In 2024, the Washington Commanders weren’t supposed to have the season they had. They were rebuilding with a new general manager, a new head coach, and a rookie quarterback under center. No one anticipated, nor predicted, that the Commanders would make it to the postseason, let alone the NFC Championship game, yet that’s exactly what they did.
Part of the reason for their success was their ability to keep the ball. Warren Sharp shared each of the 32 NFL teams’ percentage of drives that ended in a punt or a turnover, and the Commanders had the fewest.
The Cleveland Browns had the most drives that ended in a punt or a turnover, at 70%. That means that almost three-quarters of their plays ended with a giveaway to the other team. Hard to win games that way, as the Browns learned.
Half of the league was under 50%, but the Commanders alone stand at the top with just 38% of their drives ending in a punt or turnover. That means that 62% of their drives ended with a score, or with the clock.
The question for 2025 is, can the Commanders sustain that kind of ball security? With their on-paper improvements, one would think they can repeat this. It won’t be easy, but if they can maintain something similar in 2025, they will drastically increase their chances for a Super Bowl run.