To the chagrin of their long suffering fans, the Washington Commanders have wandered into familiar territory. The Commanders are stuck in a five game losing streak after their 44-22 home loss to the Detroit Lions in Week Ten. Washington’s latest setback has dropped their record to an abysmal 3-7. While the Commanders haven’t been officially eliminated from playoff contention as of this writing, it’s hard to imagine this team embarking on a seven game winning streak in order to qualify for post season play.
It’s easy to see why Washington has struggled mightily this year. The offense has lost several key players to injuries, including starting quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels suffered his third injury of the season in the form of a dislocated left elbow while trying to brace his fall during Washington’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week Nine. Daniels has played in only six games this season, making it difficult to for him to develop a rhythm on offense. In addition, the Commanders’ wide receiving corps has been decimated with injuries. Starting wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown remain sidelined with a quad and ankle injuries, respectively. Reserve wide receiver Luke McCaffrey broke his collarbone in the Seattle game and is done for the season. The loss of McCaffrey really hurts Washington, as he was among the league leaders in average yardage on kickoff returns.
It’s also easier to blame the Commanders’ defense for the team’s struggles. Washington is giving up an average of nearly 29 points per game during their current five game losing streak. Opposing offensive lines are creating huge holes in the Commanders’ defensive front, allowing running backs to gain chunks of yards virtually at will. Washington’s lack of a consistent pass rush doesn’t help either, as their 22 sacks rank near the middle of the pack. And let’s not get into the Commanders’ pass defense. The secondary in particular looks like they’re running in quicksand as opposing receivers roam seemingly unchallenged on their way to either long gains or long touchdown receptions.
Perhaps the real culprit lies in the fact that the Commanders don’t have a true playmaker on either side of the ball. Washington doesn’t have an offensive player that defensive coordinators must account for. They don’t have an elite pass rusher that strikes fear into every opposing offense. And they definitely don’t have a cornerback capable of consistently challenging opposing wide receivers. In layman’s terms, the Commanders have a bunch of solid players that can contribute when healthy. But they’re not capable of competing against the better teams in the NFL.
It may be a bit unfair to expect the Commanders to consistently beat the NFL’s better teams. Fans must be reminded that Washington is a team that is building for the future, and that there will be growing pains with a young quarterback under center. Fans must exercise patience and trust that team president Adam Peters is guiding the franchise in the right direction. If they are able to do so, watching the team’s hopeful ascension into a Super Bowl contender will become that much sweeter.