For the fifth week in a row, the Washington Commanders will enter a game needing to put their previous matchup behind them.
Unlike the past four, however, there is reason for hope that head coach Dan Quinn's unit can stop the bleeding. The Commanders are traveling to Madrid, Spain, to face the Miami Dolphins, who are also 3-7 after their stunning upset over the Buffalo Bills in Week 10.
Even with a roster decimated by injuries, quarterback Marcus Mariota and his troops should be expected to pull out a victory here. Because if the Commanders can't win this one, it's hard to see them beating anyone the rest of the way.
Commanders' lighter schedule ahead could be a blessing or a curse
Washington just completed a stretch of four games that were always going to be tough to win. They played road games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. They hosted the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions. All four of those contests were against high-octane offenses. Three of them are likely playoff teams, and the fourth was their bitter rival.
Now, the Commanders get the Dolphins at a neutral site. After that, they're on a much-needed bye before returning against an extremely smoke-and-mirrors Denver Broncos team at home. Their next two games are against the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants, both sub-.500 squads.
All of these feel winnable.
In the best possible scenario, Quinn taking over defensive coordinator duties pays off, and both star quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin return after the bye. Washington could be 6-8 or even 7-7 five weeks from now, improbably with a chance to make a playoff push.
Of course, the downside of a more manageable schedule is that the competition level can no longer be used as an excuse.
If the Commanders continue to reel in Madrid and, after the bye, show no signs of progress, the questions already raised about Washington's long-term future will only grow louder.
It would be unheard of for a team that qualified for the NFC Championship game, let alone with a first-year head coach and general manager, to clean house only a year later. But if the Commanders finish the 2025 season the same way they ended 2023, having all but quit on the field, sweeping organizational changes may have to be in store.
Righting the ship must begin in Week 11. Even if the Commanders' hopes of getting anywhere this year are exceptionally slim, it's about showing enough fight to prove they can compete in 2026 and beyond.