“Boy, there are two sides to every coin.”
Wise words my father told me when I was in elementary school. I never forgot those words, though they were spoken to me about 50 years ago. Even more, I’ve found myself from time to time in my life reminding myself of that very truth.
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It came to mind again on Sunday during the Washington Commanders’ game against the Eagles in Philadelphia. The fans and the media, of course, looked at the final game as meaningless. Make sure you lose the game, and you get the fifth selection in April’s 2026 NFL Draft. But the other side of the coin is the players and coaches—those who work all week to prepare for an NFL game. The coaches invest so much time each week; there is no way they want to lose. The players understand that every play is filmed and can be a blessing or a curse for their careers.
The Commanders went to Philadelphia, scored the last 14 points of the game, and defeated the Eagles 24-17. So was it a good day for the Commanders? Well, that really does depend on who you are listening to assess the outcome and what it means for next season.
Commanders Wire Editor Bryan Manning and I discussed moments before kickoff that, with the Giants and Browns both winning on Sunday and a Washington loss to the Eagles, the Commanders would be in the No. 5 draft position. It meant to me the odds were much better that a team would want to trade up with Washington, enabling the Commanders to draft around No. 10, perhaps, and in addition, obtain two more draft choices, allowing them to attempt to rebuild this aging roster.
Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Of course it does…. to us.
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But to players and coaches? They are there to compete, to attempt to win an NFL game. Players realize many of them are playing for a roster spot next year in the NFL. Some are playing for a contract raise next year. Some are simply playing to stay alive in the league, hoping that after Washington releases them, they will be picked up because of what they may put on film in the season finale.
Remember, to some, this game was meaningless. To others, this game was meaningful. Both are equally true; it matters so much to whom you are talking.
There really are two sides to every coin…
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Was Sunday’s win meaningless or meaningful?
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