Washington’s first win of the season changed the tone around the team, but it didn’t exactly settle the argument. After beating the Seattle Seahawks 33-31, the Commanders showed up in this week’s national power rankings with a spread that tells the whole story: opinions are still all over the map.
Across the nine rankings tracked here, Washington landed anywhere from No. 21 to No. 29.
That left the Commanders with an average ranking of No. 24.6 entering Week 4, up from last week’s Power Ranking Index of No.
- The victory over Seattle clearly moved the conversation, but not enough to create any real consensus about where this team belongs.
The best national view came from NFL.com, which placed Washington at No. 21 after Marcus Mariota’s big day. Nick Shook called it “the biggest upset of the week” and praised Mariota for scrambling for the game-sealing first down. He also pointed to the defense, which logged two takeaways to keep Washington in the game and a third to help secure the win.
Yahoo Sports also slotted the Commanders at No. 21, while making the point that the win had more to do with capitalizing on chances than dominating the game. Frank Schwab noted that Washington was outgained 437-258, allowed 31 points at home, and got just 183 passing yards from Mariota while averaging 2.6 yards per rush.
Still, the result mattered more than the numbers, especially with the Commanders now having a path out of an 0-2 start. Schwab also reported that Jayden Daniels is “more likely than not” to travel to London for the Week 4 game against the Colts after dislocating his left elbow.
Fox Sports placed Washington at No. 24 and framed the Seattle win as a huge one for a battered roster, especially with Daniels’ return possibly only a couple of weeks away. Ralph Vacchiano wrote that Mariota pulled off the upset “albeit with the help of some errant throws by Seattle QB Sam Darnold,” but also said there are still problems to clean up. He pointed to the lack of a running game, the injury to RB Rachaad White, and a defense that “offered little resistance until two late interceptions.”
ESPN and Sports Illustrated both had Washington at No. 26.
ESPN’s John Keim focused on Deebo Samuel’s production, noting that he was the WR33 in ADP but is now WR13 with 13 receptions and three receiving touchdowns. Keim also pointed out that Samuel signed after the first week of training camp and is already on his second quarterback, while asking where his role goes from here.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr highlighted a different angle, saying he loved the story about the Commanders’ captains coming together to make Mariota a season-long captain in Daniels’s absence.
Pro Football Talk placed Washington at No. 23, with Mike Florio writing, “Marcus Mariota’s performance will accelerate Jayden Daniels’s return.”
The Athletic also had the Commanders at No. 23.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall wrote that backup Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes to shock the Seahawks, but they also noted that Commanders fans are still focused on Daniels. They pointed out that since Daniels’s breakout rookie season, he has missed 11 games because of injury, and Washington is 2-7 in the games he has started.
Their takeaway was that when Daniels returns from his second dislocated elbow, fans will be holding their collective breath.
CBS Sports ranked Washington No. 28, with Pete Prisco saying Mariota’s upset win changed the narrative for now and that the defense made some big plays. And Walter Football dropped the Commanders one spot to No. 29, calling the Seahawks win unconvincing after Washington was outgained 437-258 and averaged 2.8 fewer yards per play.
For now, the national read is simple: Washington has earned a little more respect, but not much agreement. The Commanders head to London to face the Colts in Week 4, and that game should give everyone another reason to move them up, down, or somewhere in between.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Bigger QB Question Than They Wanted
Marcus Mariotas relief turn against the Seahawks did more than steady the Commanders for a week. It also put him in the same conversation Jayden Daniels had been owning all season, as Mariota was voted FedEx Air Player of the Week after stepping in for the injured rookie and helping keep Washington on track.
Mariota completed 19 passes for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 110.0 passer rating, and he even added a key rushing first down late in the game. Daniels had already won the same award three times during his rookie season, which is what makes this latest honor feel a little more complicated for Washington as it waits to see how the quarterback picture settles going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Have Found The Protection Answer Jayden Daniels Needed
Against a tough Seattle front, the Commanders offensive line turned in one of its more encouraging outings of the season, keeping Jayden Daniels upright and giving the offense a fighting chance. Washington allowed only two sacks and handled the pass rush well enough that the game never felt like it was slipping away because of protection issues, which has been a real concern at times this year.
The improvement came from a mix of schematic tweaks and cleaner individual work up front, and that combination mattered against a defense built to punish mistakes. For a team trying to maximize Daniels impact, Sunday offered at least a glimpse of a more workable formula, even if the bigger question is whether Washington can make that level of protection hold up once opponents have more film on it. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Injury Outlook Just Became A Real Commanders Concern
Jayden Daniels has been working through another layer of discomfort as Washington prepares for the Colts, practicing with a large brace on his left arm to guard against further elbow dislocations after injuries last year and again earlier this season. The Commanders quarterback has opted to put surgery off until after the season, if he needs it at all, and his availability for Sunday remains part of the weekly uncertainty around a team trying to keep its season on track.
Daniels said the brace does limit his range of motion, but not his throwing motion, which leaves Washington in the familiar spot of balancing caution with urgency. He is taking things day by day, and for a Commanders team already watching closely, his status against Indianapolis now looms as one of the more important storylines of the week. [Read more 🡒]