Commanders Power Rankings Show a Troubling Consensus After Giants Tie

Each week during the regular season, we'll look at what the national media is saying about the Washington Commanders via various publications' NFL Power Polls. With it being Week 6, things are starting to get clearer for several teams. We didn't have a poll in Week 5, so the last polls shown are still from Week 4...

The Washington Commanders had a tough week, falling from up 14 in the fourth quarter, letting the game slip away, and ending in a 27-27 overtime tie.

That performance didn't do Washington any favors with the national media, either, as eight of the nine power rankings we track each week have the Commanders sitting between No. 25 and No. 28.

* Side note: Many have asked whether these polls are helpful, which is a fair question. One way to look at them is as a way to broaden your perspective on what others believe. Not to mention, sometimes it's fun to see the national media guys bump around in the dark, chasing their tails, clueless.

Commanders Power Rankings

Commanders Power Rankings - Week 4 (Average of 25)	Commanders Power Rankings - Week 6 (Average of 27)	Change Up/Down
ESPN - No. 26	ESPN - No. 28	-2
CBS Sports - No. 28	CBS Sports - No. 28	--
NFL.com - No. 21	NFL.com - No. 28	-7
PFT - No. 23	PFT - No. 28	-5
The Athletic - No. 23	The Athletic - No. 27	-4
FOX Sports - No. 24	FOX Sports - No. 27	-3
Walter Football - No. 29	Walter Football - No 20	+9
Sports Illustrated - No. 26	Sports Illustrated - No. 28	-2
Yahoo Sports - No. 21	Yahoo Sports - No. 25	-4

Oct 11, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders cornerback Amik Robertson (2) blocks a pass intended for New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney (17) during overtime at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Note: The table above links each poll to the corresponding publication name.

Last week’s Power Ranking Index: No. 25
HIGHEST Ranking: No. 20
LOWEST Ranking: No. 28
Last week’s result: tied the New York Giants 27-27
This week: @ San Francisco 49ers on MNF

ESPN had this to say (28th):

The Commanders are last in second-half points allowed per game (19) and 28th in second-half yards allowed per game (151.2). They have given up 20 or more points after halftime in each of the past four games, which includes a blown two-touchdown lead Sunday. One big issue has been a lack of pressure. Washington ranks 28th in sacks per dropback in the second half. Their secondary has played better, but it lacks playmakers. That issue, combined with little pressure, is why the Commanders are allowing a 53.1 third-down conversion rate after halftime. -- John Keim

CBS Sports had this to say (28th)

The tie they got against the Giants should have been a victory. They choked at the end. That has to sting to not win it. — Pete Prisco

NFL.com had this to say (28th)

Jayden Daniels returned and injected life into Washington’s offense, which was nice. The Commanders’ defense acquitted itself well, too, until the fourth-quarter collapse that saw Jameis Winston lead two touchdown drives to send the game to overtime. The ending wiped everything else away in the general football consciousness, which is understandable, but I liked what I saw from the Commanders for most of this game. That chaotic, disastrous finish was too fitting for this team, though, which is why it lands here after giving away a gift-wrapped win to take a painful tie. — Nick Shook

Fox Sports had this to say (27th):

What the hell was that? There’s really not much more to say than that after the way the Commanders lost (OK, tied) the Giants on Sunday. It was bad enough that they wasted a triumphant return performance by QB Jayden Daniels that was giving them hope for the rest of their season. It was worse that head coach Dan Quinn’s defense forgot how to play in the second half and let the Giants shove them down the field and almost win the game.

Letting the clock run out in overtime when you’re staring at a short, game-winning field goal? It’s inexcusable. And it’s on the coach — or more accurately, their soon-to-be-former coach. — Ralph Vacchiano

Sports Illustrated had this to say (28th):

Commanders and a moment both completely inexplicable and completely familiar for any human. — Conor Orr

Yahoo Sports had this to say (25th):

Let's wait a moment to pile on Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels and whoever else was responsible for the fiasco at the end of Sunday's tie. There were other issues. The Commanders allowed a field goal and three touchdowns on the Giants' first four possessions of the second half. They had a 27-13 lead with just over 11 minutes left and couldn't win. The Commanders couldn't make a play against Jameis Winston to clinch a victory. And with a chance to ice the game with a 27-20 lead or win the game in the final 1:43 of regulation or after a missed Giants field goal in overtime, the Commanders punted three times. Those were failures too and can't be forgotten.

And obviously the end of the game was inexcusable. The Commanders were rudderless as the clock ran out, and that's alarming. Quinn doesn't call offensive or defensive plays so a stupefying failure in clock management at the end is a really bad look for him. Daniels has to be more aware as well. It's not impossible for the Commanders to rebound from blowing a shot at a win Sunday, but it was embarrassing and will affect them all season in the NFC East race, if they ever get back in it. — Frank Schwab

Pro Football Talk had this to say (28th)

The clock is still ticking on Dan Quinn. In more ways than one. — Mike Florio

The Athletic had this to say (27th)

Has a tie ever felt like more of a loss? There are so many questions coming out of this one. How did Jayden Daniels not understand the situation? How did Dan Quinn not have his team better prepared for that late-game moment? In a way, that sums up where the Commanders sit after a promising 2024 season: just a lot of questions with no great results. — Chad Graff and Josh Kendall

Walter Football had this to say (20th)

I think we've seen enough from Dan Quinn as a head coach. There's no reason the Redskins should have run a play when they could have just kicked the field goal. Quinn is a brilliant defensive coordinator, but he has now failed twice as a head coach, and the Redskins need to go in a different direction next year.

At the end of the day, the Commanders enter Week 6 with an average ranking of No. 26.55. Washington dipped a bit this week, but the tie against the Giants suggests the team is probably better than its ranking and needs to get back to situational football.

We'll revisit these each week and see where the national pulse moves next.

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