ASHBURN, Va. -- Nearly 20 minutes after a 22-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn stood before the media clutching both sides of a lectern, wearing an unusual look: that of a ticked-off coach.
He didn't lose control or scream. But he was firm with his replies to the assembled media. And none was as short as when Quinn was asked by one reporter if he was surprised where his team -- now 3-4 and having just dropped its second straight game -- was at this season.
"Yes, very," he said.
Later he was asked about a sequence just before halftime when the defense allowed a 72-yard touchdown drive in four plays over 34 seconds.
"Words can't explain. I was hot," he answered.
Back in the locker room, Jeremy McNichols sat at his stall, still in full uniform and with a towel draped over his head long after many players had showered. But he wasn't alone in those feelings. Longtime Washington player Jeremy Reaves dropped a rare F-bomb -- and quickly apologized for doing so -- when describing his feeling as the team approached the midway point of the season.
"I'm pissed," he said. "We're so much better than what we're doing now."
The Commanders entered the season as a feel-good story after going 12-5 in 2024 and advancing to the NFC Championship Game. They had the hot young quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. They were tabbed to play five prime-time games plus another on Christmas Day. But after that magical year, the Commanders find themselves in a struggle for their playoff survival due to injuries, an underperforming defense and a tougher schedule, as well as a few key plays that went their way last year that have now gone against them.
As the Commanders prepare for Monday night's showdown at the surging Kansas City Chiefs (4-3), they know that 10 games remain and the book on their season remains far from finished, but they need a turnaround soon. Last year provided a taste of success for a franchise that hadn't won 11 regular-season games since the 1991 season. Players liked how that tasted. But with games against K.C., Seattle and Detroit coming up, the season's outlook could turn sour quickly.
"I understand what winning looks like now," Reaves said. "Last year showed me what it feels like to win and that s--- is fun. I'm not trying to take 10 steps forward to go five steps back."
QUINN DIDN'T WASTE time batting down an excuse for their poor play against Dallas.
"Injuries are not the reason we lost," he said.
But it's hard to ignore what Washington has endured so far in 2025, which has been in stark contrast to their good fortune in 2024, when 14 starters played all 17 games and another three played 16.
This year, the Commanders already have placed three starters on injured reserve who are done for the year: defensive ends Deatrich Wise Jr. (hurt in Week 2) and Dorance Armstrong (Week 7); and running back Austin Ekeler (Week 2). Wideout Noah Brown, currently on IR, will miss at least eight games. And starting strong safety Will Harris was placed on IR after Week 4 and might return in December.
"That's hard when you lose three really good players," defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. "Losing [Armstrong], that's a big one. He was playing as good as any defensive end in the league."
Receiver Terry McLaurin, who had played in 72 consecutive games and entering this season missed only three games over his first six seasons, has missed the past four games with a quad injury. Daniels, who started every game last year even after he broke a rib, will miss his third game Monday thanks to a low-grade hamstring strain.
Also, with starting right guard Sam Cosmi returning last week from a torn ACL suffered in January, their projected starting offense for the season has not taken one snap together since training camp opened.
"Everybody goes through it in this league," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said, "but we haven't consistently been able to practice as a unit since training camp started. That's where maybe some of the inconsistency is showing up."
In August, Kingsbury sounded the alarm on the impact of player absences. Then, McLaurin was holding in while seeking a contract extension and did not practice in camp. Brown was recovering from a spring knee injury and Cosmi was rehabbing his knee while projected starting left guard Brandon Coleman was in the middle of a four-week absence due to a leg injury.
"Until we get some of these other pieces back, we're not going to know exactly what we are," Kingsbury said at the time.
McLaurin's hold-in did not cause the team to be 3-4. One member of the organization said it was a disruption to the offense but that players understood it was about business. He signed a three-year, $96 million extension in late August.
Despite his absence, Washington won its opener and two of its first three games before McLaurin got hurt. However, he did say it took him a few games to return to the level he's accustomed to. And that showed in his lack of connection with Daniels early on; Daniels had a total QBR of 48.8 (out of 100) when targeting McLaurin this season, compared to 89.4 last year.
"I think there's correlation, but at the same time, I think what happened to me was just unfortunate," McLaurin said. "It's the irony of missing time. I'm sure that [the data] shows some sort of correlation, but for me, it was never something that was on my mind or a concern because I felt like I was in really good shape."
BACK IN TRAINING camp, Washington's defense routinely defeated the offense. But a unit that appeared poised to improve from the one that ranked 18th in points and 13th in yards allowed last season has not materialized in 2025, currently ranking 21st and 27th, respectively.
Not only are they not stopping teams, they also aren't forcing turnovers. Washington is tied for 29th with only three takeaways -- ahead of only the Jets entering Week 8. They're also allowing 6.04 yards per carry.
