How big is Washington’s window of opportunity for 2023?

Depending on where you are shopping, oddsmakers have set the Washington Commanders win totals at 6.5 or 7.5. Comparatively, in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles hover around 10.5 wins, and the Dallas Cowboys are around 9.5, respectively. The only win total around the NFL lower than 6.5 is 4.5, which belongs solely to the Arizona Cardinals. In all, the Commanders do not have any respect from oddsmakers on their chances to do anything of substance this season.

How far off are oddsmakers, though? Lynnell Willingham of 106.7 the fan, joined the Trap or Dive Podcast to argue that the Commanders window of opportunity does not stop at clinching a playoff spot.

“The one big takeaway I had when I was out there for OTA’s and minicamp, this defense looks lights out. They looked so good to the point where I’m like, “Man if they take another step forward.” Offensively, they’re going to be at least a top-17 group. What they’re doing out there right now and the way that they are even installing things and the coaching points are different, you can see from the get-go that Eric Bieniemy has his stamp all over this thing. We saw last year, getting JV-level quarterback play and the defense being inconsistent to start the season, they stumbled into almost nine wins. So, in a weaker NFC, I don’t think the schedule is as daunting as people are making it. There are some teams on there that I think are fraudulent, like Buffalo, but we will see what happens.”

Willingham clarified that the Commanders would need to punch in their ticket for the playoffs first, but he posed a question suggesting that Washington is one of those teams that nobody would want to see in the playoffs because of the style of football they like to play. Willingham believes that Washington is a team that can beat anyone in December and January, creating a window of opportunity that gives them a shot to win the NFC.

Willingham also asked if he was too drunk off the Commanders Kool-Aid after it was all said and done, but what are your thoughts? Do you believe the Commanders window of opportunity this year is as big as he described within the NFC?

Catch the latest Trap or Dive Podcast for the whole discussion with Lynnell Willingham. AJ, Dre, and I discussed with him the quarterback position group in detail, the biggest strengths and weaknesses on the roster, and how the Commanders stack up against the NFC East.

You can also check out my latest YouTube Film Breakdowns below to gear you up for the start of Training Camp.

Cole Turner

K.J. Henry

Ricky Stromberg

Eric Bieniemy’s Scheme