It's officially panic time for the Washington Commanders, who dropped below .500 for the first time this season after their blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The defense was abysmal. Washington's offense suffered from a rash of injuries, including Jayden Daniels' exit from the game in the third quarter with a hamstring issue. There were very few positives to take away.
One player did manage to emerge as a shining light amid the chaos. Daron Payne had a day against Dallas, with , including one on the first play, highlighting his afternoon.
Daron Payne is doing enough to get a new deal from the Commanders
Despite recording only one sack through seven games, Payne has had a resurgent year for the Commanders. He's been generating consistent pressure in opposing backfields and making plays on defense and special teams. His blocked field goal in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears was a highlight. The defensive tackle also forced a fumble in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, though Washington failed to recover.
It's been the type of production Washington desperately needed out of its highly paid interior lineman, who is in a make-or-break season after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Commanders released his longtime running-mate, Jonathan Allen, over the offseason, and he has emerged as a leader on and off the field in his eighth NFL season.
Payne is technically not in a contract year, but his deal comes with a potential out in 2026 that would cost the Commanders $11.2 million in dead cap instead of the $28 million they'd be paying him to play. He's performing like a guy Washington should want to keep around next year.
Unfortunately, his effort and energy have not translated to the rest of Washington's defense. The secondary was once again porous, giving up big plays and penalties in chunks of yardage. The linebacking duo has been a major letdown as Bobby Wagner's age has begun to show, and Frankie Luvu continues to be shockingly invisible.
Worse yet, defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., who has been a bright spot this year along with Payne, left the game against his former team on the first drive. He had been attempting to play through a bruised hamstring and has been ruled out for the remainder of 2025 with a significant knee problem.
It's looking pretty bleak for the Commanders. But at the very least, No. 94 has done his job.