Commanders take massive tumble in NFL power rankings

The Washington Commanders are taking a step back after a Week 4 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL.com writer Eric Edholm conducted a recent power rankings where the Commanders clocked in at No. 11, three spots lower than the previous week.

"The Commanders were not great offensively in Atlanta without Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, but they still put up 27 points. The defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain, allowing 10 plays of 15 yards or longer," Edholm wrote.

"Six of those plays came in the second half while Washington was trying to claw back. Mike Sainristil’s third-quarter INT felt like a potential turning point, but the Commanders couldn’t convert the short field into a TD and Atlanta scored on its next two drives. Marcus Mariota led six scoring drives in nine possessions but also threw a pick and never quite settled in all game. The Commanders are now 0-2 away from home, with three of the next four games on the road. They need to be better."

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Commanders move out of top 10 in power rankings

The teams higher than the Commanders in the power rankings are the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Commanders have a chance to jump back into the top tier of the league, but they are going to need Jayden Daniels to come back strong, potentially as early as Week 5 against the Chargers.

If the Commanders can pull out a win on the road against a team higher than them in the power rankings, they should be in good shape moving forward as they build momentum into the middle portion of the season.

Kickoff between the Commanders and Chargers is scheduled for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on CBS or stream it on Paramount Plus.

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