Commanders Midseason Recap, Trade Deadline Rumors, and End of Season Predictions
Midseason Recap
The Commanders are off to a subpar start to the 2025 NFL season and are sitting at .500 through the first six weeks of the season. In this article, we will take a quick look at what has happened so far and what we can expect in the latter half of the season.
Week 1: Vs. New York Giants
Result: 21-6 W
The Commanders started Week 1 with a bang, shutting down the Giants’ offense and completely overpowering the Giants on the ground with 220 rushing yards as a team. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, otherwise known as “Bill”, led the way with 82 yards on ten carries and a touchdown on the ground. Quarterback Jayden Daniels added 233 yards through the air and a score as well, while Deebo Samuel Sr. contributed with seven receptions for 77 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Week 2: @ Green Bay Packers
Result: 27-18 L
After a short week, the Commanders came out flat against the Packers on Thursday Night Football. The Packers’ offense outclassed them, and the offensive line could not hold up against Micah Parsons and the Packers’ defensive line.Thus, Daniels could only muster 200 yards through the air, and the team as a whole rushed for only 51 yards. To add insult to injury, starting running back Austin Ekeler tore his achilles and was ruled out for the season. There was one bright spot, however, as Zach Ertz caught six balls for 64 yards and a score in the losing effort.
Week 3: Vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Result: 41-24 W
With Daniels out, the Commanders rolled the Raiders and won by three scores. Marcus Mariota stepped in and stepped up, along with Jeremy McNichols, who led the team in rushing with 78 yards and a score. Jaylin Lane had a 90-yard punt return touchdown, and Terry McLaurin led the team through the air with three catches for 74 yards. The Commanders were fairly dominant defensively, accounting for five sacks and limiting the Raiders as a team to under 100 yards rushing.
Week 4: @ Atlanta Falcons
Result: 34-27 L
The Commanders were ravaged by injuries in Week 4, missing Daniels, McLaurin, Noah Brown and many more. Mariota did not have a great game, throwing for 156 yards only, two touchdowns and an interception. The Falcons tore up the Commanders’ defense, as they totaled over 400 yards. The Commanders ran the ball well, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, led by Chris Rodriguez Jr. with 59 yards. Luke McCaffrey got his second touchdown in two weeks, and Samuel Sr. had six receptions for 81 total yards and a touchdown.
Week 5: @ Los Angeles Chargers
Result: 27-10 W
The Commanders rebounded from their Week 4 loss against the Falcons and dominated the Chargers in California. After going down 10-0, Quan Martin forced a fumble Marshon Lattimore recovered to spark the Commanders’ comeback. The Commanders would go on to score the remaining 27 points in the game, led by Daniels with 231 passing yards and a touchdown. The defense had five sacks, and Cornerback Mike Sanristil had a clutch interception at his own goal line. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a breakout game, with over 150 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, winning Pepsi Rookie of the Week, LFG Player of the Game, and FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Lastly, Samuel Sr. had another great game with eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Week 6: Vs. Chicago Bears
Result: 25-24 L
The Commanders came out flat on Monday Night Football and quickly found themselves in a 13-0 hole. It was starting to look like deja vu of the Chargers game, as the Commanders stormed back to take the lead and control of the game into the fourth quarter. However, Bears kicker Jake Moody would ice the game on a last-second-38-yard field goal. The Commanders shot themselves in the foot with three turnovers, five penalties, and bad tackling. The defense gave up more explosive plays, and injuries continued to hurt the Commanders.
Trade Deadline Rumors
With some trades already underway in the NFL, the Commanders are a team to watch, despite having a lot of injuries, but also a lot of potential. They have already made three big trades in the past year for Lattimore, Samuel Sr., and Laremy Tunsil. General manager Adam Peters has shown his aggressiveness in past years and is not one to shy away from a trade. With the Commanders suffering numerous injuries throughout their roster, they need a change. While they have not pursued anybody yet, they might trade for a safety, edge rusher, or wide receiver (assuming their injuries persist).
