Last season was a magical ride for the Washington Commanders. An overhauled front office paired with an aggressive-minded coaching staff and a generational talent at the game’s most important position created the perfect storm of good vibes and excitement.
Franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels turned in one of the greatest rookie campaigns ever and the downtrodden Commanders were an overnight sensation — going 12-5 while winning winning on the final play of the game on a seemingly weekly basis. Playing in the conference championship game in the first year of a franchise overhaul was an incredible overachievement and a lasting memory for the fanbase.
Fast forward to this season and it’s been a very different story. Injuries and inconsistencies have decimated the Commanders during the first half of the 2025 season. Daniels and several other key contributors — Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Austin Ekeler, etc. — have struggled to stay health. Additionally, the schedule is significantly more difficult this season and the defense has been brutal, at times. If last season was a dream, then the sequel has been a nightmare.
“The only thing consistent right now has been our inconsistency,” said head coach Dan Quinn.
All of this further proves how remarkably consistent the Kansas City Chiefs have been under head coach Andy Reid. It seems like only yesterday the Chiefs were 0-2 and folks were eager to write them off. But Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are first ballot Hall of Famers still capable of taking over a game whenever needed, and suddenly the Chiefs once again look like a juggernaut. As always, any hope of becoming the NFL’s next dynasty has to go through Kansas City. In the immortal words of Ric Flair, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.”
After playing with their food for the majority of the first half, the Chiefs got serious after halftime and made short work of their overmatched opponent. Mahomes put together three consecutive touchdown drives to start the second half in a relatively straightforward 28-7 victory over the Commanders. Those three scoring drives went for 80, 75 and 94 yards as Mahomes was able to extend plays and consistently deliver off script against a fatally-flawed Commanders defense.
With Marcus Mariota starting for an injured Jayden Daniels, Washington struggled to generate offense. Not that veteran quarterback was to blame for the lack of production. The ground game once again struggled. The passing game continued to lack explosive plays. Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is no longer able to stretch the field or keep defenses from stacking the box. Had receiver Terry McLaurin not make two incredibly impressive catches, Washington’s offense would have had no highlights to speak of.
Speaking of McLaurin, the Ohio State product caught three of four targets for 54 yards and a touchdown before aggravating his quad injury once again. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil also exited the game early, thanks to a hamstring injury.
Washington has now lost four of the last five games and, at 3-5, need to steady the ship as quickly as possible if they hope to remain competitive in the crowded NFC playoff hunt. To do so, they will need to overcome a slew of injuries and the second toughest remaining schedule in the league.
