#washington-commanders

#washington-commanders

In an effort to make sense of a disastrous season, Washington Commanders fans have pinned blame on general manager Adam Peters, on coaches like defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., and on injuries. But in the final analysis, the buck always stops with the players themselves. The Commanders certainly had holes in their roster at the start of the season and have undoubtedly been crushed by injury. But they still have many talented players who have not performed well this year.

Quinn revealed that everyone is depleted, and it's not just the players and coaches. That goes for fans, too. It's been an arduous, draining campaign that promised much but has fallen by the wayside. The Commanders are 3-8 when most were anticipating another postseason run. And it's not hard to see why attention is already turning to what promises to be a pivotal offseason for general manager Adam Peters.

True, it hasn't applied to all the starters, and the team has opted for second-rounders instead of firsts, but you can still see the vague outlines of the plan. Three recent second-round draft picks - safety Quan Martin, chosen by Ron Rivera in 2023, and cornerbacks Mike Sainristil (2024) and Trey Amos (2025), selected by Peters - supposedly form the core of a new and improved secondary.

The Washington Commanders are now 3-8 after a defeat to the Miami Dolphins. There are still six games left to navigate after the bye week. Still, fans have already turned their attention to what promises to be a tenure-defining offseason for general manager Adam Peters. This roster has a ton of holes. A plethora of experienced starters are out of contract. The need to get younger is glaring, and the Commanders could have around $100 million in available salary-cap space they need to use wisely.

That wasn't very pleasant from Payne, who should have known better. However, this was set to provide the Commanders with a chance to see what 2024 second-round pick Johnny Newton could do from a starting role. Newton was relishing the opportunity. He's been a rotational presence once again this season, so this was supposed to be the audition for additional reps he'd been looking for.

Forbes put together arguably the best performance of his professional career against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. The Rams placed a significant amount of faith in the Mississippi State product, matching him up with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba throughout. It was a massive leap of faith from head coach Sean McVay, but it paid off handsomely. According to Next Gen Stats, Forbes was matched up against Smith-Njigba 20 times, the most of any cornerback this season.

The front-office leader has a significant amount of hard work ahead. Washington has roster holes everywhere you look. Peters' gamble to run it back with most of the squad that achieved so much in 2024 has backfired. A disastrous run of luck on the injury front hasn't helped, but it's clear that this squad, as presently constructed, isn't capable of reaching the heights fans anticipated.

The Washington Commanders' defense has been nothing short of abysmal in 2025. It's been a significant reason they've failed to reach the heights of their shockingly impressive 2024 NFC Championship game run. Addressing that side of the ball must be at the top of general manager Adam Peters' to-do list this offseason. Washington has a glaring need and is armed with the sixth-most projected cap space in 2026. With that in mind, why not pony up for one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, Trey Hendrickson, if/when he becomes available?

Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw illustrate Commanders' culture issue in the worst way After a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown gave the Lions a 20-3 lead, defensive tackle Payne punched wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the helmet for reasons unknown. His linemate, Javon Kinlaw, then also got involved in the scrum, making contact with a referee and drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that allowed Detroit to move closer to the goal line for a successful two-point conversion attempt.

The more time that goes by, the more the Commanders' magical 2024 campaign looks like a perfect storm of momentum and good fortune, without any actual long-term growth being established. They brought in a new coaching staff, a new general manager, and a rookie quarterback. Everything they touched turned to gold. In retrospect, it all seemed too good to be true.

It's been one major issue after another for the Washington Commanders this season. These have primarily centered on the constant stream of injury problems head coach Dan Quinn is currently dealing with. The injury bug has been relentless, with new long-term issues arriving almost every week. Second-round rookie cornerback Trey Amos was the latest to go on the shelf, suffering a fractured fibula against the Detroit Lions that brings his immensely encouraging first season to an abrupt halt.

The first half went as badly as fans feared. Washington was outmatched, failing to generate any positive offensive momentum. As for the defense? They were nothing short of an abomination once again. Detroit got whatever it wanted. They score touchdowns on their first three possessions, effortlessly moving the football downfield and bullying the Commanders at all three levels of the field. Frustrations boiled over, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs was carried about eight yards into the end zone after receiving contact from Washington's defenders.