What a difference a year makes. While the Detroit Lions are still one of the top teams in the NFC at 5-3. Despite their disappointing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings last week, they’re still a top team in the conference. You can’t ignore them in the NFC North race, with all four teams at least .500, and Detroit sits in second, a half game behind the Green Bay Packers.
The Washington Commanders, on the other hand? Phew, I don’t know where to start. With the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last year in quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Lions in the playoffs before getting demolished in the NFC Championship game by their division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. This year, they’re 3-6, and now with Daniels out “indefinitely” with an elbow injury, this team has taken a big step back.
The Lions will remember what happened to them last season and want their revenge. Let me tell you about how the Washington Commanders’ season is going so far in my Week 10 scouting report.
Washington Commanders
2025 season thus far (3-6)
Week 1: Defeated the New York Giants 21-6
Week 2: Lost to the Green Bay Packers 27-18
Week 3: Defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24
Week 4: Lost to the Atlanta Falcons 34-27
Week 5: Defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 27-10
Week 6: Lost to the Chicago Bears 25-24
Week 7: Lost to the Dallas Cowboys 44-22
Week 8: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 28-7
Week 9: Lost to the Seattle Seahawks 38-14
Stats:
- 20th in points scored, 22nd in points allowed
- 16th in DVOA
- 20th in offensive DVOA (20th in pass DVOA, 13th in run DVOA)
- 22nd in defensive DVOA (24th pass DVOA, 15th in run DVOA)
- 2nd in special teams DVOA
This has been quite the season for the Commanders. After appearing in the NFC Championship game, this team had high expectations coming into 2025, and so far, they’ve been far from where they think they should be. They’ve yet to start a winning streak, jumping back and forth from winning to losing, before now skidding on a four-game losing streak.
One of the reasons for that is the injury bug has caught them early and often this season, affecting the offense first, before spreading to the defensive side of the ball. Daniels has played in six games this season, throwing for 1,184 yards with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions, and he was the second leading rusher with 262 yards and two touchdowns. With him missing time, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has filled in and has been below average, throwing for 639 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown.
The running backs have done what they could to help on the ground, as Jacory Croskey-Merritt won the starting job after Austin Ekeler went down and Brian Robinson Jr. was traded. Croskey-Merritt leads the team with 440 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. When it comes to the receivers, it’s been a mess there as star wide receiver Terry McLaurin has played only four games due to injuries, forcing fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel to be the top option, leading the team in yards with 367 on 42 catches and three touchdowns. Tight end Zach Ertz is still a popular option for either quarterback, getting 31 catches for 291 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.
Looking at the defense, this front seven has been causing some problems for opposing offensive lines. EDGE Dorance Armstrong Jr. leads the team in sacks with 5.5, but linebacker Von Miller isn’t too far behind him with 4.0. In the secondary, cornerback Mike Sainristil leads the team in interceptions with three and is tied with cornerback Marshon Lattimore (now on IR) with seven pass deflections.
They’ve had struggles everywhere during their losing streak, but mostly on defense. The offense, with or without Daniels, averaged 16.8 points per game, but the defense allowed 33.8, doubling what the offense is putting out. With the injuries starting to pile up, this Commanders team is desperate for a win as they try and stay alive for a chance to return to the postseason. Facing off against a Lions team that just lost at home to a weaker opponent, it’ll be tougher than expected for them.
Injury notes
Key players ruled out: WR Noah Brown (IR), QB Jayden Daniels (elbow), CB Marshon Lattimore (IR), RB Austin Ekeler (IR), S Will Harris (IR), EDGE Drake Jackson (IR), EDGE Deatrich Wise Jr. (IR), WR Luke McCaffrey (IR), LB Frankie Luvu (suspension)
Key players to monitor: WR Terry McLaurin (quad), DT Jer’Zhan Newton (ankle), LT Laremy Tunsil (hamstring), DT Eddie Goldman (concussion), CB Trey Amos (hip), S Quan Martin(hamstring)
Compared to their matchup in January last season, the number of injuries on both sides is vastly different. The Lions had an IR filled with starters and contributors. This time, it’s the Commanders who come in banged up and not the same team at all.
