The Washington Commanders’ 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams dropped them to 2-5-1, but the final score wasn’t the most revealing part of Sunday. The clearest snapshot of their season came when veteran center Lucas Patrick left with an injury and rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin had to step in.
That was the moment the Commanders’ center plan came into focus.
Washington had actually carried a 10-6 lead into halftime after controlling the first half. But the Rams opened the third quarter with a drive down the field and never let go.
From there, the Commanders’ offense disappeared over the final 30 minutes. Jayden Daniels was part of the problem, the running game never got going, and the playcalling raised questions.
Up front, Washington had no answer for Myles Garrett, which is hardly a surprise for most teams.
The bigger issue was what happened when Patrick exited. Instead of turning to Nick Allegretti, the player Washington spent months presenting as the answer at center, the Commanders went with Gulbin. That choice said plenty.
Washington’s offseason plan at center was built around Allegretti. The team cut starting center Tyler Biadasz in February, hoping to land Tyler Linderbaum in free agency.
The Raiders ended up paying well above market to get Linderbaum, and Washington didn’t pivot to another veteran option. Instead, the message from the organization was that Allegretti could handle it.
Peters hyped him. Head coach Dan Quinn hyped him. When Peters was asked later about the decision to cut Biadasz, he wasn’t happy with the question.
But the backup plan never looked sturdy. Allegretti missed almost all of training camp, which forced the Commanders to use Gulbin and journeyman Julian Good-Jones at center in the preseason.
That didn’t go smoothly. Still, the team kept insisting that once Allegretti returned, things would be fine.
He was back for Week 1 and started the first two games at center, but the results weren’t good. In Week 3, with right guard Sam Cosmi out because of a concussion, Allegretti moved to guard for one week while Lucas Patrick, signed on Sept. 16, took over at center.
Allegretti played every offensive snap in Washington’s first three games. Since then, he has played only two snaps, both in relief in Week 6.
On Sunday, when Patrick left and was checked for a concussion, he did not return - and Allegretti still wasn’t the answer. The Commanders went to Gulbin instead.
That image told the story of the season.
Peters did make some useful additions last offseason. Sonny Styles, Amik Robertson, Antonio Williams, Chig Okonkwo, Odafe Oweh, Charles Omenihu, Tim Settle, K’Lavon Chaisson and Nick Cross were all cited as strong pickups. But the move he didn’t make still looms over Washington’s disappointing 2026 season.
Fans worried about center all offseason. The media kept pressing Quinn and Peters. They kept doubling down on Allegretti anyway.
That insistence put Allegretti in a tough spot and left Gulbin and Good-Jones exposed to criticism as well. Allegretti is a serviceable NFL lineman, but not a center. He’s better suited as an interior reserve who stays active on game days, the kind of role the Kansas City Chiefs clearly understood.
And maybe the simplest answer was the one Washington avoided all along: perhaps Peters should never have cut Biadasz in the first place.
In Other News...
Commanders Nearly Flipped Last Rams Meeting But The Result Still Stung
The last time Washington saw the Rams, the game had the feel of a blowout before the Commanders made it interesting late. At SoFi Stadium in Week 15, Los Angeles controlled most of the afternoon and carried a 28-7 lead into the stretch, only for Washington to find some life behind Jacoby Brissett and a pair of late touchdown passes.
Even with the rally, the Commanders never fully erased the damage from the earlier mistakes and missed chances that put them in the hole. Los Angeles still walked away with a 28-20 win after closing out the final moments, leaving Washington with the kind of near-miss that lingers because it was close enough to wonder what might have changed with one cleaner finish. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Left Tackle Problem Is Becoming Impossible To Ignore
When Laremy Tunsil went down with a torn triceps in training camp, the Commanders had to reshuffle quickly and hand Brandon Coleman the blindside tackle job. It was always going to be a difficult ask, but the recent game against the Rams made the adjustment look even more precarious, with Colemans struggles putting a spotlight on a position the team can hardly afford to get wrong.
The bigger problem is the lack of easy answers behind him. Washington does not have much depth at left tackle, so every rough outing only sharpens the internal debate about how to stabilize the spot before it becomes a season-long issue. For now, the Commanders are left weighing whether to ride it out or make a move from outside the starting five. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Quinns Frustration Sums Up A Commanders Problem Getting Worse
The Commanders latest loss had the familiar feel of a team leaving points on the field and then paying for it on the scoreboard. In a 20-13 defeat to the Rams at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Washington again found itself stuck between promising stretches and the kind of execution that turns a close game into a frustrating one, with Dan Quinn pointing to the missed chances on both sides of the ball.
Quinns irritation fit the moment because the Commanders did enough in spots to stay in it, but not enough to finish it. The defense created chances and the offense had openings to build on them, yet the game never quite came together in the way a playoff-caliber team needs, and the final sequence only sharpened the issue as Washingtons chance to force a tie slipped away in painful fashion. [Read more 🡒]