In my DCA experience, it depends more on the day of the week. Monday and Friday's 9:25a, your chances are pretty low. But the 11:00a mid-morning DCA->DTW is a pretty good bet for Silvers.
If you've got the option to connect through MEM instead, you'll find much better chances. Not once have I ever sat in the back on a DCA->MEM flight, and the travel times are similar if you're connecting.