Looking Ahead
The second half of the Commanders’ schedule is noticeably harder than the games they have played so far. They also end the season with four divisional games, including two against the Eagles. These games will be crucial for securing a playoff position. Below are the Commanders’ remaining games, and my predictions for the end of the season.
Week 7: @ Dallas Cowboys
Prediction: Loss
Despite the way the Cowboys played against the Bears and Giants, the Commanders are going to have a hard time winning this game. The simple fact is that the Cowboys’ offense is excelling right now. Meanwhile, the Commanders are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to explosive plays. Considering the injuries the Commanders have, plus the fact that the game is in Dallas, that creates a tough obstacle for the Commanders to overcome.
Week 8: @ Kansas City Chiefs
Prediction: Loss
The Chiefs have already secured up two marquee wins against the Ravens and Lions, despite a slow start. The Commanders will be going to the toughest environment in the NFL in primetime with a lot on the line. This only makes the task tougher. Even if they get their injured players back, the atmosphere and circumstances will be too much to overcome.
Week 9: Vs. Seattle Seahawks
Prediction: Win
The Commanders will be back at home with their backs against the wall in a Sunday Night Football tilt with the Seahawks, desperately needing a win at 3-5. They should have their injured players back and be well-prepared for the Seahawks after two tough games in Kansas City and Dallas.
Week 10: Vs. Detroit Lions
Prediction: Loss
The Lions are ranked in the top five of every power ranking right now and will be looking for their revenge after an embarrassing playoff loss to the Commanders last year in the Divisional Round. The Lions will come into D.C. with a vengeance, and beat the Commanders.
Week 11: Vs. Miami Dolphins (Game played in Madrid, Spain)
Prediction: Win
The last time the Commanders played a game overseas, it ended in a tie. Expect them to roll the Dolphins, a bottom-five team this year, in a blowout in Madrid. The Commanders’ offense will thrive against the Dolphins’ defense, and they will get a big win going into their bye week.
Week 12: Bye Week
Week 13: Vs. Denver Broncos
Prediction: Win
Both teams will be coming off a bye week and will be rested. The Commanders’ defense should shut down the Broncos’ offense, and get enough production from their own offense in this game. With the Broncos coming to D.C., the Commanders should pick up a big win here.
Week 14: @ Minnesota Vikings
Prediction: Win
The Vikings have been injured and underwhelming this year after a 14-3 season last year. At this point in the season, they will be looking for draft position, not playoff position. The Commanders will go into Minnesota and grab a big win before four huge divisional games to end the season.
Week 15: @ New York Giants
Prediction: Win
With the Commanders above .500 for the first time since Week 5, they will play the Giants, also looking to improve their draft position rather than playoff chances. They dominated them in Week 1, and the margin of victory should be even bigger here as the Commanders make their playoff push.
Week 16: Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Prediction: Win
At this point, the Commanders will be on a four-game win streak and playing the Eagles at home. The Commanders will ride their wave of fire with a home win. They will be looking for revenge after last year’s 55-23 drubbing in the NFC Championship Game, and will get it against the Eagles. Additionally, the Eagles are currently struggling. If that keeps up, this game will be easier for the Commanders than they expect.
Week 17: Vs. Dallas Cowboys
Prediction: Win
The Commanders will host Dallas and seek retribution for their loss in Week 7. They will also be in the thick of the playoff race, while the Cowboys will be on the outside looking in. They will take care of business against the Cowboys and head into Week 18 with playoff hopes.
Week 18: @ Philadelphia Eagles
Prediction: Loss
With their playoff hopes potentially on the line, and the Eagles battling for position, the Commanders’ magical win streak will come to an end in Philadelphia. Philly is a tough place to play, and the Commanders will give up too many explosive plays to the Eagles to win this game.
I predict that the Washington Commanders will finish with a record of 10-7, which puts them right on the borderline for the playoffs. Ever since the NFL increased the number of games from 16 to 17 in 2021, 23 out of 56 (41%) of playoff teams have had a record of 10-7 or worse. This makes it a toss-up as to whether or not the Commanders will make the playoffs, and it all depends on how other teams perform.
All stats are from box scores on https://www.espn.com/
