The Commanders are staring at a problem that gets ugly fast in the NFL: 0-3.
Washington is already 0-2, and the margin for error is thinning by the week after Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys cost them Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow. With eight teams still winless entering Week 3, the conversation around the Commanders isn’t just about where they stand now. It’s about how little room teams have once the losses start piling up.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put that reality in blunt terms. Since 2002, 102 teams have opened a season with three straight losses.
Even when the field is expanded to include the seventh seed from 2002 to 2019 as a playoff-worthy spot, only four of those 102 teams managed to fight back into the postseason picture. That works out to a 3.9% advancement rate.
Two of those teams were Steelers squads coached by Mike Tomlin, finishing seventh in the AFC in 2013 and 2019, though the league had not yet expanded to the 14-team playoff format.
Washington’s situation is especially shaky because the injuries are stacking up. Daniels is out, Sam Cosmi and Laremy Tunsil are hurt, and the schedule does the Commanders no favors.
They face the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Sunday, then head to London the next week for a game against the Colts. After that comes a Monday night trip to San Francisco, along with games against the Eagles and Rams.
Barnwell ranked Washington No. 6 among the eight 0-2 teams. The Falcons no longer belong in that group after their Thursday Night Football win over the Packers moved them to 1-2.
The Commanders’ FPI playoff odds sit at 7.4%, and Barnwell’s ranking makes sense given what Washington has already shown. The defense has had breakdowns, the Daniels injury changes the entire shape of the offense, and the team has also come painfully close to being 2-0. But close doesn’t count for much when the losses are already there and the next stretch looks this demanding.
For Washington, the equation is simple now. Get one win.
Then chase the next one. With Daniels sidelined, two key offensive linemen hurt, and a defense that looked as bad as it did last week, that first step already looks like a steep climb.
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For a defense that has talked about needing to create more disruption, this matchup offers a chance to help change the tone. The Seahawks bring their own uncertainty at quarterback because of Sam Darnolds injury, which gives Washington an opening to lean on pressure, chase turnovers and maybe finally give the home crowd something to build around. [Read more 🡒]