It was a season in which the Washington Commanders were expected to challenge for the Super Bowl. Fans were legitimately hopeful for the first time in decades, but it's been an absolute disaster almost from start to finish.
One can place plenty of blame on the torrid injury luck. But even if everyone was available, this squad looks a long way off from hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy right now. With a 3-8 record at the bye week, it's yet another lost season for Washington's football franchise.
The finger-pointing began weeks ago. Dan Quinn even made a drastic in-season change, taking over defensive coordinator responsibilities from Joe Whitt Jr. Considering how much the head coach values loyalty, this shift typifies just how poorly things have gone through 11 games.
Adam Peters has a lot of hard work and difficult decisions ahead this offseason. The Commanders still have six games to navigate, but the general manager should already be developing a concise plan to hit the ground running when Washington's regular-season engagements conclude.
That's for the not-too-distant future, something most fans have already turned their focus towards. Before then, here are four bright spots and three harsh truths for the Commanders to ponder at their Week 12 bye.
Bright spots and harsh truths as Commanders hit critical bye week
Bright Spot No. 1
Commanders' trade for Laremy Tunsil
Adam Peters swung for the fences this offseason. The Washington Commanders were in a position to go bold after reaching the NFC Championship game in Year 1 of this ambitious project. The front office leader was right to get aggressive, even if things didn't work out as anyone had hoped.
Amid all the doom and gloom, one constant has emerged. And for all the decisions Peters may have gotten wrong during his second recruitment period at the helm, his decision to trade for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was a fantastic piece of business.
Tunsil's status as one of the league's most prolific blindside protectors is well known. He was clearly stung by being cast aside by the Houston Texans, which gave him the motivation to thrive in Washington. The former Ole Miss standout has been almost flawless, and although the penalty numbers remain a little too high, his pass protection has been nothing short of elite.
Whether it's been Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota under center, Tunsil's outstanding production has kept them relatively clean. If the Commanders had a better record, he'd be firmly in the All-Pro conversation.
Alas, that's not the case. However, it doesn't detract from the significant impact Tunsil has made thus far.