On the third weekend of 2025, there is change in the crisp, cold Washington air, new and yet familiar at the same time: a palpable sense that the city stands poised at the dawn of a new era.

But this isn’t just another story about the Trump inauguration. It’s about something almost as important: This story is about football.

After the Washington Commanders posted their best regular-season record since 1991 and recorded their first playoff win in 19 years, local fans are starting to believe again.

Even as heavy underdogs against the Detroit Lions on Saturday night, many diehard fans this week were talking about a Super Bowl run.

“I mean, why not?” said Samu Qureshi, a self-described “superfan” who owns a private museum of Commanders memorabilia. “We keep on beating these teams we’re not supposed to beat — we can beat the Lions. And there’s this feeling that we’ll be even better next year.”

With rookie sensation Jayden Daniels under center, anything seems possible for the Burgundy and Gold. They’ve made a habit out of defying expectations — surpassing their preseason win total in November — and miraculous finishes.

Daniels, the betting favorite for the NFL’s Rookie of the Year award, led the Commanders to a handful of unlikely wins. It started in Week 2 with a last-second field goal to defeat the New York Giants and continued throughout the season with a Hail Mary to defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 8, an overtime touchdown to take down the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 and a field goal that ricocheted through the uprights last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to keep the season alive.

Fan PTSD

It still took time for Washington fans to believe. Though new owner Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn put together a strong offseason on paper, longtime observers have seen those before. Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the draft, looked a stellar prospect, but Washington fans have been burned before.

2012 first-round pick Robert Griffin III’s light burned bright, then burned out, as his spectacular Rookie of the Year season fizzled into a career as a backup. Dwayne Haskins was a bust after joining the squad as the 15th pick in the 2019 draft.

Slowly, this year’s Commanders proved they were different. The fans started to believe.

Watching from Saskatchewan, Canada, longtime Washington fan Curtis Seidle is finally starting to have faith. When his Commanders took possession with four minutes remaining in a tied playoff game on Sunday, he knew his beloved franchise would be leaving with a win.

That faith took root in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals when Daniels broke into the national spotlight on “Monday Night Football.” He threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns with just two incompletions in the 38-33 prime-time win.

“That’s a solid team; you’re not beating up on bottom-of-the-league guys; you’re beating a team that’s been in the playoffs,” said Mr. Seidle, who runs the popular “Every Redskin Ever” account on X. “That showed that they weren’t going to back down, and there was fight in them.”

New-look Commanders

As more fans started to latch on, the energy began to shift at Northwest Stadium. Punter Tress Way, the longest-tenured Commander, said last month’s win over the Eagles was the most electric atmosphere he’d seen at a home game.

“It’s something you don’t take for granted,” wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus said of the fans’ support this week.

The energy of that fanbase isn’t limited to esoteric descriptors like “atmosphere” — there are numbers to back them up. After failing to send a player to the Pro Bowl last season, the Commanders ranked third in the league in fan votes for this year’s all-star game. Daniels led all quarterbacks in voting.

“To see that happen and that type of excitement and energy for the players and the team, it meant a lot,” Quinn said.

Several Commanders ranked near the top of their respective positions, but only Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin were named to the initial Pro Bowl roster. More Washington players could be added as alternates, though.

The energy that spread throughout the Commanders’ locker room and infected the fans spread to the team’s official store at Northwest Stadium, too. Daniel Morehead has worked there for more than a year but said there’s a world of difference between the energy this season.

“It was a dry, cold atmosphere last year,” Mr. Morehead said Thursday afternoon while the team store buzzed with customers and conversations about the weekend’s game. “Now, they’re excited that we’re winning. They’re so happy.”

And those happy fans buy more jerseys. Surprising almost nobody, Daniels’ jersey has been by far the best-selling item this year. The demand kicked into high gear after his show-stopping performance against the Bengals in September. His merchandise led the league in sales the next week, according to merchandise giant Fanatics.

“After you beat [Cincinnati quarterback] Joe Burrow, you convince a lot of people,” Mr. Morehead said.

With each electric game, Daniels’ legend grew. He led the league in rushing and passing while pioneering a team-record five fourth-quarter comebacks.

The franchise quarterback has more fans dusting off their Washington football gear, and some — like longtime fan Jairo Guardado — are adding fresh jerseys to their collection.

“It was a heartache each year, and after two or three games, I just didn’t want to feel the pain,” Mr. Guardado said at the team store on Thursday. “But it was different this year. Each game hurt just as much or even more, but you saw the difference now that [former owner Dan] Snyder’s not around.”

A bright future

Beyond the on-field success, there’s a positivity surrounding the Commanders. Mr. Seidle, Mr. Qureshi and Mr. Guardado each noted that the franchise has almost entirely exorcised the off-field demons and scandals associated with the Snyder era. Even the much-maligned name and uniforms rarely come up in conversation.

Fans said they can focus on their favorite players, freed from the shackles of a controversial owner.

Daniels’ million-dollar smile and unshakeable confidence have rallied more fans to his cause. The fans chant for “Scary Terry” whenever fan-favorite McLaurin and the offense reach the red zone. Safety Jeremy Reaves became a national feel-good story after proposing to his girlfriend following last month’s playoff-clinching win over the Atlanta Falcons.

“For me, it’s reminiscent of being a kid where I just loved all the players on the team,” Mr. Qureshi said. “It’s a very real thing that these guys are very likable, and they’re really gelling. There’s just this love and respect for each other.”

Whether they win or lose on Saturday night, Commanders fans across the country say they’re finally optimistic about the future. It’s been a long time coming.

“I can’t think of a fanbase that’s been through more. The last 20 years, we’ve been going through the desert alone with little hope, losing and mismanagement,” Mr. Seidel said. “Now, there finally seems to be stability. To have this much hope, it’s just absolutely insane.”

• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.