Washington Commanders · Franchise era 1 of 7
Baugh changes the passing game: the Washington Commanders story
Franchise era
1932—1945
Baugh changes the passing game
Washington Commanders
The story in one sentence
The franchise moved from Boston to Washington, and Baugh's arm, punting and defensive play made it one of the league's early powers.
A two-way star leads two championships
Sammy Baugh, Cliff Battles and Wayne Millner gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the long decline.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Washington's lineage includes Sammy Baugh's passing revolution, Joe Gibbs's three championships with three quarterbacks and a modern rebirth built around new ownership and Jayden Daniels.
1937-12-12
Conference Championship: Washington vs Chicago Bears
1942-12-13
Conference Championship: Chicago Bears vs Washington
1945-12-16
Conference Championship: Washington vs Cleveland Rams
After 1945
What came next
Washington fielded gifted passers and receivers but went twenty-four seasons without a postseason appearance.
The core