Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
A year after their surprising run to the NFC title game, the Commanders are back to being bottom-dwellers. They sit at 4-12 entering Sunday’s season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, closer to the top of April’s NFL draft than a return to the playoffs.
For a team that retained nearly its entire coaching staff, brought back most of its starters and traded future draft picks to acquire proven veterans Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel Sr. in the offseason, it’s a staggering outcome with no simple explanation.
Injuries — including the dislocated left elbow that knocked Daniels out of Washington’s loss to the Seahawks — tell part of the story. By season’s end, the Commanders will have had 32 players miss at least 156 games. But the collapse has been multifaceted.
The roster, as assembled by General Manager Adam Peters, is the oldest in the NFL and lacked the depth to compensate for injuries to key players. The offense struggled with consistency and discipline. The defense missed tackles and blew assignments at inopportune moments.
The Commanders had their moments offensively, but consistency eluded them. Defensively, it was a season-long slog. Coach Dan Quinn took over play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. in Week 11, but the unit remained one of the worst in the NFL.
It will likely be an offseason of significant change. Whitt’s future in Washington is in doubt, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could draw interest from other teams with openings for a head coach. A departure could have ripple effects on the rest of the staff.
Meanwhile, the roster has 35 players who are set to become free agents and a collection of others whom the team may move on from for salary cap reasons. And, of course, there will be newcomers added via trade, free agency and the draft.
For those who remain, the lessons of 2025 could prove useful in avoiding a repeat in 2026.
The Washington Post spoke with 17 of the 33players who are under contract next year. Together, they painted a nuanced portrait of when and why a promising year unraveled — and how the franchise can get back on track in 2026.
The Athletic (paywall)
When Quinn was hired, he said he didn’t want to repeat any perceived mistakes from his first go-round as a head coach, in Atlanta from 2015-2020. He learned in those years that he was a better coach when he was fully attentive to all three phases and delegated to his staff. It’s largely why he didn’t assume play-calling duties here and instead tabbed Joe Whitt Jr. to run the defense.
Washington enters Week 18 ranked 31st in the league in both defensive total EPA (-132.05) and turnover margin (-12), with the second-most explosive plays allowed (130) and the highest...
