Commanders' free fall in NFL power rankings continues after second straight loss
The Washington Commanders suffered their fourth loss of the season to bring them back under .500 after dropping a huge NFC East battle against the Dallas Cowboys.
After being praised all offseason for their surprising run to the NFC Championship in 2024, their offseason moves to get better, and hype surrounding contending with the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC, the Commanders find themselves floundering with not much positive to hold on to.
Nothing has seemed to go the Commanders' way since the onset of the season. Following the training camp holdout of Terry McLaurin, the vibes have been off in the DMV. Injuries have mounted, the offense looks lethargic, and the defense can't seemingly stop anything that is thrown their way.
With the Commanders falling off a cliff faster than Cliff Hanger from Between the Lions, NFL.com has the franchise slipping further and further in their power ranking. Per Eric Edholm, the Commanders' slide in the rankings continues this week, falling another four spots to the 16th-best team in the league.
Commanders Free Fall Continues as Pressure Mounts
"That's two straight losses after the big win in L.A., and the Commanders suddenly find themselves in tough shape physically. They were already down their top three receivers heading into the loss to Dallas, and Jayden Daniels exited the game early in the third quarter with a hamstring injury," wrote Edholm. "Up next are matchups against the Chiefs, Seahawks, followed by a game in Madrid, so it's clear that this is a dangerous time for Washington. The defense hasn't given us any reason to believe it will suddenly start making big plays; when it's not getting sacks, this unit is struggling. The Commanders have forced just three turnovers all season and have suffered from major coverage lapses and poor tackling."
The Commanders' ranking places them between the Jacksonville Jaguars at 15 and the Los Angeles Chargers at 17, and in real danger of falling out of the top half of teams in the NFL.
As mentioned by Edholm, things are dwindling fast for the Commanders. They continue to have injury issues up and down the roster, and even if Daniels is healthy enough to return sooner rather than later, the offense hasn't been able to cook up much of anything. And, on top of that, the defense has looked lost for major portions of the season.
The Commanders are hopeful some of their injury woes work themselves out here soon, but ultimately, they will need to step up in all facets if they hope to climb out of the hole they have put themselves in to begin the season.
Sean Payton’s Next Weapon? Engram Poised for a Mile - High Revival
I’ve been covering fantasy football long enough to know when a player’s situation screams “breakout candidate,” and when it whispers “proceed with caution.” Evan Engram’s move to Denver? That’s got me genuinely fired up, and here’s why every fantasy manager should be paying attention.
Evan Engram 2024 Stats and Fantasy Production
When Sean Payton gets his hands on a versatile tight end, beautiful things happen. We’ve seen this movie before, folks. Remember Jimmy Graham’s monster seasons in New Orleans? That wasn’t an accident; that was Payton turning a matchup nightmare into fantasy gold.
Engram’s heading into his age-31 season, sure, but he’s walking into what could be the perfect storm of opportunity. The Broncos don’t have much settled beyond Courtland Sutton on that depth chart, and Payton’s “joker” role has historically been a fantasy cheat code. We’re talking about a coach who knows how to maximize athletic tight ends better than almost anyone in the league.
The numbers back up the excitement, too. In the eight weeks Engram stayed healthy last season, he managed a 46/360/1 line despite Jacksonville’s offense looking like it was stuck in quicksand. His usage rates were solid: he just couldn’t stay on the field thanks to those pesky hamstring and shoulder issues that derailed what should’ve been a productive campaign.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: last season was rough. Real rough. Engram looked tentative with the ball, dealt with multiple injuries, and watched the Jaguars offense implode around him. His contract became so burdensome that new GM James Gladstone basically showed him the door.
But here’s the thing that gets me excited: when Engram was healthy and productive in 2022 and 2023, he was legitimately elite at the position. We’re talking about a guy who ranked second and 12th in target share during those seasons. He excelled against man coverage, ranking fourth and eighth in yards per route run versus man coverage in 2023-2024. That’s not luck, that’s talent.
The injury concerns? They were his first significant health issues since 2021. Sometimes players have down years. Sometimes offenses collapse. That doesn’t erase what we know about a player’s ceiling.
Evan Engram 2025 Fantasy Outlook
I know, I know, young quarterbacks and fantasy tight ends don’t always mix. But Bo Nix isn’t your typical rookie. This kid showed enough arm talent and decision-making at Oregon to suggest he can keep this offense functional from day one.
Payton wouldn’t have taken this job without believing he could develop Nix quickly, and historically, rookie quarterbacks love their safety valve targets. Engram’s route-running ability and sure hands could make him Nix’s best friend when the pocket starts collapsing.
The projected numbers look solid too: 63 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns. In today’s tight end wasteland, those numbers would likely put him in the TE1 conversation, exactly where savvy fantasy managers want to be fishing.
Now, let me pump the brakes for just a second. Derek Brown from FantasyPros raised an interesting concern about Engram’s preseason usage. In Week 3 of preseason action, Engram posted just a 64% route per dropback rate. If that holds during the regular season, we’re looking at a significantly capped ceiling.
That’s the kind of detail that separates championship teams from also-rans in fantasy football. Route participation matters, especially for a player whose value depends on volume in an offense that might not be throwing 40 times per game.
Here’s where I land on Engram: this is exactly the type of calculated risk that wins fantasy leagues. His current ADP suggests the market is still spooked by last season’s injury-riddled campaign, but the underlying metrics tell a different story.
We’re talking about a proven NFL tight end joining an offense that’s historically maximized players in his skill set, working with a coach who’s turned similar players into fantasy gold. The injury concerns are real, but they’re also overblown based on his track record.
In a position as shallow as tight end, finding a guy with legitimate TE1 upside in the middle rounds feels like highway robbery. Sure, there’s risk, but that’s true for almost every player outside the elite tier.
Engram might be 31, but he’s not washed. He’s motivated, healthy, and in the perfect system to remind everyone why he was once considered one of the most dynamic tight ends in football. Sometimes the best fantasy plays are the ones hiding in plain sight.
