The Washington Commanders fell to 2-5-1 on Sunday after falling to the Los Angeles Rams 20-13. With that loss, the Commanders stay in 3rd place in the NFC East.
This week, Washington will get another shot at changing their fate when they face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The matchup marks the second time these division rivals will meet in 2026. The first game ended in a tie on what should have been a win for the Commanders. Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels' clock mismanagement on the final overtime drive are why it ended in a tie.
The Giants are securely atop the NFC East right now, and as long as they keep winning games, they'll stay there. The Commanders desperately need to beat the Giants to have even a glimmer
of hope for this season, but they have to play all four quarters, they have to call better plays, and they cannot afford to be wrong on which down it is or how much time is on the clock.
As we enter Week 10, here’s where the Commanders rank across multiple power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 24 (21)
With their next game on Thursday night in New York, is Dan Quinn again coaching for his job after the Commanders' latest end-of-game play-calling misadventure?
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 24 (23)
Jayden Daniels set the stakes for Thursday night's game against the Giants, when asked after the team's loss to the Rams whether time is running out to get back in the NFC East race.
"Yeah. I think next week is a must-win," Daniels told reporters after the game.
He's right. With a win, the Commanders would be two games behind the Giants for first place and hold the tiebreaker, since the teams tied in their first meeting. That's not easy, but Washington wouldn't be dead. If the Commanders lose, they'd be four games back and not have the tiebreaker, which would probably be impossible to overcome. It might not matter because the Commanders aren't very good — they're 20th in DVOA with matching ranks of 20th on offense and defense — but at least with a win they'd have something to keep playing for.
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports: 26 (25)
Super Bowl odds: +15000 (tied for 21st)
Jayden Daniels is playing better, which is good, and he tried to pull off a miracle comeback against the Rams. But he just doesn’t have enough horses around him to ride to his team’s rescue anymore. The Commanders have been decimated by injuries, and with shortages at RB and WR, it’s like Daniels is their only weapon. And that’s just not enough against teams like the Rams. Maybe they’ll have better luck at the Giants on Thursday night, but good luck keeping up with the Bengals after that. It’s really already another lost season in Washington. The only question is how long Dan Quinn can survive.
Next game: @ Giants (Thursday, 5:15 p.m. ET)
Stat To Know: The Commanders are an NFL-worst 0-6 following a win since 2025 and have not won consecutive games since winning their final five regular-season games and first two playoff games in 2024.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 27 (NC)
The heat is getting hotter on the seat underneath Dan Quinn as they move to the final nine weeks. They are pretty much done.
Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 28 (22)
Last week’s ranking: No. 22Last week’s result: lost to Rams, 20–13This week: at Giants
I think if there was a team that didn’t need to be the focal point of an end-of-game situational football occurrence gone awry, it would be the Washington Commanders. Alas…
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 26 (25)
Sunday: Lost to Rams 20-13
Midseason grade: D
A bad division was there for the taking for Dan Quinn and the Commanders. But they haven’t just found ways to lose (or tie) games. They’ve done it in a comical fashion that has raised questions about Quinn and Jayden Daniels’ game management.
Up next: at Giants, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
theScore: 26 (NC)
Previous rank: 26
Jayden Daniels said Thursday's matchup against the Giants is a "must-win" for the Commanders - and he has a point. Washington is three games behind New York, and Dan Quinn's outfit has won just one of its last five contests. The NFC East rivals met earlier this season and tied after Washington infamously ran out the clock within field-goal range in overtime.
Bleacher Report: 25 (NC)
Last Week: 25
Week 9 Result: Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams 20-13
Washington's postseason hopes continue to fade. Without significant improvement, a second-half turnaround looks unlikely.
There are still reasons for optimism: The NFC East offers an opportunity, and the Commanders remained competitive against the Rams on Sunday.
After the game, head coach Dan Quinn emphasized the need for more consistent play across all three phases.
"Frustrating game," he said. "Once again, we have not nailed our complementary football, and I'll keep saying it until we do. We're halfway through the season, and that all has to click. After stops, I don't think we capitalized."
The Commanders just have too many deficiencies. There have been too many injuries on offense. There are too many holes on defense. Bad decisions continue piling up weekly—both by players and coaches.
Big decisions loom in D.C., including the future of Quinn and Jayden Daniels. In the short term, however, the Commanders are cooked.
Walter Football: 18 (17)
How in the world does Dan Quinn still have a job? I don't understand how this team continuously screws up in late-game situations. One of these debacles is bad enough, but the Redskins keep making the same mistakes and embarrassing themselves.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 24 (25)
Week 9 result: Lost to the Rams 20-13Week 9 ranking: 25
Most important game of the second half: Week 10 at the Giants
With their current record, the Commanders are quickly running out of time to stick around in the NFC East. Because they tied the Giants last month, they could earn the tiebreaker with a win. Of course, they would still have to win a few other games down the stretch to make the playoffs. But they'd be alive mathematically. The bigger issue is that if they fall to 2-6-1, coach Dan Quinn's seat will become white-hot. The third-year coach needs to be much better after a 5-12 record in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: NFL 2026 Power Rankings Roundup: How do Commanders fare in Week 10?
