Are Commanders a dark horse playoff team in NFC?

Sports Illustrated NFL writer Matt Verderame thinks Washington could be a surprise playoff team in the NFC this season.

Transcript

00:00is there a team you know NFC or AFC in your mind that you know maybe based on

00:06injuries last year poor quarterback play maybe this team has a different

00:09quarterback that you see jumping up and being a playoff team this year that was

00:15not a playoff team last year yeah I'll give you one of these golfs one of them

00:19I think is I think Indianapolis can be that team in the AFC yeah they lost

00:23Richardson early he looked pretty good early on the season made some plays I

00:27think Steichen is a really good coach he's a really good coach with young

00:31quarterbacks he was the one who was there when Herbert had his great rookie

00:35season in LA he was there obviously with Hertz in Philly when he when he helped

00:40turn him into an all-pro I think Steichen if Richardson can stay healthy

00:45I think that is a team that can win 10 games and be a playoff team I don't think

00:50all of a sudden they're gonna you know run off and win 13 games to go to the

00:53Super Bowl but I think they can be interesting and then I really feel like

00:57Washington for me is that team in the NFC I think you know Daniels to me is an

01:06interesting guy I love watching him in college you know they're gonna have to

01:10you know like any rookie quarterback bring them along but I think if that

01:15offense can do enough the Quinn Quinn can coach defense that team is going to

01:20be solid defensively yeah they're gonna win the division yeah I don't know but

01:25you know that division quietly is kind of there for the taking the Giants are

01:29not good the Cowboys as we talked about kind of a messy offseason and I have no

01:36idea to make Philadelphia Philadelphia can win 13 games wouldn't surprise me

01:39Philadelphia could go eight nine that wouldn't surprise me based on everything

01:42going on with Sirianni so I think Washington I think Washington can get

01:47you know 23 points a game I think they could be a team you know I don't want

01:53ten games and they're in the playoffs and they're interesting I really do see

01:58a dad in Chicago or the two young NFC teams I'm watching