Commanders Power Rankings Index: National Media Still Can’t Agree After Week 1

Each week during the regular season, we'll be taking a look at what the national media is saying about the Washington Commanders via various publications' NFL Power Polls. Since it's Week 2, everybody has an opinion. Let's take a closer look.

One game apparently didn't make the Washington Commanders any easier for the national media to figure out. They entered Week 1 with an average ranking of No. 24, and after a 24-22 loss to Philadelphia, they only dropped one spot to No. 25.

How they got there is a lot more interesting. NFL.com moved Washington up six spots after the loss, Sports Illustrated dropped them six, and several others barely moved them at all. So while the Commanders left Philadelphia 0-1, there still isn't much agreement on what kind of team actually walked out of there.

Here's where Washington landed across nine national power rankings heading into Week 2 against Dallas.

* 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 1 (Average of 24)	Commanders Power Rankings - Week 2 (Average of 25)	Change Up/Down
ESPN — No. 20	ESPN - No. 23	-3
CBS Sports — No. 26	CBS Sports - No. 26	--
NFL.com — No. 31	NFL.com - No. 25	+6
Pro Football Talk — No. 27	PFT - No. 28	-1
The Athletic — No. 23	The Athletic - No. 25	-2
FOX Sports — No. 26	FOX Sports - No. 26	--
Walter Football - No. 23	Walter Football- No. 24	-1
Sports Illustrated — No. 18	Sport Illustrated - No. 24	-6
Yahoo Sports — No. 22	Yahoo Sports - No. 22	--

Note: The table above has each poll linked to the corresponding name of the publication.

Last week’s Power Ranking Index: No. 24
Last week’s result: lost to Philadelphia Eagles, 24–22
This week: at Dallas Cowboys

ESPN had this to say (23rd):

Sonny Styles finished with one sack, in which he trucked running back Saquon Barkley en route to Jalen Hurts, as well as two tackles for a loss and a QB hit. Styles got caught out of position on a 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert -- but that was because Styles and two teammates pointed at Goedert at the snap, expecting a false start call. Styles also took over playcalling duties when Frankie Luvu injured his groin. The No. 7 pick wasn't perfect, but it was a good debut. -- John Keim

CBS Sports had this to say (26th)

Jayden Daniels is back, but the offensive line is a mess. This is a big year for coach Dan Quinn after changing both coordinators. -- Pete Prisco

NFL.com had this to say (25th)

I heard the complaints from you, Commanders fans, about where I had placed Washington in my rankings last week, and your team had your back on Sunday. Dan Quinn’s squad came up short but battled for four quarters with the back-to-back reigning NFC East champion Eagles. The Commanders were a two-point conversion away from potentially forcing overtime in a game many expected them to lose by double-digits. I give credit where it's due, and while the passing attack was far from consistent, Washington showed much more fight than I anticipated. -- Nick Shook

Fox Sports had this to say (26th):

Jayden Daniels didn’t look like his old, dynamic self, but the Commanders still nearly upset the Eagles. Not sure whether that says more about Washington or Philadelphia. -- Ralph Vacchiano

Sports Illustrated had this to say (24th):

It’s not a consolation prize, but to be one boneheaded Stefon Diggs decision away from taking your division rivals to extra innings is no small task, especially with a totally revamped defense and new coordinators on both sides. Still, Jayden Daniels looked pedestrian and the Commanders had a lower offensive success rate in the first weekend than the Titans. - Conor Orr

Yahoo Sports had this to say (22nd):

Everything was labored with Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' offense. The line didn't protect well but Daniels often held the ball too long, perhaps because his receivers weren't getting open. He averaged 3.41 seconds per throw, the slowest among all QBs through Sunday's games, per Next Gen Stats. (H/T to reporter Tashan Reed for pointing that out.) The Eagles have a good defense and that led to some of the issues. But the opener wasn't a good omen, especially for new coordinator David Blough. At least he has Daniels in his corner. The QB defended the shovel pass play that the Eagles stuffed on a 2-point conversion attempt, preventing a tie in the final minute of regulation. "It was the right call," Daniels told reporters postgame. "Anything Blough calls, man. I'm with him. Regardless, however everybody else might want to view it, man, I'm with Blough 100%." -- Frank Schwab

Pro Football Talk had this to say (28th)

At least they didn’t get blown out. -- Mike Florio

The Athletic had this to say (25th)

Touchdowns on Washington’s final two drives offered some hope, but the Commanders still managed just 4.4 yards per play in the debut of new offensive coordinator David Blough. Stefon Diggs drew a penalty that wiped away their hope of a game-tying 2-point conversion attempt, but at least Jayden Daniels stayed healthy. -- Chad Graff and Josh Kendall

The Verdict: Fair or Dismissive?

If there is any agreement after Week 1, it's that there still isn't much agreement. Washington ranges from No. 22 at Yahoo Sports to No. 28 at Pro Football Talk, and the average only moved from 24th to 25th despite the loss.

That's probably fair after one game. The Commanders showed enough in Philadelphia to keep anyone from burying them, but not enough to erase the same questions that followed them into the season. Week 2 against Dallas gives them another chance to start answering those questions and maybe make next week's Power Rankings Index a little less scattered.

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

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