The Washington Commanders’ season has been ugly, but the NFC East has been even uglier.
At 1-3 after a rough Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Washington has little momentum and plenty of questions swirling around head coach Dan Quinn. Still, the Commanders are not buried in the division race, because the rest of the NFC East has turned into a mess.
Dallas made that even clearer with its embarrassing Thursday Night Football loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys were supposed to be part of a tight, competitive division, but instead they’re sliding fast.
Their defense has been a problem, and the offense hasn’t done enough to cover it up. For owner Jerry Jones, the investment in contracts and trades since shipping All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers has not produced the kind of return anyone expected.
Philadelphia, usually the steady presence in this division, is wobbling too. The Eagles are 2-2, and the cracks are hard to ignore.
Prolific right tackle Lane Johnson has retired to focus on his mental health, and the team has traded two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens. Saquon Barkley is week to week with an injury, and Jalen Hurts is not thriving in Sean Mannion’s system.
The defense remains strong, but that hasn’t been enough to smooth over the issues on offense. There are also claims of consolidation to focus on the future, and general manager Howie Roseman will probably have a few tricks up his sleeve around the trade deadline.
That leaves Washington with a path, however messy, back into the conversation. A win over the New York Giants in Week 5 would put the Commanders right back in the mix.
The Giants have been the calmest team in the division so far, even while dealing with major setbacks. They’re 3-1 despite losing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and star edge rusher Brian Burns to season-ending injuries. Their schedule has helped, but the improvement and resolve have still stood out.
Washington can’t afford to look past anyone, and it doesn’t have the luxury of assuming anything. But Jayden Daniels is back under center after a two-game absence, and that gives the Commanders a chance every week.
The bigger issue is getting their own operation pointed in the right direction. Wins have been hard to come by over the last couple of seasons, and that has to change. If Washington can get some key players back and handle business one game at a time, Quinn’s team has enough talent to stay in the hunt.
Nothing about this is guaranteed. But in a division with this many unknowns and this little quality, the door is still open.
In Other News...
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 Season Turning Point Puts Brandon Coleman In A Brutal Spotlight
Sundays meeting with the Giants arrives at a tense point for Washington, with the NFC East still unsettled and the Commanders trying to steady themselves through a run of injuries. The encouraging part is that Jayden Daniels is expected back without limitations, which gives the offense a chance to look more like itself as the stakes rise in Week 5.
Brandon Coleman, though, is one of the players who will be watched closest. He has been asked to handle a major role up front at a time when the margin for error is shrinking, and this matchup is the kind that can expose every weak spot along the line. For Washington, it is less about style points than survival, and Colemans performance could end up shaping how secure the team feels heading into the rest of the division race. [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 🡒]