During the 2025 NFL season, the Washington Commanders will have to navigate the pressure that comes along with being viewed as a legitimate playoff contender. Those high expectations are unfamiliar territory for the Commanders — and they’ll have to prove themselves in unfamiliar territory as well.
Diario AS, a Spanish newspaper, revealed that the Commanders will face the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday, November 16. The Week 11 matchup will mark the NFL’s first international game in Spain.
Since Washington’s international game will take place so late in the season, the Commanders may not enter the final stretch of the regular season with as much rest as they might have hoped for.
Commanders will have to play internationally late in the season
Of the nine teams that played international games last season, seven teams lost their first game after traveling back to the United States. The Chicago Bears had a 4-2 record before slipping into a 10-game losing streak after their international game. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants lost five straight games after returning from an international trip. The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings lost their first games of the season right after their international contests in Week 1 and Week 5, respectively.
Washington may be slated for pivotal games after returning from Madrid, especially since the end of the regular season typically features a heavy amount of divisional games.
The Commanders already know which teams they will face this upcoming season, but the order won’t be revealed until the full 2025 schedule is released on Wednesday, May 14. They’ll need to keep an eye on their opponents over the final seven weeks of the season.
On a positive note, the late international game likely means that the Commanders will have a bye week in Week 12 rather than earlier in the season. The Dolphins are also one of Washington’s nine road opponents, so the Commanders will play an even number of games in true home and away environments.
The Commanders also rank No. 19 in strength of schedule, per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis. No other team in the NFC East is projected to have an easier schedule. The Giants have the toughest schedule in the league, the Eagles the fourth-toughest schedule and the Dallas Cowboys have the 11th toughest schedule.
The Commanders made significant changes to leadership at every level of the organization over the past several years, and they finally reaped the benefits in 2024. After winning just four games in 2023, Washington emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl contender last season under new head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Now, the 2024 Rookie of the Year will have to prove he can take a step forward and avoid being labeled as a one-hit wonder.