First, their offense is down Daniels, who dislocated his elbow against the Seattle Seahawks and possibly will miss the rest of the season. The team is also missing some help at wide receiver in Noah Brown and running back Austin Ekeler, and now special teams star Luke McCaffrey. McLaurin has been banged up this season and hasn’t been consistent on playing time, so his status will be up in the air this week. Starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil played last week despite dealing with a hamstring injury, but he will be someone else to watch in case of a possible setback.
The defense is where most of their issues lie regarding injuries. The secondary lost its top cornerback in Lattimore with a torn ACL, and safety (and former Lion) Will Harris is out with a broken fibula. The defensive line has struggled, as the Commanders signed EDGE Drake Jackson and quickly moved him to IR in hopes that he can return to play this season. EDGE Deatrich Wise Jr. is out for the year after tearing his quad back in week 2, and former first-round pick defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is battling an ankle injury that hasn’t forced him to miss time yet, but could flare up.
On Monday, the NFL announced that linebacker Frankie Luvu is suspended for Week 10 after his third hip-drop tackle against Seattle, but Luvu won his appeal and appears good to go this week.
Biggest strength: Run defense
While the defense has been the biggest reason for the losing streak, the part doing its best job is the run defense. According to PFF, they have a 73.8 grade, the sixth highest, and the stats seem to somewhat agree with the grading. While the Commanders have allowed 124.2 yards per game (22nd), they’ve held opponents in check by limiting big plays on the ground. The longest rush the Commanders have allowed is a 41-yard run, the only rush for over 40 yards allowed this season. They’ve also allowed only two rushes for over 20 yards.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner is a big reason for that as he’s the top graded defender on the run defense according to PFF, with a 90.7 mark. His veteran leadership and experience have helped this run defense stand tall, and he’s everywhere, leading the team with 90 tackles, 32 more than the next Commander, and he has six tackles for loss.
The best performance a running back has had against the defense was Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams, who ran for 116 yards and a touchdown. No running back has scored multiple times on the defense, and despite averaging 4.4 yards per carry allowed, a good chunk have been from their last three blowout losses, where teams are running the ball to end the game due to their big lead.
Biggest weakness: Pass defense
While the run defense is doing all it can to keep the team in games, the secondary isn’t doing itself any favors. According to PFF, the Commanders have the second-worst coverage grade in the league at 40.2. Their best player in the secondary regarding coverage according to PFF, Will Harris—yes the same Harris that struggled in Detroit—was doing well before getting hurt.
Now if we ignore PFF, the stats themselves don’t paint a pretty picture for Washington, they’ve allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL with 2,417, and the most yards per attempt at 8.8. Another issue is they aren’t stopping teams from scoring through the air, allowing 19 passing touchdowns, tied for fourth most in the NFL.
Big plays seem to hurt them the most, allowing 34 20+ yard passes, tied for most in the NFL, and the most 40+ yard passes with nine. With Lattimore now out for the season, the secondary must lean on Sainristil and fellow cornerback Jonathan Jones.
Key matchup: Lions’ run attack vs. Commanders’ run defense
The Lions’ running game suffers the most when their offensive line struggles like they have this season. Detroit needs to run the ball to have a strong offensive performance, as it opens up the passing game, play action, and helps them avoid third-and-longs. With Washington having a tough run defense, the Lions will have to force their way through and make it a factor in this game.
No matter if it’s running back Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery, someone needs to break out this week. Both struggled against the Vikings, though they weren’t helped by a beat-up offensive line. Washington’s defense isn’t at its full strength, but if they stop the Lions on the ground, Washington can blitz and get to Goff, as we saw the Vikings do the previous week with success. While this game should favor Detroit, if the running game can find success, so will the Lions. But if it’s a repeat of last week, we could see another upset come Sunday evening.
Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 8.5
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