ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders can, finally, start to see the roster they hoped would shape a second consecutive playoff run. Several players will return either this week or in coming weeks, fueling what they hope is a strong finish.
The problem: It's almost assuredly too late to make a playoff push, barring an extended winning streak and multiple collapses by other teams. In fact, Washington could be eliminated this weekend -- one year after going 12-5 and reaching the NFC Championship Game.
Washington (3-8) hosts Denver (9-2) on Sunday night. The Commanders have lost six in a row; the Broncos have won seven straight.
While others might focus on draft standing, the Commanders still want a strong finish to help make decisions for 2026.
"It's really important," Washington coach Dan Quinn said. "I told the team, you know, for a year and a half we're building something good. The only way it's going to be great is if you find these standards and find the details to take it to the next space. It's not something that you just turn on and off like a faucet."
Quinn was buoyed by having a full roster available for practices this week, something that hasn't happened in more than two months. Washington is expected to have receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown available as well as safety Will Harris. Quarterback Jayden Daniels remains sidelined but was limited in practice and could return next week at Minnesota.
With more players returning, Quinn said he's looking forward to "build that continuity because it makes a difference."
And the players are focused on results, not who might return in '26 or if they'll have a top-10 pick.
"These games count," Harris said. "That's all that ever matters. We can worry about all the other stuff between games after the game. Our job is solely to go out there and get a win."
Washington can be eliminated from playoff contention if it loses, Seattle wins, and Philadelphia and Chicago tie. Whether it happens this weekend or not, elimination is near. So this is what it needs to learn over the next six weeks:
What the offense can do
Washington's projected starting offense this season has yet to take one snap together. The Commanders opened the year with 10 of their 11 starters in place, but right guard Sam Cosmi was still recovering from a torn ACL.
Then running back Austin Ekeler, McLaurin and Brown suffered injuries. Ekeler is done for the year. Brown and McLaurin have missed a combined 16 games because of injuries. McLaurin had missed three games during his first six seasons and had played 72 in a row entering the season. Both are expected to play Sunday; it would be the first time since Week 2 that Washington has its top three receivers available.
"You want to really push one another to see where you can take it," Quinn said. "You want to find the things that you want to improve upon, and that's really what you're always looking for. Can I raise it to here, can I raise it to here? For Jayden specifically, it's obviously playing QB at the very highest, most competitive level and also doing it as safe as you possibly can.
"We got a lot of things that we want to work on."
Quarterback Marcus Mariota will make his sixth start Sunday, but he understands the value of seeing Daniels and a full set of receiving weapons.
"We understand what our situation is as a team," Mariota said, "but when it comes down to it, the more that we can all practice together, compete together and see what we can do, I think it's going to create a sense of success in a sense, and I think that's important."
Last season Washington's offense finished fifth in points and seventh in yards -- the first time the franchise had finished top 10 in both since 2012. This year, thanks in part to the injuries, Washington ranks 17th in yards and 23rd in points.
But even with just the return of Brown and McLaurin in particular, Washington's offense can at least remind the league what it can do. Of course, three of its last six games are against defenses ranked in the top eight in scoring. The Commanders already played three games versus teams in the top eight.
"The way they have to try to defend us will change when you have options like that outside," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. "We just want to maximize who we are as an offense. There's moments we move the ball but we're not scoring enough."
John Keim provides an update for the Commanders' plans with QB Jayden Daniels.
How many future changes on D?
Quinn already took over the defensive playcalling duties from coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. In Quinn's first game calling plays, Washington held Miami to 16 points and 311 yards in an overtime loss.
"The energy was different, the energy looked different," safety Jeremy Reaves said. "When you watch good defenses on film and on TV, that's what it is."
The question for the next six weeks: Was that defensive showing a byproduct of changes, or was it about facing a weaker offense? After all, in their previous five losses Washington faced offenses ranked in the top nine in scoring while the Dolphins are tied for 24th.
"I liked the intensity that I saw," Quinn said of the Miami game. "I liked the communication to limit the explosive plays. That's a big deal. That's going to be an important piece for us to make sure, man, right spot, right location and like really nailing your job. Not most of the time, like every, every, every time."
The Commanders play four of their next six games against offenses ranked 19th or lower in scoring.
Washington has been a heavy man coverage team this season. In the first 10 games the Commanders ranked eighth in using man coverage, averaging 17 snaps a game. But they used that tactic only five times vs. the Dolphins. That could have been a function, in part, because starting corners Trey Amos (fibula) and Marshon Lattimore (ACL) were unavailable. They're on injured reserve.
It can inform them more about what they need, whether in terms of style of play or playcalling or personnel.
"Players make plays," Reaves said. "When you've got guys that are in position to make plays and are making plays, that's what transitions [to next season]. Everybody's running the same [defense] or a version of it; it's about the guys in between the lines."
Washington hopes the return of Harris, who fractured his fibula in Week 2 but will play Sunday, provides a boost. Quinn has harped on Harris' communication skills, something the secondary could use. Harris said he studies not only the offense they're facing but also digs into the coordinator's past to learn more about them. It helps him get a better grasp of what they're facing and to then communicate information pre-snap to teammates.
Harris has played corner -- both outside and inside. That also helps the communication.
"He's got good football awareness," Quinn said of Harris. "Will can expand the vision to see other things, to give the alerts to other players. We like how he communicates we like the hitting that he brings and the competitive style that he has."
Individual performances
Washington has only 34 players signed for 2026 -- tied with the Jets for second fewest in the NFL, ahead of only the Raiders. The Commanders have 28 pending free agents, four of whom are on injured reserve.
In other words: They have a lot of decisions to make about who needs to be re-signed. Among the veterans who are in their last season: tight end Zach Ertz, receiver Deebo Samuel and defensive line/linebacker Von Miller.
Miller needs 3.5 sacks to reach 10th on the all-time list since the stat became official in 1982; he's second on the Commanders with five after signing with them during training camp.
"All I can do is stay present," he said. "I can't be worried about the past, can't worry about the future. There's still a whole lot to play for. Individual success is team success. There's always something to play for.
"I want to play next year. I want to put my best foot forward and have successful games."
They also have multiple players who are signed through 2026 but either have big cap numbers next season (tackle Daron Payne) or could be extended (linebacker Frankie Luvu) or released whether because of injury or performance (Lattimore). Lattimore's season is over after he tore his ACL in Week 9.
"The biggest thing you have to remember as a player is that what you put on tape is who you are," Reaves said. "That's your résumé. Nobody cares what the record is when they turn the tape on, they just turn the tape on and they're watching who's out there and what they're doing when they're out there."
Reaves said seasons such as this one can provide more information.
"I've been in this enough to know where what you do when the situation is bad is honestly probably more evaluated than what you do when the situation is good," he said. "It's hard to continue to be motivated when it's not going your way. Those are the guys you watch and you say, OK, he loves ball, and he loves ball no matter how bad it might be going."