The Washington Commanders fell narrowly short against the Pittsburgh Steelers after shooting themselves in the foot with countless mistakes in crucial moments. However, they are still right in the thick of things heading into an important stretch of games.
Dan Quinn's men sit at 7-3 through 10 weeks. That's still way ahead of schedule, although the injuries are piling up as bodies become weary following a grueling campaign so far. With the bye not until Week 14, this group must dig in and produce the goods to ensure momentum continues.
Nobody anticipated the Commanders to be in this spot. Now that they are, they must capitalize on it. Anything less would be doing a disservice for the exceptional work put in to get to this point.
A huge effort is needed. The players were stung by their Week 10 loss and are keen to prevent a snowball effect from taking place. Easier said than done, but this franchise has bounced back from setbacks already this season. Hopes are high that they can do the same again.
With this in mind, we took a look at how the Commanders could fare over their next four games following a 7-3 start to the 2024 campaign.
Predicting the Commanders' next four games after 7-3 start in 2024
Commanders at Eagles - Week 11
- Date: Thursday, November 14
- Time: 8.15 p.m. ET
- Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
There is no time for the Washington Commanders to wallow in self-pity. They have a few short days to dust themselves off before making the tricky trip to the Philadelphia Eagles for a pivotal Thursday Night Football showdown.
Sometimes it's beneficial to get a game quickly following defeat. Dan Quinn admitted as much during his media availability on Monday. He thought it might be a good thing, especially considering how much resolve the players were displaying in the locker room following their first home defeat of the campaign.
This is not going to be easy. The Eagles have won five straight and easily disposed of the Dallas Cowboys last time out. Washington didn't fare well versus Philadelphia in 2023 despite making a fight of things. It's a different operation now, but much will depend on whether some key figures will get back into the lineup in a relatively short timeframe.
- Prediction: Commanders loss (7-4)
I always expected the Commanders to split their games with the Eagles and Steelers. But considering the injury problems and the fact they're going on the road to a hostile environment, it'll take a rousing effort with the national spotlight glaring to achieve success.