Locked On Commanders Hit - Quick Takes on the Washington Commanders

The rookie linebacker put together ANOTHER impressive performance in Week 5 against the Giants, continuing to show why he's one of the most exciting young players on Washington's defense.

But outside of Styles, there are some SERIOUS concerns.

The Commanders' defense has been wildly INCONSISTENT through five weeks.

We've seen flashes of what this unit can be, but far too often, Washington has struggled to put together a complete defensive performance.

And in Week 5, the SECONDARY was a major problem AGAIN.

Washington cannot continue relying on individual performances from players like Styles to overcome its defensive struggles.

Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones NEED to find answers.

The Commanders are 1-3-1, and if they want to turn their season around, the defense HAS to become more consistent.

Can Washington fix its secondary before these problems completely derail the season?

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Washington had an opportunity to win the game in overtime, but a critical clock-management mistake prevented the Commanders from even attempting a game-winning field goal.

Three people deserve some of the blame:

🏈 Jayden Daniels — JD5 HAS to understand the situation. With no timeouts remaining, going down inbounds was a costly mistake, especially with the game on the line.

🏈 David Blough — Washington's offensive coordinator has a responsibility to communicate the situation to his young quarterback and make sure the offense is prepared to execute.

🏈 Dan Quinn — Ultimately, the responsibility falls on the HEAD COACH. Quinn has to ensure his staff and players are prepared for situations like this, especially with a chance to win a critical divisional matchup.

Daniels had carried Washington's offense throughout the afternoon and put the Commanders in position to win.

But when the game was on the line, the coaching staff FAILED to put him in the best position to succeed.

Who deserves the MOST blame for Washington's Week 5 meltdown?

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Washington is 1-3, Jayden Daniels looks set to return, and the Commanders desperately need to get their season back on track.

Here are my KEY MATCHUPS on both sides of the ball.

OFFENSE:

🏈 Brandon Coleman vs. Abdul Carter — Coleman has a HUGE responsibility protecting JD5's blind side against New York's talented young pass rusher.

🏈 Lucas Patrick vs. DJ Reader — If Patrick starts at center, he'll need to hold his own against a physical presence in the middle of the Giants' defensive line.

🏈 Commanders WRs vs. Giants CBs — Even with injuries impacting the position, Washington's receivers NEED to create separation and make plays for Daniels.

DEFENSE:

🏈 Rasul Douglas/Amik Robertson vs. Malik Nabers — Washington's secondary cannot allow the Giants' top receiving threat to take over the game.

🏈 Sonny Styles vs. Cam Skattebo — Styles will be critical to slowing down New York's physical rushing attack.

🏈 Nick Cross vs. Isaiah Likely — Cross has to help limit one of the Giants' dangerous weapons in the passing game.

The Commanders have struggled with consistency on both sides of the ball, and they can't afford another divisional loss.

If Washington wants to turn this season around, these are six battles it MUST win.

Which matchup will have the BIGGEST impact on Week 5?
 

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After missing the last two games with an elbow injury, JD5 is on track to make his return in Week 5 against the New York Giants.

And the Commanders desperately need him.

Washington is 1-3, sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, and facing a HUGE divisional matchup.

Getting Daniels back would provide a massive boost to an offense that has struggled with injuries over the last few weeks.

But can JD5 help get the Commanders' season back on track?

Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese were teammates with the Buckeyes just last season. Now they're two of the NFL's most exciting rookie linebackers, playing for NFC East rivals.

Styles has already earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, while Reese is coming off a HUGE performance for the Giants.

Both have made an immediate impact, and now they'll be on opposite sidelines for the first time in their NFL careers.

Could this be the beginning of one of the NFC East's best young defensive rivalries?
 

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With Lane potentially unavailable, McCaffrey could see an increased role as both a receiver and returner for the Commanders.

We've seen flashes from him, but now it's time for him to turn those opportunities into consistent production.

Washington desperately needs its depth to STEP UP, and this could be McCaffrey's chance to make a real impact.

The Commanders desperately needed help in the secondary, and Douglas has stepped in and provided a veteran presence at cornerback.

What initially looked like a low-risk addition is quickly becoming one of Adam Peters' better roster moves.

Can McCaffrey take advantage of his opportunity, and will Douglas continue to make an impact for Washington's defense?

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Washington is 1-3, sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, and now faces a critical divisional matchup against the Giants.

This feels like a pivotal test for Quinn.

The Commanders have dealt with a TON of injuries, but at some point, Washington has to prove it has enough depth to survive when key players go down.

Jayden Daniels looks like he could return this week, and getting JD5 back would obviously provide a HUGE boost.

But what happens if he can't stay healthy?

Are the Commanders built well enough around their franchise quarterback to compete without him? Or are we starting to see some bigger concerns with the roster Adam Peters has assembled?

PLUS — Jameis Winston is set to start for the Giants, but JJ McCarthy could also enter the picture.

How should Washington's defense prepare for the uncertainty at quarterback?

Week 5 feels like a game the Commanders NEED to win.

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Jayden Daniels looks like he's getting closer to a return, but if JD5 can't go in Week 5 — and with Marcus Mariota also dealing with an injury — I think Washington could turn to Kaliakmanis rather than bringing in a veteran quarterback.

And I actually don't mind it.

Athan fought hard after being thrown into a difficult situation against Indianapolis, and there's no guarantee a veteran on short notice performs any better.

If Washington needs him again, I'd give the young quarterback another opportunity

PLUS — some Commanders RB REGRETS.

Brian Robinson just exploded for THREE touchdowns on Monday night with Atlanta.

But I'm actually MORE upset that Washington let Chris Rodriguez go.

With the Commanders struggling to establish a consistent rushing attack, Rodriguez could've had a real role in this backfield.

Did Washington make a mistake letting BOTH running backs go?

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After falling to 1-3 with a disappointing loss to Indianapolis, the Commanders are right back in MUST-WIN territory against the Giants.

Getting JD5 back would obviously provide a HUGE boost to an offense that has been forced to navigate injuries at quarterback over the last few weeks.

But will Daniels' return be enough to help turn this season around?

PLUS — Washington's defense needs to keep creating turnovers.

The Commanders have forced turnovers in each of the last two games, and against a Giants quarterback room that could give them opportunities to make plays, that trend needs to continue.

Washington can't afford to fall to 1-4.

Can JD5 return, the defense create takeaways, and the Commanders get their season back on track against a division rival?

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After traveling to London and getting back on the practice field last week, I think JD5 will make his return in Week 5.

The Commanders are 1-3 and desperately need to get their season back on track. If Daniels is healthy and cleared to play, getting their franchise quarterback back would obviously be a HUGE boost.

PLUS — it was great to see Austin Ekeler make an impact in his return to Washington.

But there's also a problem.

Ekeler cannot be the Commanders' leading rusher week after week. Washington needs more consistency from its rushing attack and especially from the other backs in this offense.

Ekeler's performance was an encouraging sign. But if the Commanders want to turn this season around, they need to find a sustainable ground game around whoever is playing quarterback.

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DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Odafe Oweh

Oweh set the tone IMMEDIATELY, forcing a sack-fumble on just the second play of the game and helping Washington's defense get off to an impressive start.

The defense eventually wore down, but Oweh continues to show why he can be such an important piece of this unit. If the Commanders are going to turn this season around, they need him to continue being a DOMINANT presence off the edge.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Dyami Brown

Washington's offense struggled following Marcus Mariota's injury, but Brown led the Commanders with 65 receiving yards — including a HUGE 48-yard connection with Athan Kaliakmanis.

Even in a disappointing loss, these two gave Washington something positive to build on.

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