Yet the Washington Commanders now find themselves in that untenable position as the NFL season enters its final stretch. Having endured a half-dozen straight defeats, the team now sits on the verge of playoff elimination. If the Commanders lose their next game, their postseason dreams will end. All this will need to unfold along with Seattle Seahawks win and a Philadelphia Eagles–Chicago Bears tie.
You’ll remember that last season the Commanders had a top-five-point scoring offense and top-seven-yard offense. This year, they’ve taken it on the chin. It’s hurting them overall as they now sit at 17th in yards and 23rd in points. The team developed pretty great vibes early on, but come one third of the way through the season, bad juju struck with injuries to stars and important players. Which is why it’s absurd that the Commanders have only signed 34 players for the 2026 season. This leaves them tied with the New York Jets for the second least players in the NFL, only ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Injury Challenges and Offense Struggles
Their projected starting offense has not taken a snap together all season, but that’s no excuse for how poorly the Commanders have played. Right guard Sam Cosmi began the season still coming back from a torn ACL. His absence prevented the squad from ever truly finding an offensive rhythm. Wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown have missed a combined 16 games due to injury. This dynamic further hampers their entire offensive approach.
Even with these challenges, there is a sense of cautious optimism on the team. Adding the expected return of safety Will Harris, who broke his fibula in Week 2, can’t hurt. Their defensive backfield is operating on fumes. Head Coach Dan Quinn has espoused the virtues of communication and keeping things intense on both sides of the ball since his hiring.
“I liked the communication to limit the explosive plays. That’s a big deal,” said Quinn. “That’s going to be an important piece for us to make sure, man, right spot, right location and like really nailing your job. Not most of the time, like every, every, every time.”
This week, the Commanders have an opportunity to find their lost mojo. Four of their next six games are against offenses ranked 19th or worse in scoring. It could — but it will take concerted action by all federal stakeholders.
Future Outlook and Roster Decisions
The road gets murkier for the Commanders with 28 UNRESTRICTED free agents, four of those on IR. This situation forces the organization to evaluate its roster closely and consider potential extensions or releases based on performance and health. Only Daron Payne has a very high cap number for next season. Unlike Luvu, who would be extended or released based on what he does this year, the Panthers won’t have to make that decision with Frankie.
Quinn doesn’t pretend to have all the answers as he pushes his team to adopt a culture of constant improvement.
“You want to really push one another to see where you can take it,” Quinn stated. “We got a lot of things that we want to work on.”
That sense of urgency for improvement is deeply felt among the players. Safety Jeremy Reaves said there was a distinct increase in juice at the recent practices. He stressed the importance of strong communication to enhance their collective defensive efforts.
“The energy was different, the energy looked different,” Reaves remarked. “When you watch good defenses on film and on TV, that’s what it is.”
Navigating the Final Stretch
As the season progresses, the Commanders must navigate these challenges while maintaining focus on their long-term goals. With very large roster changes coming for 2026, what the team does now will have long-term impacts on how it proceeds strategically in the future.
In Coach Quinn’s eyes, it’s all about making sure you lay the right groundwork to set yourself up for success. He understands that the name of the game is building trust as they seek to go from good to great.
“I told the team, you know, for a year and a half we’re building something good,” Quinn said. “The only way it’s going to be great is if you find these standards and find the details to take it to the next space.”
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