After the loss to Dallas, Quinn huddled with Whitt and the defensive staff to rethink what they were doing. The result could be due to giving some players, such as second-year linebacker Jordan Magee, more snaps. But the bigger change came by simplifying playcalls and not having as many "layers" (different plays based on whether the offense was in shotgun or under center) on a call.
"The main thing is if we can pick up the play speed," Whitt said, "the ball will come to life. And so, as a coach, you have to take doubt out of the equation. That's what we're going to do."
Communication issues leading to coverage breakdowns have been an issue all season. The Commanders rank second in the NFL in number of plays of 15 yards or more allowed (54). Cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been a frequent target of fans' ire for the big plays, but the lapses have occurred all over. Washington defenders have missed too many tackles and rank 28th in yards after first contact.
Part of the problem, one player said, is that "some guys are playing too much mental gymnastics and trying to be perfect."
Whatever the reason, Reaves said it's time to start getting things fixed. "Everybody can point fingers wherever they want to," Reaves said. "People can point fingers at whoever they want to -- scheme, whatever they want to say. The hell with all the scapegoats, with all the copouts, this and that: 'This ain't working. And why are the coordinators doing this, do that, all that?' That's a cop-out. We're playing, we ain't making plays. That falls on us. It's aggravating to hear everybody pointing fingers on the outside. Nah bro, we're not playing good football. We need to take the blame."
Get ready for "Monday Night Football" in Week 8, when the Commanders travel to take on the Chiefs.
WASHINGTON'S RUN LAST season was fueled by its success late in games, with one opponent encapsulating the difference between this season and last: Chicago.
The Commanders and Bears' last two meetings both came down to the final play. Last season, Daniels tossed a 52-yard Hail Mary in which Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson tipped the ball to Noah Brown for an 18-15 win.
Two weeks ago, Washington held a 24-22 lead vs. Chicago with 3 minutes, 10 seconds remaining at the Bears' 40-yard line when a failed exchange between Daniels and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt handed the Bears a first down at their own 44. The Bears used the rest of the clock to drive for a game-winning 38-yard field goal. Also in the game: A 50-yard Commanders field goal attempt clanged off the left upright and missed. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round, the Commanders won when Zane Gonzalez's 37-yard field goal hit the upright -- and the ball ricocheted through.
If one play goes their way vs. Chicago, then Washington is 4-3 and the outlook is likely different. Instead, the Commanders are 3-4 and frustrated. Last season, Washington won six games on the final play or in the final five seconds. They stressed end-of-game situations in practice last year, just as they did this year. But so far they've had only one game in which the offense had the ball in a one-score game with under four minutes remaining (Chicago).
Last season, Washington's opponents finished with a .436 winning percentage. This year the teams they've played entered Week 8 with a combined 23-22-1 record. Their remaining opponents went 38-31.
"Last year was last year, the things that happened last year are gone," linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "You can't control none of that; all you can do is control this. There's plays we could have made that we don't put ourselves in position to have the ball bounce our way."
QUINN SPOKE TO the players in the locker room after the loss to Dallas. He told the team they were not living up to the standard they had set in 2024.
"He was pissed," punter Tress Way said.
Then, linebacker Frankie Luvu stepped up. He told his teammates a Cliff's Notes version of, "We've got to play better if this is going to turn around."
"Frankie's just a dude, I don't even know if Frankie ever knows what the score is ever. He's just out there swinging until they blow the whistle," Way said. "And he just kind of was like, 'Hey, let's go!' And he's such an easy guy to get behind with that."
Quinn and the team do see some hope on the horizon. Several players returned to the Commanders' facility after the loss to the Bears and watched film until 3 a.m. That resonated after a crushing defeat. The defensive players, despite their struggles, continue to meet as a group for around 30 minutes each Saturday to go over the game plan and talk through how they see plays and how they want to call them. Although those meetings have yet to result in improved play, they persist.
"What's great is I know we have a group of individuals in their coaches and players who are not going to shy away from what we're facing right now, and the season's not over," said McLaurin, who finished with a losing season in each of his first five years before 2024. "I've been on some tough teams [here] ... and I think this group is very resilient, but it's about going out there and doing it too."
The Commanders have 10 games remaining. They know they have a quarterback in Daniels and a passing attack with McLaurin and Deebo Samuel that can hurt defenses. They just have to be on the field together for an extended time -- especially Daniels. As one rival executive said earlier this year, "Daniels covers up a lot of holes on their roster."
And what mattered to Reaves is that his postgame feeling was shared by many.
"A lot of people feel this way, which lets me know that everybody in here cares about it and everybody in here cares about getting out of this," he said. "You got one guy pissed, another guy just [laughing] then that's where you got the discrepancy. With this group of dudes, nobody likes losing. And when you got a collective like that, the collective's going to find its way to get out of it.
"It ain't no secret sauce, no secret recipe. ... Sometimes you might have to crawl first, then get on your feet. But the point is you got back up."