Eagles own NFC East but Santa has also been nice to their rivals

Santa has gifted the Commanders with a turnaround. Will their gift carry through Christmas?

One gift that Santa Claus would lay under the Commander’s tree this year would be a Transformer. That toy says everything about this team as they have transformed themselves from one of the laughingstocks of the league both on and off the field during the first six weeks of the season into a formidable contender.

Then, Taylor Heinicke has taken over for Carson Wentz as the Commanders’ starter, and the offense looks re-energized as a result. That has helped usher this team to a 5-2-1 record. They are now 7-6-1 overall.

Washington’s defense has also come around. During their first six games, they gave up 22.5 points per contest. In their last eight, they have given up 17.6 points per game.

Another player who was glad to see Taylor take over was Terry McLaurin. He has put up better stats with Heinecke manning the offensive controls. He has 1,015 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the campaign so far.

The rushing game has been a key part of Washington’s turnaround. Rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr., and Antonio Gibson have combined for 1,188 yards and five touchdowns this season.

One thing that makes this team dangerous is they find ways to win. Often, they win dramatically but all of that matters in terms of racking up wins.

Had the season ended after Week 15, the Commanders would have earned a playoff berth, but they’ll have to fight to stay there. In Week 16, they have a tough matchup with a road date on Christmas Eve versus the San Francisco 49ers.