#washington-commanders

#washington-commanders

With the Washington Commanders playing for nothing much other than pride over their final seven games of the campaign, the coaching staff needs to try new things. Adam Peters also needs to assess what he has on the roster before a crucial offseason, and throwing his fledgling stars into the fire is the best way to do so. The Commanders are dealing with serious injury problems, no more so than in the wide receiver room.

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.

Acquired from the Houston Texans this offseason to stabilize the blindside for Jayden Daniels, Tunsil has been simply sensational. In nine starts, spanning 348 pass-blocking snaps, he's allowed just one sack, one quarterback hit, and 14 total pressures. That type of efficiency is rare for any tackle, but for one adjusting to a new system, new cadence, and new expectations, it's even more impressive.

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.

The Washington Commanders signed Von Miller late into the summer. They had grave concerns about their edge rushing unit, so general manager Adam Peters acquired a future first ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer who could provide some short-term relief as a rotational presence. Miller has flashed moments of quality. He's not the dominant game-wrecker of previous years, but nobody expected him to be. And the fact that Washington is dealing with so many health problems in their pass-rushing unit isn't exactly helping matters either.

If Washington wants to find a reliable, every-down runner without breaking the bank, Zack Moss should be the top target. Moss has proven he can carry the load when healthy. He has the durability and a physical running style tailor-made for winter football. Moss also wouldn't command a massive contract, making him a low-cost, high-reward signing for a team that needs to allocate cap space across multiple positions. His bruising style also complements Daniels' dual-threat skill set.

A senior White House source said there have been backchannel communications with a member of the Commanders ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump's desire to have the domed stadium in the nation's capital bear his name. The new stadium is being built on the old RFK Stadium site that served as the team's home from 1961 to 1996.

In Ron Rivera's final season as coach, the Washington Commanders had the worst defense in the NFL. It was not a close competition. It was so bad in 2023 that Rivera fired his defensive coordinator and secondary coach during the season. The team was dead last in points allowed (30.5) and yards allowed (388.9). Dan Quinn wishes his Commanders could match those miserable 2023 numbers right now. This would constitute an improvement over the last four games.