An image of the Commanders Week 1 game vs the New York Giants, photo courtesy of Evan Woodward
The Washington Commanders are eight games into their 2025 National Football League (NFL) season and sit at a 3-5 record. After a magical run to the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship last season, things have taken a turn for the worse as the Commanders are third in the NFC East division. Throughout the first half of the season, the Commanders have plagued by injuries, and the team has struggled on defense. The Commanders had luck and fortune on their side in their remarkable 2024 season, but this year, it has been misfortune as they have not had it their way in a subpar first eight games.
Washington’s defense this year has been its Achilles heel and has been a major point of weakness for the team. They have been bullied by opposing offenses and have given up the sixth most yards per game (ypg), a measly 372.8 ypg. They have the second oldest defensive unit in the NFL, led by veterans such as Bobby Wagner and Von Miller. The defense looks slow and have been lackluster across the entire field. Not only is Washington struggling to get off the field on defense, they have had a tough time acquiring takeaways, such as an interception or a fumble. They have the fourth least takeaways and in part, this has led them to having a negative four turnover differential. There have not been enough big plays from the defense and they have not done a good enough job of getting the ball in the hands of the Commanders’ explosive offense. In order for the Commanders to have a season turnaround, the defense has to contribute significantly more.
On the offensive side of the Commanders, performance has not been the biggest issue but it has been injuries that have riddled the unit. Quarterback (QB) Jayden Daniels, wide receiver (WR) Terry McLaurin and guard Sam Cosmi have all missed multiple games in addition to running back (RB) Austin Ekeler’s season ending injury and WR Deebo Samuel Sr. ‘s one game injury. These players are the stars of the offense and the Commanders have not been able to replicate the magic of last season because they have been injured. The offense this season is averaging 23.4 points per game while last season, they averaged 28.5 points per game. This is a massive dropoff and is one of the key reasons why the Commanders are 3-5. Injuries are the main reason this offense has not performed up to expectations and it is not an issue of playcalling. Offensive Coordinator (OC), Kliff Kingsbury, has done the best he can given the circumstances and from what was seen on Monday Night against the Kansas City Chiefs, he designed plays to give backup QB Marcus Mariota the best chance possible to go out and deliver in a difficult environment on primetime. He called smart plays that got the ball out quick from the hands of Mariota to set up manageable downs that were easier to convert than a third and long. Once the team gets fully healthy, they will be more productive and that will help to get them back on a winning track.
Only half the season has passed, so there is plenty of time to turn it around for Head Coach (HC) Dan Quinn’s team but currently, the Commanders have an 8% chance to make the playoffs. There is still optimism within the fans and the organization, but if Washington does not win one of their next two games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions, things could start to look pretty bleak. The NFC is an extremely tight and competitive division, so towards the end of the season, it is looking pretty likely that a 9-8 record will not make the playoffs. The Commanders are 3-5 after eight weeks, and there is a good chance they will have to win seven of their next nine games in the regular season. The NFC West and the NFC North both have multiple five win teams and it will take only a miraculous winning streak by the Commanders to turn their season around. They need to start scoring more points and giving up less because neither the offense or the defense have been up to standards. Washington’s QB young phenom Jayden Daniels has not looked the same as last year and they need the same level of “clutchness” that he displayed last year in order to sneak back into the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
Washington D.C. fell in love with this team last year after their outstanding 2024 campaign and they are craving for another playoff run this time around. An iconic 2024 season characterized by the wondrous Hail Mary gave energy to the Commanders and this year, they will need to produce some more bits of magic to give belief back to everyone that a playoff berth is possible. Will the Washington Commanders be able to flip the script and inject hope back into the organization or is it too late for Jayden Daniels to change their 2025 fate?