Winner No. 3
Dorance Armstrong Jr. - Commanders OLB
The Washington Commanders have brought Dorance Armstrong Jr. along gradually over the early stages of the campaign. This was understandable, given that the veteran edge rusher took a long time to work his way back from a torn ACL, which ended his breakout season well ahead of schedule.
Armstrong got another chance to rest and heal over the bye week, and it showed. The Kansas State product maximized every snap against the Philadelphia Eagles, displaying urgency in pass-rushing situations and much improved gap discipline against the run to further enhance his influence.
This was a massive confidence boost for Armstrong. It's taken a while for the player to find his football legs again, but if this performance is any indication, he should have a big role over the second half of 2026.
The tentativeness Armstrong displayed over his first few games back was gone, replaced by conviction and a relentless desire to play his part. Long may it continue.
Loser No. 1
Josh Conerly Jr. - Commanders OT
There is no denying Josh Conerly Jr.'s talent. The right tackle looks fitter and sharper in Year 2 of his professional career, and spending the offseason working out with five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil had the desired effect.
Conerly's future is bright. Unfortunately, this was not the 2025 first-round pick's best day at the office.
The former Oregon star had some frustrating procedural issues pre-snap, which highlighted his overall hesitancy. Conerly's pass protection was nowhere near the standard fans have come to expect, and the edge protector still shows flaws on running downs that must be fixed for him to become the complete package.
Hopefully, this will be nothing more than a blip. Conerly's been a bright spot this season, so if he can brush up on his obvious pre-snap flaws and become a little bit stronger, he's got all the makings of a franchise staple for the next decade.
Winner No. 4
Treylon Burks - Commanders WR
Terry McLaurin's torn patellar tendon against the San Francisco 49ers left a gaping void in the wide receiver room for the rest of 2026. General manager Adam Peters also didn't seek outside help, which placed a lot of faith in those lower down the depth chart.
The Commanders needed more from everyone. Treylon Burks was among them, and even after a concentration issue early in the contest that could have moved the chains on third down, he made a significant mark on the game.
Burks is visibly growing in confidence. He's always had the athletic scope to be more impactful, and without McLaurin to depend on, he'll now get his shot.
Based on this showing, he's keen to take advantage.
Jayden Daniels trusts Burks, as evidenced by his 54-yard deep gain that was among the game's notable highlights. Opposing teams will pay more attention to him moving forward, but getting these numbers against someone like Quinyon Mitchell is a big step in the right direction.
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