Commanders Power Rankings Index: National Media Finally Agrees

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. Since it's Week 3, everybody has an opinion. Let's take a closer look.

The Washington Commanders are 0-2, Jayden Daniels is hurt, and the national view finally agrees. After another loss and another week of questions, here’s where Washington lands across the latest NFL power rankings heading into Week 3 against Seattle.

* 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.

Introducing the Commanders starting quarterback for Sunday's home opener against Seattle.

Say hello to Marcus Mariota. pic.twitter.com/C7YlgcwwmS
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) September 23, 2026

Commanders Power Rankings

Commanders Power Rankings - Week 2 (Average of 25)	Commanders Power Rankings - Week 3 (Average of 28)	Change Up/Down
ESPN - No. 23	ESPN - No. 28	-5
CBS Sports - No. 26	CBS Sports - No. 29	-3
NFL.com - No. 25	NFL.com - No. 28	-3
PFT - No. 28	PFT - No. 30	-2
The Athletic - No. 25	The Athletic - No. 29	-4
FOX Sports - No. 26	FOX Sports - No. 29	-3
Walter Football- No. 24	Walter Football - No. 28	-4
Sport Illustrated - No. 24	Sports Illustrated - No. 28	-4
Yahoo Sports - No. 22	Yahoo Sports - No. 27	-5

Sep 20, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3) celebrates with wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) after catching a four-yard pass for a touchdown thrown by quarterback Jayden Daniels (not pictured) against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-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
Last week’s result: lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 37-20
This week: vs. Seattle Seahawks

ESPN had this to say (28th):

Daniels has now left because of an injury in four of his past five games — three times because of his left elbow. He has dislocated it twice, including Sunday in Dallas, and reinjured it when he returned last season. The shame of it is that the comment before the injury would've been that Daniels is back. He had a strong finish in the Commanders' season-opening loss to the Eagles and was playing well in Dallas. With a healthy Daniels, Washington is a much different threat. But he just has to ... stay healthy. -- John Keim

CBS Sports had this to say (29th)

Losing Jayden Daniels with the elbow injury is just a damning blow to this team. At 0-2, without Daniels out, Dan Quinn is in trouble. — Pete Prisco

NFL.com had this to say (28th)

It’s fair for Commanders fans to ask the football gods why they deserve such punishment. Jayden Daniels’ latest elbow injury throws Washington back into a familiar place of doom and gloom, which is especially disappointing when considering how hard the rebuilt defense has played for Dan Quinn through two weeks. — Nick Shook

Fox Sports had this to say (29th):

The Commanders looked like they had some momentum before QB Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow late in the first half. Without him, though, it’s hard to see them coming back from an 0-2 start. — Ralph Vacchiano

Sports Illustrated had this to say (28th):

You should not blame Dan Quinn for Jayden Daniels’s two elbow dislocations. You should, however, begin to consider a world without Daniels, or at the very least, an uncomfortable world where the Commanders wind up with a top-five pick. — Conor Orr

Yahoo Sports had this to say (27th):

It's strange to see Dan Quinn get criticized for Jayden Daniels dislocating his elbow on the final play of the first half because he went for the touchdown and not the field goal. Going for the touchdown at the 1-yard line when you trail 17-10 is a reasonable football decision. What's unreasonable is calling a game worried about your quarterback getting hurt every play. What happened to Daniels was unfortunate but that's football. The tough part is it's quickly becoming a big part of Daniels' career arc. Since a historic rookie season he played just seven games last season and now is dealing with a dislocated elbow again. The Commanders are 0-2, looked bad on defense against the Cowboys, and now might have to try to save their season with Marcus Mariota presumably filling in for Daniels for a bit. — Frank Schwab

Pro Football Talk had this to say (30th)

Dan Quinn’s time may be running out. — Mike Florio

The Athletic had this to say (29th)

The first-round linebacker popped in Week 1 but came back down to earth Sunday, finishing with three tackles. It was the same story for third-round wide receiver Antonio Williams, who had 64 receiving yards in Week 1 but just 24 in Week 2 as quarterback Jayden Daniels was lost to another elbow injury. — Chad Graff and Josh Kendall

Walter Football had this to say (28th)

The Redskins had a chance to be competitive against the Cowboys, but Jayden Daniels got hurt against Dallas yet again. The Redskins also lost two offensive linemen to injury. What a disaster.

Two weeks in, the Commanders haven’t given anyone much reason to move them up. Now they get Seattle at home with Marcus Mariota under center and a chance to change the conversation before 0-2 turns into something much worse.

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

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