This was the last chance saloon for the Washington Commanders if they wanted to keep their slim hopes of reaching the playoffs alive. Not for the first time this season, their Week 9 beatdown by the Seattle Seahawks was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.
More injuries — one to Washington's franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels — will generate the headlines. But the simple fact of the matter is that the Commanders were not ready to play. They were sluggish, mistake-ridden, and unable to cope with the Seahawks' firepower on both sides of the football.
That's a dangerous mix, and the Commanders are 3-6 for a reason. This is not the same team that took the NFL by storm in 2024. Everything is different, and it now looks like last season's meteoric rise was an anomaly rather than the start of a profitable new era.
General manager Adam Peters has some big decisions to make over the next couple of days before the 2025 trade deadline. After this latest capitulation, don't be surprised if the Commanders look to sell off deadwood in their quest to put themselves in a better position when the offseason arrives.
That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, here are two winners and five losers from the Commanders' embarrassing blowout to the Seahawks.
Winners and losers from the Commanders' disaster against the Seahawks
Loser No. 1
Quan Martin - Commanders S
Fans were expecting Quan Martin to have a breakout campaign in 2025. He was the alpha dog in the safety room after the Washington Commanders let Jeremy Chinn walk for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. There is enough of a sample size to suggest that this notion will fall way short of the mark.
Martin isn't a breakout star; he's a complete liability on the backend. His positional sense in coverage support isn't up to the required standard. The former Illinois star is an abysmal tackler, with poor angles and even worse technique, resulting in frustrating errors that cannot be ignored any longer.
If the Commanders want to get serious, Martin's role needs to diminish moving forward. The defensive back lacks the confidence to impose himself firmly. He's not the only one in Washington's secondary fluffing their lines, but this was the year when he was expected to arrive.
He's further behind than ever. Martin has all the athleticism in the world, but the tape doesn't lie: he was an undeniable weak link the Seattle Seahawks picked apart at will.
Loser No. 2
Commanders offensive line
The Washington Commanders' offensive line was nothing short of an abomination throughout. They were sloppy, undisciplined, and unprepared to play. That's a dangerous combination — something the Seattle Seahawks had no trouble taking advantage of.
Jayden Daniels was pressured on an astonishing 51 percent of his dropbacks. That is entirely unacceptable, and that's without factoring in costly penalties just when it seemed Washington was capable of generating some momentum.
The talent is there to be more productive, but something isn't clicking. Whether it's the blocking concepts, the coaching, or a lack of motivation is debatable, but things cannot continue like this for much longer. It's the same problems week after week, so some harsh truths are needed with the formidable Detroit Lions defensive front coming to town in Week 10.
Washington was expecting more from its investments. They are failing to become the cohesive unit needed, and the price has been extremely costly.
Winner No. 1
Jeremy Reaves - Commanders S
It was hard to find any positives from arguably the most pathetic display of the Dan Quinn era in Washington. Very few came out of the game with something to show for their efforts. It was a brutal reality check about how far the Commanders are from the leading contenders in the NFC, even before quarterback Jayden Daniels got hurt.
Amid all the doom and gloom, one player's effort and urgency never wavered. He wasn't always in the right spot or made the right decision, but veteran safety Jeremy Reaves was never found wanting in commitment.
Reaves was trying valiantly to mask others' failings, but he was fighting a losing battle. One player cannot fix what's wrong with Washington's defense, but he at least kept his own tempo high right until the final whistle.
If others had matched the South Alabama product's level of relentless pursuit, perhaps the Commanders wouldn't be in this mess.
Loser No. 3
Mike Sainristil - Commanders CB
The box score watchers will wonder why Mike Sainristil is on this list after securing an interception. But anyone who watched the game closely can see just how much the second-year cornerback is struggling.
Big things were expected of Sainristil in 2025. The former Michigan standout enjoyed an awe-inspiring rookie campaign that had fans wondering if Adam Peters had found a franchise cornerstone. To say things have not gone that way this season would be a grave understatement.
Sainristil is being targeted as a weak link, and it's working. He was burned almost constantly in this one, with rookie wide receiver Tory Horton having an absolute field day whenever he was lined up against the second-year pro.
Everyone ate versus Sainristil. He wasn't alone in struggling, but he is held to a higher standard after raising the bar for himself last season. This was another dismal outing that raised more questions than it answered.
Loser No. 4
Joe Whitt Jr. - Commanders DC
The excuses are starting to wear thin. Kliff Kingsbury shouldn't get off the hook, but what chance did the offense have thanks to the Washington Commanders' porous defense that let the Seattle Seahawks get whatever they wanted?
Sam Darnold was on a historic trajectory in the first half. He knew precisely how to punish the Commanders, throwing for more than 250 yards, four touchdowns, and 31 points all in the first half. Seattle took pity after that, but it was clear that Mike Macdonald's squad could have run up the score if it wanted to.
Joe Whitt Jr.'s position as defensive coordinator is becoming untenable. One could point to the lackluster personnel or the injuries, but he's not getting a tune out of his players. They aren't responding to his motivational tactics, and Jayden Daniels can't paper over the cracks this time around.
Dan Quinn is a loyal guy, but he needs to take action. Either he takes over the defensive play-calling, or he removes Whitt from the equation. It's that simple.
Winner No. 2
Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Commanders RB
As previously mentioned, there were very few positives for the Commanders to take. It was a catastrophe from start to finish, and fans are now bracing themselves for a sorry second half of the campaign with no Jayden Daniels to depend upon.
There were a couple of encouraging signs to take from the game. They were hard to find, and probably wouldn't have stood out too much on other days, but it is what it is at this point.
Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. finally got some volume in terms of touches. The former Kentucky standout was one of the few who showed any urgency. His aggressive running style and ability to absorb contact added an extra sense of physicality that was sorely lacking with Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Rodriguez finished with 65 rushing yards and one score from 12 carries. His 5.4 yards per carry was far and away the best running back production Washington had, but whether it's enough for extended involvement moving forward is another matter.
Loser No. 5
Dan Quinn - Commanders HC
Just when you thought things had reached rock bottom for the Commanders, there was still worse to come. Superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels tried to scramble in pursuit of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. He fell awkwardly, and the gruesome replay immediately told fans that it was something serious.
Reports suggest that Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow, which will keep him out for the foreseeable future. This is the latest in a long line of demoralizing injuries. But in all honesty, this one could have been avoided.
Just what Daniels was doing in the game at this late stage is anyone's guess. That's on head coach Dan Quinn, who is facing scathing criticism across the fan base and the media for his complete lack of judgment.
Quinn looks dejected, lost, and out of answers. His desperate attempt to salvage some respectability versus his old employers cost the Commanders their franchise signal-caller. And it's only going to get worse from here.