Evaluation mode begins now with Commanders' season already in ruins

"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."

"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?"

"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."

Washington's 2025 campaign has deteriorated into an eight-game losing streak and a 3-10 record, leaving the roster in evaluation mode with little to play for beyond pride, tape and personnel assessments. The franchise faces the prospect of another top-five draft pick, only six selections in the upcoming draft, and widespread uncertainty about roster construction and the 2026 outlook. Week 15 against the Giants serves as a measuring game for effort and who merits a future role. A shutout loss to the Vikings revealed defensive breakdowns in pressure, edge setting and coverage, while offensive struggles persist despite available receivers.

Read at Riggo's Rag