This has been an absolute nightmare of a year for the Washington Commanders, who are 3-8 heading into Week 13 of the season.

You can point fingers at a lot of different factors, but injuries and one of the worst defenses in the league are the main contributors to the team’s failures. Both Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin have missed the majority of the season with multiple injuries throughout the year, and the duo hasn’t played together since Week 2, which is insane to think about.

The defense has been historically bad, especially when four of the last five games were 21+ point blowout losses. Head coach Dan Quinn finally took control as the defensive coordinator, and we saw an improvement against the Miami Dolphins. We’ve seen some players step up, while others regressed in a big way, with some surprises along the way.

Here’s the Commanders’ report card for the middle of the season.

Offensive superlatives

MVP: LT Laremy Tunsil

The offense has struggled in many ways over the last few weeks, but one player has been constant all year, and that’s left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil is the second-highest graded pass blocking tackle in the entire NFL according to PFF, and he’s only allowed one sack on 383 pass blocking snaps. The trade has been well worth it this season, and he will get a new deal this offseason.

Glue guy: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr

He didn’t start the season strong after being a healthy scratch the first few weeks, but as I expected, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has been a constant producer over the last few weeks. Rodriguez has still been in a steady rotation at running back, but he has 160 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns as well. Against the Dolphins, he grinded out 79 yards with a 5.3 yards per carry average and showed he should be the primary running back moving forward.

Biggest surprise: LG Chris Paul

Absolutely nobody expected Chris Paul to be the starting left guard as a seventh-round pick from the previous regime, but he earned it. Paul has allowed only two sacks and 11 pressures all season, and should be one of the free agents the Commanders have no problem re-signing.

Biggest disappointment: WR Terry McLaurin

I hate to say it, but this was the worst-case scenario for McLaurin after getting his contract extension right before the season. Every time he showed a flash of production, he got hurt. One big catch against the Las Vegas Raiders, then he got hurt. Then he scored a touchdown and had an on-brand sideline catch against the Kansas City Chiefs, and reinjured his quad again and has been out since. The Commanders desperately need him back.

Turning point of the last six weeks: QB Jayden Daniels’ injury

We’ve seen Daniels mask a lot of flaws on the roster, and we’ve also seen them rise to the surface when he got hurt all three times this season. His injury against the Seattle Seahawks was very avoidable, and Quinn lost a lot of fans when he left him in a blowout game before he dislocated his elbow.

offense overall grade: C+

Defensive superlatives

MVP: DT Daron Payne?…

There’s not a single “MVP” on this defense, so I guess it would go to the player who’s played the best and not been injured, which is Daron Payne. He was suspended for the Dolphins game after throwing a punch at Amon-Ra St.Brown the week before. That tells you everything you need to know about the defense.

Glue guy: DE Jacob Martin

If there’s one player who’s constantly shown effort, it’s Jacob Martin. He’s had to step up with Dorance Armstrong going down for the season, and he’s shown to be a steady rotational piece to bring back next year. Martin is up to seven sacks and 24 pressures on the season now.

Biggest surprise: CB Mike Sainristil

The offense has a positive surprise, while the defense has a really bad surprise. Corner Mike Sainristil has taken a huge step back this season after looking like a defensive rookie of the year player last season. The regression is mind-boggling to watch, as Sainristil allows 72.9% of targets to be caught and is responsible for five touchdowns in coverage.

Biggest disappointment: S Quan Martin

Quan Martin was supposed to have a huge season, and the coaching staff praised him all offseason. Well, he repaired both shoulders from last year, and he got way worse. He’s a liability in coverage and has 14 missed tackles, which is just two fewer than he had all of last season. Quinn reduced his snaps to just 37 against the Dolphins, which was his lowest of the season.

Turning point of the last six weeks: Dorance Armstrong’s injury

Defensive end Dorance Armstrong was in the top-5 of sacks and pressure rate in the league before he suffered a significant knee injury against the Dallas Cowboys. That put him out for the season, and maybe the start of next year, too, and the pass rush has declined since.

Defense overall grade: D-

2025 draft class superlatives

Overachiever: Josh Conerly Jr

It was a rough start for the rookie right tackle, but he bounced back in a big way over the last few weeks. He hasn’t allowed a sack in three weeks with only five pressures. Conerly Jr. shut down Aidan Hutchinson and only allowed one pressure against one of the best in the league.

Rookie we need to see more from: Bill Croskey-Merritt

Bill Croskey-Merritt started the season hot and warranted more carries over time, but he’s cooled off over the last few weeks, and Rodriguez Jr. seems to be the lead back now. I want to see how Croskey-Merritt responds over the last six weeks.

Underachiever: Jaylin Lane

Jaylin Lane has had some flashes this year for sure, but I expected a much bigger jump with all of the wide receivers that are out right now. The Commanders need him to step up as more than just a punt returner, but as a real threat on offense as well.

Draft class overall grade: C

Coaching report card

Grade: C-

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was demoted, and Quinn had to take over, but it was a very late change that should’ve happened weeks ago. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is doing all he can with what he has to work with, so you have to give him grace. Quinn has lost some of his prestige this season, and he needs to get it back in these last six weeks.

Washington Commanders News

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