#washington-commanders

#washington-commanders

The Washington Commanders began their 2025 campaign with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations after winning 12 games and making the NFC Championship game last season. After handily beating the New York Giants in Week 1, the Commanders fell to the Green Bay Packers in an ugly Thursday Night Football showingthat was never as close as the final score. Everybody knew there would be some growing pains with the higher expectations, and this was a necessary reality check.

Sinnott was allocated just three offensive snaps despite Bates going out of the game after nine. He did bring in his only target for seven receiving yards, but this lack of involvement is a damning indictment of how his development is being perceived by those in power. If they had any trust in Sinnott whatsoever, they would have slotted him in as Bates' replacement immediately.

Defensively, it was a mess. Matt LaFleur's strategy gave Joe Whitt Jr. endless problems. He exposed the Commanders' soft zone scheme, and the coordinator's decision to send four players to generate pressure became an ongoing frustration. There was almost no dynamism in the secondary. This allowed quarterback Jordan Love to get the football downfield with minimal fuss and running back Josh Jacobs to pound his way to another profitable evening.

The Washington Commanders came crashing back down to earth with a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. It's early days, but these two clubs are clearly on different levels right now, and it showed during a one-sided affair that could have been won by a much wider margin. Dan Quinn's squad just weren't at the races. They were lackluster in almost every phase, everything looked disjointed, and the Commanders couldn't generate any momentum whatsoever. Some soul-searching is needed over the mini-bye week to ensure this squad is capable of meeting lofty expectations.

Washington was never in any real danger. They controlled proceedings throughout, showcasing major improvements on defense to make things extremely uncomfortable for Giants quarterback Russell Wilson. It was disjointed at times from an offensive standpoint, but Jayden Daniels made the plays needed to succeed behind a stout rushing attack. This was a solid enough platform from which to build. However, bigger challenges are upcoming for the Commanders.

McCaffrey got plenty of reps last season, but targets were at a premium. There were flashes of promise over training camp, but his almost anonymous contribution throughout Washington's preseason slate raised alarm bells. The No. 100 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft made the 53-man roster, but Week 1 proved just how far down the pecking order he is.

Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut, leading Pittsburgh to an enthralling victory over the New York Jets. Chris Boswell kicked a go-ahead 60-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining. The Jets, who lost in coach Aaron Glenn's debut, had a chance to drive for a potential winning field goal when they got the ball back with 56 seconds remaining.

According to Brad Gagnon from The Bleacher Report, it is fairly broad and fairly typical. The analyst cited the play of the Commanders' defense as the team's biggest roadblock to success. He admits there is a degree of nitpicking involved in this analysis. Washington played well across the board last season, far exceeding expectations on its way to a conference title game. The offense was exceptional, so perhaps defense will indeed be the key to equaling or surpassing last year's performance.