Commanders News: Sam Howell, Jonathan Allen, Jeremy Reaves and power rankings
By Dean Jones
Commanders nosedive in ESPN's power rankings
If there were encouraging signs to emerge from their defeat at the Philadelphia Eagles, that was not the case in Week 5. The Washington Commanders were punched in the mouth against the then-winless Chicago Bears, which was a stark reality check about the current state of affairs and what more is needed to get this team back among the contenders.
This was reflected in ESPN's weekly power rankings. The Commanders fell five spots to No. 21, with beat writer John Keim highlighting wide receiver Terry McLaurin as the team's most disappointing player from a fantasy football perspective through five games.
"[Terry] McLaurin remains a very good receiver; the opportunities have changed, however. He's averaging career lows in targets per game (6.5), yards per catch (10.4), yards after the catch (2.52) and also in percentage of catches for 20-plus yards (12). He is catching five passes per game, second best in his career, but McLaurin has now gone nine consecutive games without a 100-yard game, dating to last season. He averaged 13.5 fantasy points last season and that has fallen to 12.6, ranking 27th at receiver. One big game could change this direction, but Washington needs to get him more involved downfield to create big plays as he's done in the past."
- John Keim, ESPN
As previously stated, things aren't looking good after a three-game skid and pressure mounting across the board. However, there is time for the Commanders to turn things around - and this weekend versus the 3-2 Atlanta Falcons would be a good place to start.