Commanders report card: Grading Washington positional units at the bye

The Washington Commanders will not lose their seventh consecutive game this week. Washington is finally on its bye. A 3-2 start with a big road win over the Los Angeles Chargers has now turned into six straight losses, a 3-8 record, and a potential top-five pick.

Injuries have dominated the conversation around the 2025 Commanders. For all of the luck and good bounces Washington got last season, things have drastically gone the opposite direction this season. And injuries aren't the only reason for the Commanders' struggles. The regression of key players from last season has been startling.

While Washington has dealt with a ton of injuries, specific positions have been hit the hardest. At wide receiver, the Commanders have lost Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, and Luke McCaffrey for a game or more. McLaurin has appeared in only four games, Brown hasn't played since Week 2, and McCaffrey is out for the season. Samuel missed one game and has played through injuries.

Washington has also been hit hard at defensive end and cornerback.

How would you grade the Commanders over their first 11 games? After every Washington game, we do a report card, grading the offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, and the quarterback. Here's our report card for up to the Week 12 bye.

Offense: B-

It's difficult to grade the offense fairly when Jayden Daniels and McLaurin have only played in two games together. When you combine that with McLaurin missing OTAs, training camp, and the preseason, it's no wonder the two weren't on the same page early. The running game started strong, but tailed off beginning in Week 6. Part of that is due to Washington's injuries at receiver. Opposing defenses did not respect any of the Commanders' wideouts, so they loaded the box and focused on shutting down the run. Also, Daniels is a big part of the running game and has missed five games.

The new-look offensive line has had its moments. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil has been as advertised. Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. struggled early, but is getting better every week. At times, the 2024 offensive line looked better, but this is more about cohesion. Remember, Sam Cosmi missed several weeks to start the season. The more this group plays together, the better.

Deebo Samuel has been asked to do too much at times, but he's played well. Zach Ertz has struggled. Overall, this unit hasn't been as strong as last season, but injuries have definitely played a significant role. The Commanders still have a solid offense.

Defense: F

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was demoted ahead of Week 11. While injuries have played a role in this unit's downfall, too, so have mistakes, regression, coaching, and personnel. Dorance Armstrong was the unit's MVP until he tore his ACL in Week 7. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has been dominant at times in his first season with the Commanders. Will Harris looked like a solid addition, but was injured in Week 3. Defensive end Deatrich Wise was lost for the season in Week 2.

Rookie cornerback Trey Amos looks like a keeper. Amos more than held his own until he was lost for the season after suffering a leg injury in Week 10. Marshon Lattimore was up and down until he tore his ACL in Week 9. Mike Sainristil has regressed this season. So has safety Quan Martin. Head coach Dan Quinn cut into Martin's playing time in Week 11. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were second-team All-Pros last season. This year, Wagner is racking up the tackles, but his struggles in coverage are on full display weekly. Luvu is not the same player he was one year ago.

Injuries haven't helped, but this unit continued to make the same mistakes over and over, even before the injuries piled up.

Special teams: A-

Kicker Matt Gay made only 13 of 19 field goals before he was cut this week. Washington signed Gay to a big-money deal for a kicker, and he made less than 70% of his kicks. Punter Tress Way has been excellent as usual. The coverage units are terrific under special teams coach Larry Izzo.

Deebo Samuel was doing an excellent job as the primary kick returner before Washington removed him in fear of injury. Luke McCaffrey took over and was among the top five returners in average per return and total return yardage at the time of his injury.

At punt returner, rookie Jaylin Lane returned one 90 yards for a touchdown and is among the top 10 leaders, averaging over 12 yards per return. Lane took over at kickoff returner when McCaffrey was injured and immediately fumbled. He's fumbled twice this season. Once he cleans that up, Lane could be one of the NFL's most dangerous returners.

Overall, this is a strong unit.

Coaching: C

This grade feels about right. Dan Quinn has made several mistakes this season, including with clock management and timeout usage. His decision to continue to stick with Whitt as the defensive play-caller was curious, too. You can't blame Quinn for injuries, but he's not pressing all the right buttons like he did in 2024.

Not everything was Whitt's fault. How much more can you simplify a defense? Players need to make plays, as Von Miller said. But his insistence on sticking with man coverage, even though he didn't have the personnel for it, was stubborn. Also, why have so many top defensive players from last year taken a step back this season? That falls on coaching, whether it's Quinn, Whitt, or the defensive position coaches.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury hasn't been as great as he was in 2024, but he's had to play without Daniels and McLaurin for long stretches. Those are his top two offensive players. Kingsbury's short-yardage play-calling has come under fire at times, but, overall, he's still one of the NFL's best play-callers. He needs his top guys back.

Quarterback: B

Daniels wasn't as sharp early in the season as he was as a rookie. However, that tells you how good he was last season. He wasn't bad early this season, but he was off with his accuracy. His worst performances came against Green Bay (Week 2), Dallas (Week 7) and Seattle (Week 10). Coincidentally enough, those were the games in which he was injured. Of course, the injuries didn't impact his accuracy. Daniels just needs good injury luck and to have his top receivers back. He was outstanding against the Chargers in Week 5, and he played well against the Bears in Week 6, except for the interception and fumble. Remember, Washington was driving to clinch the game when Daniels fumbled late in the fourth quarter.

Marcus Mariota has played well in each of his five starts. He still makes plays with his legs, and he remains accurate. Mariota has also had to deal with a lack of offensive weapons due to injury. If not for the defense, Mariota's win/loss record looks much better.

Overall, quarterback play isn't holding back Washington. Is B too high? Maybe. But a B or B- feels about right.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Grading each unit at the bye