Commanders' 5-game slide has experts focused on one huge team need
The Washington Commanders have arrived in Madrid, Spain, to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 of the NFL season, and they do so with plenty on the line and even more changes happening around the team.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels didn’t travel with the team so he could stay back and focus on his rehab from the dislocated left elbow he suffered two weeks ago. Additionally, defensive tackle Daron Payne is suspended, and head coach Dan Quinn is now pulling double-duty as the Commanders’ defensive coordinator after demoting coach Joe Whitt Jr.
If that wasn’t enough to put pressure on Washington, which is very much intending on competing as much as possible down the back half of the year, it currently sits nearly at the top of the NFL Draft and well off the pace for any kind of postseason aspirations.
The Focus Shifts to the Draft
Instead, most folks talking about the team these days are focused on their new player aspirations, including NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, who says, “During their five-game losing streak, the Commanders have produced just seven total sacks -- zero in Sunday's loss to the Lions -- which is tied for the fifth fewest since Week 6. They need to bring in a young difference-maker off the edge.”
The Top Prospects at a Position of Need
During their five-game losing streak, the Commanders have produced just seven total sacks -- zero in Sunday's loss to the Lions -- which is tied for the fifth fewest since Week 6. They need to bring in a young difference-maker off the edge.
Currently, the top three edge defenders on the Pro Football Focus 2026 NFL Draft Big Board are Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami (FL), T.J. Parker from Clemson, and Keldrick Faulk out of Auburn. Faulk is the site’s 14th-ranked prospect overall, while Bain is No. 1, meaning that no matter where the Commanders pick based on current trends, one of the three should be available.
Bain is listed at 6’3 and has a season grade of 93.9 so far in his junior season of collegiate ball. After him, however, the grades drop, with Parker’s season mark sitting at 79.7 and Faulk at 74.1.
With Washington unlikely to do so poorly, it qualifies for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. This means the potential of trading up to try and get the best guy on its board, or taking a lesser but still good prospect later on in the first round.
Other Areas to Fix
Reuter also identified receiver, cornerback, linebacker, and interior offensive line as needs for the Commanders moving into 2026.
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Send Clear Message as Chiefs Return
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for redemption and bounce-back on Sunday, November 16, when they take on the defense-heavy Denver Broncos on the road. The Chiefs are coming out of their NFL bye week and had a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, November 2, so they’re ready to get a win.
But, going up against the Browns won’t be easy. Denver has an 8-2 record going into the contest, and Kansas City is 5-4. The Chiefs aren’t used to being the underdogs, but they’ve had a few extra losses this season, which puts them in the unfamiliar place of, in a way, being the underdog in contests such as Sunday’s game.
If anyone can motivate this team to get a win done it’s Kansas City Chiefs franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. They’re the heart of this team, but really, every member of the Chiefs is an important piece of the puzzle. Still, Mahomes and Kelce are the franchise’s most high-profile players, so they’re often the face of the message that the team is sending.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Highlighted in Pregame Video
On Thursday, November 13, the Kansas City Chiefs took to X to share a video of Matt McMullen of the team’s reporting staff hyping up Sunday’s game. In it, McMullen makes the point that head coach Andy Reid is 22-4, and 6-1 in the Mahomes era, following a regular-season bye in his career.
The video features footage of Kelce, Mahomes, Rashee Rice and the team in their element, running, jumping and playing their very best. “Good determination,” one commenter said on X. “Back on track sounds like a solid plan,” another said.
, and they’re heading into an important game against the Denver Broncos on the road on Sunday, November 16. While the Broncos haven’t been much competition in the past, this is a different season, and Denver has an 8-2 record heading into the game. The Chiefs are 5-4.
The Challenge of the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are the real deal. They’re the No. 1 seed in the AFC West, and their quarterback, Bo Nix, is performing at a high level. Even more than the offense, the Broncos’ defense is strong. They have a No. 1 red zone defense and come in at third in points allowed in the NFL at 17.3 per game. They’ve also allowed the third-fewest yards in the league, according to NFL research.
On Wednesday, November 12, Mahomes talked about the challenges that the Broncos bring, admitting that they are “first in the division, and they have a couple games on us.”
“It’s huge for the division, and that’s always our first goal is win the division,” he added. “And so, it’s a really good football team. There’s no way around it, and so we have to go out there and play our best football.”
Mahomes added that, “I don’t think we’ve done that yet. So, after this bye, let’s go out there, put a great week of practice together and find a way to win in a hostile environment against a great football team.”
