even supposed to win 12 games and make the playoffs.

"I told the players I really wanted them to savor this time in the locker room with their teammates. The locker rooms never the same year to year, and they've really created something like very unique here, and very special," Quinn told reporters after the game.

Now, it's all about what's next, and the Commanders have a very bright future ahead of them with seven draft picks and loads of cap space heading into the offseason. If they navigate the future properly, then they'll be right back in the NFC Championship Game next year, and this time, they'll have a much better shot at winning the game.

So with that being said, let's dive into the three improvements the Commanders must make in 2025 if they want to take a step forward.

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Creating takeaways

Obviously, turnovers aren't something you can just "add" to the team like a high draft pick or top free agent, but they're certainly something you can improve and this is arguably the No. 1 area that needs to get better.

Before the Divisional Round win over the Detroit Lions Commanders finished the year with just four games featuring at least two takeaways. The only game that saw them record three or more takeaways was the Divisional Round win over the Detroit Lions, where they recorded five.

And that win is exactly why takeaways are what we're starting out with. Before the playoffs, the Commanders finished the year with just two wins against teams with a winning record. One way to compete with the best is to take the ball away and give yourself extra opportunities at scoring points. The Commanders did just that against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Lions, where they finished a combined +6 in turnover margin, and the turnovers were absolutely key to both wins.

I mean, more takeaways equals more snaps for Jayden Daniels – there is no way that's ever a bad situation and it certainly should be atop the Commanders' list of priorities.

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Improve the offensive line

Outside Sam Cosmi, the Commanders offensive line wasn't impressive on paper, but it played better than most expected. Still, at the same time, the unit was about average at best, and mostly below-average. Especially in pass protection.

Daniels was sacked 47 times during the regular season, which was sixth-most among all starting quarterbacks. A solid chunk of that wasn't his fault, either, as he ranked 17th out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks when it comes to creating his own pressure, per Pro Football Focus.

In terms of strictly running backs in the run game, Daniels' numbers excluded, the Commanders registered a healthy mark of +0.03 EPA/attempt and a 45.8% positive play rate. Those numbers ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, per Sports Info Solutions.

The full extent of Sam Cosmi's ACL injury remains to be seen, but if he's healthy the Commanders have three of the five positions pretty much set on offensive line: center, right guard, and left tackle.

Granted, Brandon Coleman still has a lot to prove and he needs to take a step forward in 2025. At the same time, it's safe to assume the Commanders see him as their top left tackle heading into the offseason, so it's unlikely the make even a middling investment at the position. Especially if they keep Cornelius Lucas around. 

Regardless, the Commanders could stand to upgrade the left guard and right tackle positions. The best part is both Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti are on affordable contracts and Washington will have a ton of cap space to work with. Meaning, if they were to upgrade via free agency or the draft, they don't have to outright release either guy. They could have a competition for the starting gig(s) and if Wylie and/or Allegretti were to lose out, they'd provide very valuable depth that would actually strengthen the Commanders' roster. 

Something to really keep in mind is moving Allegretti to right guard if Cosmi's knee holds him out for awhile.

Giving Daniels as much time as possible and keeping him upright, plus a strong running game, would take the offense to new heights in 2025, which is fun to think about.

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Find a true No. 2 wide receiver to help Terry McLaurin

It was fun watching Dyami Brown show out during the playoffs, but I don't think you can count him to become a true No. 2 guy opposite Terry McLaurin. The Commanders need to either go out and try and sign a guy like Chris Godwin/Tee Higgins (who could actually be WR1s in most offenses) or spend a high draft pick on a talented rookie.

There should be other names that come available, like a Cooper Kupp, as the days and weeks progress into the offseason. Either way, the Commanders will have options. 

If McLaurin can get a reliable guy on the other side, you better bet he'll find himself in the conversation of the top 5-7 receivers in the league, which is where he belongs.

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Add another cornerback that can help anchor the secondary in 2025

The Commanders have to add another quality cornerback even with the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore and the strong rookie year from Mike Sainristil.

It could be for an outside spot or an inside spot, or both. It doesn't matter. For starters, Noah Igbinoghene is an impending free agent and could be upgraded from. So are Benjamin St-Juste and Michael Davis. Also, it's not like Lattimore blew anyone's socks off during his short time with the Commanders. Lastly, Sainristil's ability to play inside or out gives the Commanders flexibility that helps navigate the situation.

Either way, the Commanders need to add more than just depth guys. The secondary was the defense's biggest weakness in 2024 and it's going to be nearly impossible for the unit to take a step forward if it doesn't immediately improve.

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The Commanders have a lot to be excited about and they should be. But if they're unable to check these boxes, 2025 won't be the result many are expecting it to be.

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