Commanders have a problem that's bigger than just one loss

How you start is important. How you finish is even more so. On Monday night, the Washington Commanders started sloppy, finished sloppy, and gave away a win they needed in more ways than just the win/loss column.

While the one game will live within the 60 minutes it was played in, the events that unfolded in Week 6 are more a grouping of issues that have plagued the Commanders all season.

Turnovers, bad penalties, botched kicks, and defensive lapses all doomed Washington. Over a month into the season, there is now a pattern, and it's much more concerning than anything that could happen in just one game.

Oct 13, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

A 'Way Too Accustomed' Pattern

"First thing I thought, you know, don't like it as the start, we've continued that slow start and we've become way too accustomed to digging ourselves in a hole too early,” head coach Dan Quinn said after the game, and we think he hit the nail squarely on the head.

Quinn’s team let the Chicago Bears get out to a quick 13-0 lead off the backs of three successful drives, sparked in no small part by two turnovers by the Commanders’ own offense.

After a feverish comeback effort for the second week in a row, the game was fumbled away, literally, on a botched handoff from quarterback Jayden Daniels to running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Even that turnover, however, wasn’t anything more than a symptom of the overall problem.

A Symptom of a Larger Problem

Daniels admitted to lacking focus on the play. It would appear, six weeks in, that the lack of focus permeates the roster on game days until the group is figuratively punched in the face.

And that’s the issue that needs to be fixed, first and foremost.

For Daniels, leaning on the self-accountability that so many do, he says, “We just gotta execute better. When the play call comes in, we gotta execute. It starts with me. It starts with all 11 of us on the field at the time. We gotta execute better.”

Sep 7, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) celebrates after a play during the second quarter against the New York Giants at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

A Locker Room Searching for Answers

Receiver Luke McCaffrey, one of the few who continues to have good individual performances while the team struggles to find consistency, struggled to find the words to describe what is going on with the team. And he isn’t alone.

Man after man, polling the locker room for an idea of what is preventing this Washington squad from reaching its potential like the last one did, there are a bunch of determined players without a whole lot of solutions.

That was Monday night, however, and of course, there’s always the likelihood that even if they know it, they aren’t going to be forthcoming about it.

In light of the day entering Tuesday and the next week, however, new opportunities to find the answer will present themselves. With a quick turnaround flying to Dallas on Saturday, the Commanders don’t have much time to dwell on this one, and that could be a good thing.

Getting the 'Nasty Taste' Out

"A short week helps when you lose. You know, you get to get back to the drawing board, you get back to the game faster. The game comes a little bit faster. You win, and you move on. So, that's what we gotta do," linebacker Bobby Wagner said Monday night.

"This is the NFL, man,” defensive tackle Daron Payne stated bluntly, identifying the fact that the concern may live and breathe more on the outside than on the inside. “There will be more games. We gotta get this nasty taste out of our mouths, go to practice, and get ready for Dallas.”

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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