To say the Washington Commanders have been disappointing this season is an understatement. They have one win that happened with Marcus Mariota under center, and it was against the reigning Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Jayden Daniels returned to the field in Week 5 against the New York Giants, and it seemed like everything was going great until the fourth quarter. The Commanders were in the lead, but allowed the Giants to score 14 points and tie the game to send it to overtime. We all know what happened there, which is as mind-blowing today as it was when we watched it happen on Sunday.
This team is not in a good place, and they're taking all of this bad juju into a Monday Night Football matchup against the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers. None
of that bodes well for a positive outcome in Week 6, so let's take a look at where the Commanders rank across multiple power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 28 (24)
Maybe it wouldn't feel like the clock was running out on their season … if they knew what to do when the clock was running out on the field.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 25 (NC)
Let's wait a moment to pile on Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels and whoever else was responsible for the fiasco at the end of Sunday's tie. There were other issues. The Commanders allowed a field goal and three touchdowns on the Giants' first four possessions of the second half. They had a 27-13 lead with just over 11 minutes left and couldn't win. The Commanders couldn't make a play against Jameis Winston to clinch a victory. And with a chance to ice the game with a 27-20 lead or win the game in the final 1:43 of regulation or after a missed Giants field goal in overtime, the Commanders punted three times. Those were failures too and can't be forgotten.
And obviously the end of the game was inexcusable. The Commanders were rudderless as the clock ran out, and that's alarming. Quinn doesn't call offensive or defensive plays so a stupefying failure in clock management at the end is a really bad look for him. Daniels has to be more aware as well. It's not impossible for the Commanders to rebound from blowing a shot at a win Sunday, but it was embarrassing and will affect them all season in the NFC East race, if they ever get back in it.
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports: 25 (24)
Super Bowl odds: +10000 (23rd-best)
What the hell was that? There’s really not much more to say than that after the way the Commanders lost (OK, tied) the Giants on Sunday. It was bad enough that they wasted a triumphant return performance by QB Jayden Daniels that was giving them hope for the rest of their season. It was worse that head coach Dan Quinn’s defense forgot how to play in the second half and let the Giants shove them down the field and almost win the game.
Letting the clock run out in overtime when you’re staring at a short, game-winning field goal? It’s inexcusable. And it’s on the coach — or more accurately, their soon-to-be-former coach.
Next game: vs. 49ers (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Stat To Know: The Commanders had an 89% chance to win immediately before the final play of overtime against the Giants.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 28 (NC)
The tie they got against the Giants should have been a victory. They choked at the end. That has to sting to not win it.
Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 28 (26)
Last week’s ranking: No. 26Last week’s result: tied Giants, 27–27 (OT)This week: at 49ers
Column on the Commanders and a moment both completely inexplicable and completely familiar for any human.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 27 (26)
Last Week: 26
Sunday: Tied Giants 27-27 (OT)
Who have you beaten? Seahawks
Has a tie ever felt like more of a loss? There are so many questions coming out of this one. How did Jayden Daniels not understand the sitiuation? How did Dan Quinn not have his team better prepared for that late-game moment? In a way, that sums up where the Commanders sit after a promising 2024 season: just a lot of questions with no great results.
Up Next: At 49ers, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
theScore: 26 (25)
Previous rank: 25
It was supposed to be a great day for the Commanders, who saw Jayden Daniels return from injury and were really close to a divisional victory Sunday over the Giants. The chaotic tie feels like a loss for Washington, but at least Daniels is back, and the NFC East is a complete disaster right now.
Bleacher Report: 27 (25)
Last Week: 25
Week 5 Result: Tied vs. New York Giants 27-27
This writer isn't going to say the Commanders should fire head coach Dan Quinn now. That isn't going to save what appears to be another lost season in the nation's capital.
But this year should be his last.
Despite Quinn's defensive background, Washington continues to struggle on that side of the ball. The Commanders were 26th in the league in pass defense entering Week 5, and that number isn't getting any better after Jameis Winston carved them up.
There's also the poor clock management in overtime. Jayden Daniels deserves some blame, but the coaching staff must ensure its quarterback understands the situation and knows he can't go down in bounds.
The Commanders need someone who can develop Daniels.
Quinn is not that guy.
Walter Football: 20 (NC)
I think we've seen enough from Dan Quinn as a head coach. There's no reason the Redskins should have run a play when they could have just kicked the field goal. Quinn is a brilliant defensive coordinator, but he has now failed twice as a head coach, and the Redskins need to go in a different direction next year.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 28 (27)
Week 5 result: Tied the Giants 27-27 (OT)Week 5 ranking: 27Biggest issue on defense: Performing in the second half
The Commanders are last in second-half points allowed per game (19) and 28th in second-half yards allowed per game (151.2). They have given up 20 or more points after halftime in each of the past four games, which includes a blown two-touchdown lead Sunday. One big issue has been a lack of pressure. Washington ranks 28th in sacks per dropback in the second half. Their secondary has played better, but it lacks playmakers. That issue, combined with little pressure, is why the Commanders are allowing a 53.1 third-down conversion rate after halftime.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2026 NFL Power Rankings: How do the Commanders fare entering Week 6?
