The bleakness of the Washington Commanders’ 2025 season is impossible to ignore.
Eight straight losses. A 3-10 record. They've been a team that’s been unwatchable for two months straight, outside of the loss against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
And now, as Week 15 approaches, Washington enters the final month with nothing left to play for but pride, tape, and the kinds of evaluations that determine who will — and won’t — be part of the organization's next phase.
Unfortunately, this is the sobering reality for a franchise that, this time last year, was sitting near the top of the NFC and pushing for a Super Bowl behind a rookie quarterback and a top-five scoring offense.
Commanders are in evaluation mode with the road ahead extremely uncertain
Today, they are staring down another top-five pick, only six selections in the upcoming draft, and far more questions than answers about where this roster is heading and what the 2026 season could look like.
Their Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants isn’t about matchups, personnel advantages, or schematic wrinkles. It’s about who in the building still has fight left. Who’s finishing the season like a pro? Who’s putting something on film that Adam Peters can build around, or who’s showing that they’re simply taking up space on the roster?
An embarrassing shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings captured the full scope of Washington’s dysfunction.
Defensively, they couldn’t generate pressure on J.J. McCarthy — something nearly every opponent this season has done with ease. They couldn’t set edges. They couldn’t play man. They couldn’t survive in zone coverage. Even knowing Kevin O'Connell's offense has been one of the least threatening units in the NFL, Washington refused to dial up pressure or adjust looks, let alone attempt to dictate terms.
On offense, the frustration is just as alarming. With their full complement of receivers on the field — Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown, and Deebo Samuel Sr. — the Commanders still generated nothing.
No points. No rhythm. No identity. Even at the goal line, the staff refused to lean on the run game, sparking yet another wave of questions about decision-making and the personnel usage that has haunted the club for months.
While injuries have gutted the roster, the issues run far deeper than availability. This is a team lacking cohesion, discipline, and direction — a group that has fallen into a spiral where even the basics seem unattainable.
And now, with four divisional games to finish the year — at the Giants, two games against the Philadelphia Eagles, and a Christmas Day meeting with the Dallas Cowboys — the Commanders are staring at a stretch that will define what pieces are worth carrying forward into the next campaign.
For Dan Quinn and Peters, this final month won’t be about chasing hollow wins. It will be about identifying competitors, professionals, and building blocks. Who’s fighting? Who’s checked out? Who’s playing like a guy trying to earn his place in the next iteration of the roster? Because there will be changes.
The burgundy and gold may not yet have clarity about the future. But these next four games will play a part in who will be along for the ride next year — and who doesn’t.