The Washington Commanders enter Week 5 with little room for error, sitting at 1-3 and staring at a game that already carried must-win weight before the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. That result only sharpened the pressure on Washington, even with the NFC East still in the middle of its own mess.
The New York Giants have emerged from that chaos looking like the team with the clearest edge right now, and they’ll feel good about their chances of pushing to 4-1. Washington, though, is not at full strength and still has some injury questions to sort through. The good news is that quarterback Jayden Daniels is among the players expected back, and he says he is confident he can play with no limitations after missing the last two games with a dislocated elbow.
Still, if the Commanders are going to steady themselves, it will take more than one returning star. A lot has to go right across the roster, and Brandon Coleman is one of the players carrying real weight into Sunday.
Coleman’s job on the left side has become even more important since five-time Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps at training camp. Coleman shifted back to the blindside and has handled the move about as well as Washington could reasonably ask in tough circumstances. He has had his issues - the run blocking can lag, and when he loses leverage, the recovery work still needs polish - but the overall body of work has been more encouraging than not.
That matters again this weekend because the Giants still have plenty of edge-rushing talent, even with Brian Burns lost for the season to a torn ACL. Abdul Carter, Arvell Reese, and Kayvon Thibodeaux can all swing a game if they get rolling early, and Washington’s line has to be sharper with Daniels back under center.
Sam Cosmi’s return to the interior should help, but the pressure on Coleman does not go away. Chris Paul has struggled in pass protection, which leaves Coleman with even more on his plate. If New York decides to target the left side as the place to test Washington, Coleman has to answer the challenge.
Anything less would put the Commanders in a bad spot fast. For now, though, Coleman has done enough to suggest he can deliver another solid performance when Washington needs it most.
In Other News...
Commanders Still Have An Opening In A Division Nobody Controls
A rough start has left the Commanders with plenty of work to do, but the bigger picture around the NFC East still gives Washington a path forward. At 1-3 after a Week 4 loss, the margin for error is thin, and the questions around Dan Quinns future are starting to surface too. Even so, this is a division that has not offered anyone much room to separate, with the Cowboys and Eagles both dealing with their own problems and looking far less secure than expected.
That creates an opening the Commanders can still chase if they start stacking wins and the rest of the division keeps stumbling. Washington does not need the NFC East to look pretty, just competitive enough to stay in reach while the standings remain unsettled. The next stretch matters because a couple of good results could quickly change the tone around a season that already feels much more fragile than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Already Saw This Coming With Von Miller
Von Millers move across the division has not gone the way Dallas hoped, and it has only made Washington look more prescient about passing on a reunion. The veteran edge rusher has been quiet through five games with the Cowboys, and the issues have extended beyond the pass rush, with his run defense coming under scrutiny as well. Former Washington safety Donte Whitner even went so far as to question whether Miller is nearing the end of the line.
For the Commanders, the bigger point is that this was a decision they already made with an eye on the future. Washington chose not to bring Miller back and instead leaned into a younger approach, a path that has fit the defense better under its current coordinator. With the unit showing signs of improvement, the organizations choice to move on from an aging pass rusher looks a lot less cautious now and a lot more practical. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Are Counting On A Familiar Name In A Game That Matters
Lucas Patrick arrived in Washington on Sept. 16, and since then he has quickly settled into an important role up front. With Nick Allegretti injured, Patrick has handled center duties and played 129 snaps there, drawing strong marks from Pro Football Focus and giving the Commanders a steadier answer in the middle of the line than they had just a few weeks ago.
Now comes a twist with a little extra edge. Patrick is lined up to work with quarterback Jayden Daniels against the Giants, the same team that let him go during roster cuts earlier in the offseason. For a Commanders offense trying to keep its footing, the matchup gives Patrick a chance to keep proving he belongs while facing the club that moved on from him just before the regular season began. [Read more 🡒]