Commanders ring in Josh Harris era with win vs. Cardinals - ESPN - Washington Commanders Blog- ESPN

LANDOVER, Md. — The day began as a celebration of change, with Josh Harris in as the Washington Commanders owner and Dan Snyder out. So, back came the alumni and the fans, embracing the new era and filling the stadium.

Before the game, some of the organization’s former greats met with fans signing autographs and smiling for photos as a band played on, capturing the mood of the day with their version of “In the Air Tonight.”

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The day ended with a celebration, too. The Commanders rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-16 in what the players acknowledged was a lackluster showing, but still a win. It also ended with Harris receiving a game ball, his third of the year but first for a regular-season victory.

Harris purchased the team from Snyder this summer, bestowing hope upon a franchise that had mostly struggled during the previous owner’s 24-year reign.

Shortly after an agreement was announced in May, fans started buying more tickets. The team announced a sellout for the opener two weeks ago. On Sunday, they announced the crowd at 64,693. For a change, almost all the crowd was rooting for Washington from the moment saxophonist Mike Phillips finished a stirring rendition of the national anthem until the final tackle of the game on a punt return.

“It was amazing,” Washington receiver Terry McLaurin said. “I got chills standing there for the national anthem. That dude can play, the way he played through the planes coming over, the roar of the crowd. I’ve been here five years and that was probably the loudest I’ve heard it.”

Washington needed all the positive vibes it could get after