The Biggest Question Nobody Is Asking About the Commanders (And How They Answer It)

The Washington Commanders already know what Jayden Daniels can do at his best. The bigger question is whether they can win when their quarterback is merely good.

After three separate injuries limited Daniels to seven games and eventually led Washington to shut him down, his health will remain central to every conversation surrounding the team. But that is not the only question the franchise will have to answer.

Washington has to find out what type of team they are when Daniels is healthy and does not take over the game. Can they win when he throws for 180 yards and a touchdown, but does not create those three or four plays that only a few quarterbacks in the NFL can make?

That could in fact be the biggest question facing Washington in 2026, even if no one is asking it that way. Figuring out whether the rest of the roster can keep a game under control without needing Daniels to play Superman could go a long way for the staff.

#Commanders QB Jayden Daniels putting in offseason work with his RB, WRs, and TEs at UCLA 🍿🏈

(🎥:dyamibrown5 on YT) pic.twitter.com/2fro4cy9T3
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) July 14, 2026

Washington Had No Margin for Error Last Season

Last season was not only a reminder of how important Daniels is to the team, but also how important good depth is. It was not hard to see how quickly everything can fall apart when the team could not create easier ways to win or stop the opposition.

Washington was outgained 6,533 yards to 5,419 yards; opposing teams scored 52 times to the Commanders' 41, and the team finished with a minus-13 turnover ratio. Opponents also recorded 375 first downs compared to Washington's 323.

Those numbers show a team that rarely controlled anything that was going on. The offense could run the ball, but it either abandoned it or the situation would not allow them to lean on it when needed. The defense had some success creating pressure, but not enough to get opposing teams off the field in crunch time. Once Daniels was unavailable, Washington was limited in the number of game-changing options they could turn to offensively.

If the 2026 Washington Commanders are to be taken seriously, that cannot happen again.

Having a franchise quarterback gives teams an advantage, or at least it is supposed to. But when plan A goes wrong, Daniels should not be the only thing the team can depend on.

David Blough's Offense is Part of the Answer

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws downfield during the second quarter of their game Thursday, September 11, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers beat the Washington Commanders 27-18 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After moving on from Kliff Kingsbury, they promoted David Blough instead of hiring an outside offensive coordinator. Blough served as the team's assistant quarterbacks coach from February 2024 until he took over as the interim/full quarterbacks coach on November 30, 2025, after Tavita Pritchard departed to become the head coach at Stanford University. In other words, Blough has been given the fast track.

This offseason, Washington has made a point of being vague with the details of Blough's offense, but some of the intended changes are already clear. The Commanders are expected to use the no-huddle less, put Daniels under center more often, and place a heavier emphasis on the running game. Blough's background with Ben Johnson and Kevin O'Connell has somewhat created the expectation that Washington will use more motion and play-action to create more favorable matchups.

Daniels described his work with Blough as a collaborative process. “He's the O.C., but we get to build this offense together.” The goal should be an offense that benefits from Daniels' ability without becoming dependent on him breaking the structure. There is absolutely zero reason to take away what makes their quarterback special. They just need to learn to regulate how often he is forced to use it.

The Running Game Has to Carry More Weight

Jacory Croskey-Merritt named Week 15 @pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week 👏 pic.twitter.com/cgupfkpXc2
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2025

The Commanders rushed for 2,290 yards last season and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt. Those numbers look good, but a productive rushing total is not the same thing as having a running game capable of controlling the end of a close game.

That is where Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jerome Ford, Jeremy McNichols, and rookie Kaytron Allen come into this discussion.

Croskey-Merritt led Washington with 805 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. He showed enough for Blough to say he believes the former seventh-round pick can become an NFL starting running back, but the Commanders also want him to improve as a receiver and pass protector before giving him an every-down role.

Washington does not necessarily need one back to handle everything. It does need the entire room to take some of the responsibility away from Daniels.

Can the Commanders pick up a third-and-2 without using their quarterback's legs? Can they protect a fourth-quarter lead when the defense knows the run is coming? Can one of the backs turn a short pass into an explosive play instead of Daniels having to wait for something to open downfield?

Those plays will say more about the offense than another highlight throw during training camp.

The Defense Cannot Make Every Possession Feel Necessary

Washington Commanders edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson works at minicamp. | Washington Commanders

Adam Peters also addressed what went wrong last season by rebuilding a large portion of the defense. He added Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu, with Oweh and Chaisson combining for 21 sacks last season, including the playoffs. The Commanders then used the No. 7 overall pick to select linebacker Sonny Styles, adding even more speed to the defense.

That does not guarantee the defense will become one of the best in the NFL. It should make the unit faster and give it more ways to create pressure.

Washington recorded only eight interceptions last season and allowed 33 passing touchdowns. The defense also gave up 2,411 rushing yards and 4.8 yards per carry.

No offense should be expected to overcome those numbers every week.

The defense does not have to become dominant overnight, but it does need to stop making every possession feel like the Commanders have to score. One takeaway, one short field, or one late stop could be the difference between Daniels having to manufacture a comeback and Washington being able to finish a game normally.

The Answer Will Come on Daniels’ Ordinary Sundays

Everyone will notice when Daniels throws for 300 yards, adds another 70 on the ground, and accounts for four touchdowns. The Commanders should win most of those games.

The more important test will come when he does not.

There will be Sundays when Daniels misses a throw, the offense goes three-and-out, or the opposing defense takes away Washington's first plan. The Commanders need to win more of those games than they lose.

That could mean Croskey-Merritt and the running backs finishing a fourth-quarter drive. It could mean Oweh creating a strip-sack that gives the offense a short field. It could mean the secondary turning a contested pass into an interception or the special teams unit forcing an opponent to drive the length of the field.

The best teams do not need their quarterback to be the best player on the field every week. They have enough around him to survive the games when he is not.

Daniels will still determine how high the Commanders can climb. That comes with having a player capable of changing everything in Washington.

The rest of the roster will determine how often he has to save them.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and the Commanders on SI on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.

Add us as a preferred source on Google