The Washington Commanders lost on the road to the Dallas Cowboys, dropping to 3-4 on the year. With or without quarterback Jayden Daniels, it's officially going to be an uphill battle to make the playoffs in a wildly competitive NFC race.
It's not the type of performance that was envisioned after last year's 12-win campaign and NFC Championship game appearance. At this point, the alarm bells are officially ringing at full volume, and rightfully so.
But before fans surrender to the defeatist talk, it may be worth a reminder that the Commanders are far from the only NFL team that has taken its lumps in 2025. And, as with anyone else, their fate can swing in a heartbeat.
Increasing NFL parity means Commanders are not out of the fight yet
Through seven weeks of the season, no one is undefeated. Only two teams have a singular loss. One of those, the Green Bay Packers, has additionally seen a game end in a tie.
Several of the league's heavyweights have experienced periods of disappointment. The Kansas City Chiefs, who Washington plays next, are 4-3. The Buffalo Bills have lost back-to-back games. The same goes for the Philadelphia Eagles before their win over the Minnesota Vikings. The Baltimore Ravens, a perennial Super Bowl threat, are a dismal 1-5.
Go into the online circles of literally any NFL team after a loss, and you'll find people saying the same things that have been told about the Commanders. Players are being called soft. Coaches are having their job status questioned. Fans proclaiming the season a lost cause, acting as if their team's issues are unique.
Instant gratification culture, and the distorted all-or-nothing thinking it fosters, is truly a disease. If things look bleak in the moment, then it's the end of the world. Everything sucks, everybody is bad, and nothing will ever go right again.
Then, suddenly, something good happens. Now everything is great and nothing will ever go wrong again.
It's easy to look at Washington's current situation and the upcoming schedule and see nothing but doom and gloom. How can this team expect to beat the Chiefs? The Seattle Seahawks? The Detroit Lions? How can they beat the Eagles to win the NFC East? The Cowboys team that just humiliated them? Even the New York Giants suddenly look semi-competent — at least, they did for three quarters versus the Denver Broncos.
Because those teams are also imperfect.
Only two weeks ago, Washington was sitting pretty after beating a good Los Angeles Chargers team on the road by multiple scores. The Chicago Bears and the Cowboys were asking themselves, "How can we expect to beat the Commanders?"
Perception around the league remains that Washington is a team that can't be taken lightly. You don't make the NFC Championship by accident. You don't have a positive point differential, as the Commanders still do, if you're a lost cause.
Injuries on offense are a serious concern — one that could potentially derail the season if they're not resolved. But if the Commanders can get healthy, all they need is one good performance for the whole narrative to flip-flop again.
Suddenly, they'll become the dangerous team on the outside looking in, the one nobody wants to see get hot.
Momentum is not on Washington's side at the moment. But in a league as competitive as the NFL is this year, that can change any given week.
Needless to say, it will take a lot longer than seven weeks to close the book on the Commanders' 2025 season.