Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin made a bold statement amid his team’s recent skid. In a night dominated by Saquon Barkley, the Philadephia Eagles gave the Commanders their second straight loss to take sole control of the NFC East. A lackluster rushing defense and inconsistent performance by star quarterback Jayden Daniels doomed Dan Quinn’s team on Thursday. McLaurin, who has been with the franchise since 2019, emphasized how important this moment in the season is for Washington.
“I think it’s easy to preach brotherhood when everything’s going good, when you’re winning and having a good time and things like that. … This is when it needs to stand out.”
The Washington Commanders’ playoff chances took a hit on Thursday
The Commanders have had a terrific season so far. With standout moments like Jayden Daniels’ game-winning Hail Mary against the Chicago Bears, Washington has firmly established itself as a contender. Much of this success is due to the sensational season the franchise is getting from its rookie quarterback.
Going into Week 11, Jayden Daniels had thrown for nine touchdowns and two interceptions with the fourth-best QBR in the entire league. Getting Pro Bowl production from a rookie signal-caller position is a terrific sign for Washington’s long-term future.
As for the Commanders’ short-term future, McLaurin does make a good point. The past two losses mark this team’s first sign of adversity in 2024. Not that this skid should be too much of a concern. Competitive losses to the 8-2 Eagles and 7-2 Steelers do not necessarily mean Washington is in lousy form. However, the franchise is in danger of falling out of the playoffs despite the 7-4 record.
The Commanders are currently the seventh seed in the NFC and one-and-half games out of the NFC East lead. There’s still plenty of time for Dan Quinn’s team to move up the standings, but it’s also important to note that the eight-seeded San Francisco 49ers are 5-4. Washington, therefore, has little margin for error for the rest of this season.
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The good news is, looking ahead, the Commanders’ schedule lightens up significantly. Washington still needs to play a decimated Dallas Cowboys team twice, as well as the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints. The other contests are back-to-back home games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
These are all winnable games for Jayden Daniels and company, but it’s important to note that the star rookie has had subpar performances over these last two weeks. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner has posted QBRs of 36.1 and 22.1 in these back-to-back losses. A standout stat is that Daniels didn’t run for more than 20 yards in both contests. This drop in rushing is a concern. Being a duel-threat quarterback is one of the traits that has made the Commanders’ QB so special this year.
Going forward, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury must help reestablish this variety in Jayden Daniels’ game. Should Kingsbury accomplish this, no team will want to see Washington in November, December, and, most importantly, January.