The Commanders left Monday night with another loss on the board, but Stefon Diggs isn’t ready to write off what comes next.
Washington fell 23-17 to the undefeated 49ers, and the game stayed alive until the final series. Jayden Daniels had a shot to bring the Commanders all the way back, but San Francisco’s defense finished the job with a sack and closed out its sixth win.
The defeat pushed Washington to 1-4-1 and dropped the team to the bottom of the NFC East. Even so, Diggs pointed to the bigger picture and said the season still has room to shift.
"The main thing right now is we get a bye week, recharge, hopefully get some of the guys healthy," Diggs said. "You know, it's still wide open where we are and where the league is.
It's kinda interesting. A weird spot right now."
That outlook fits the wider mess in the division. The Giants sit atop the NFC East at 3-2-1, but they lost Jaxson Dart in Week 2 against the Rams and are now turning to Jameis Winston and JJ McCarthy. The Eagles, meanwhile, have already ruled Jalen Hurts out for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in both lungs.
Washington’s own season has been defined by missed chances, too. Weeks ago against the Giants, Daniels took a late sack instead of spiking the ball or throwing it away, and the Commanders settled for a tie after overtime instead of a win. If that result had gone the other way, Washington would be 2-4 and right alongside Dallas and Philadelphia in the division chase.
There’s still time to climb back in, with 11 games remaining and a bye week coming before a matchup with the struggling Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Commanders have also just gotten Daniels back after he missed several games with a dislocated left elbow.
But Monday night brought another blow. Terry McLaurin was carted off in the first half, and Dan Quinn said after the game that his injury "could be significant."
If McLaurin is forced to miss time, Washington may have to look for more help at receiver as it tries to stay afloat in a division that keeps shifting under its feet.
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