Commanders' free fall in NFL power rankings continues after second straight loss

The Washington Commanders suffered their fourth loss of the season to bring them back under .500 after dropping a huge NFC East battle against the Dallas Cowboys.

After being praised all offseason for their surprising run to the NFC Championship in 2024, their offseason moves to get better, and hype surrounding contending with the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC, the Commanders find themselves floundering with not much positive to hold on to.

Nothing has seemed to go the Commanders' way since the onset of the season. Following the training camp holdout of Terry McLaurin, the vibes have been off in the DMV. Injuries have mounted, the offense looks lethargic, and the defense can't seemingly stop anything that is thrown their way.

With the Commanders falling off a cliff faster than Cliff Hanger from Between the Lions, NFL.com has the franchise slipping further and further in their power ranking. Per Eric Edholm, the Commanders' slide in the rankings continues this week, falling another four spots to the 16th-best team in the league.

Commanders Free Fall Continues as Pressure Mounts

Oct 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) fumbles the ball Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"That's two straight losses after the big win in L.A., and the Commanders suddenly find themselves in tough shape physically. They were already down their top three receivers heading into the loss to Dallas, and Jayden Daniels exited the game early in the third quarter with a hamstring injury," wrote Edholm. "Up next are matchups against the Chiefs, Seahawks, followed by a game in Madrid, so it's clear that this is a dangerous time for Washington. The defense hasn't given us any reason to believe it will suddenly start making big plays; when it's not getting sacks, this unit is struggling. The Commanders have forced just three turnovers all season and have suffered from major coverage lapses and poor tackling."

The Commanders' ranking places them between the Jacksonville Jaguars at 15 and the Los Angeles Chargers at 17, and in real danger of falling out of the top half of teams in the NFL.

As mentioned by Edholm, things are dwindling fast for the Commanders. They continue to have injury issues up and down the roster, and even if Daniels is healthy enough to return sooner rather than later, the offense hasn't been able to cook up much of anything. And, on top of that, the defense has looked lost for major portions of the season.

The Commanders are hopeful some of their injury woes work themselves out here soon, but ultimately, they will need to step up in all facets if they hope to climb out of the hole they have put themselves in to begin the season.

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