Washington Commanders Report Card How We Graded The Week 10 Loss

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 9:06 AM

washington commanders report card how we graded the week 10 loss

The Washington Commanders fell to the Detroit Lions in Week 10, putting them on a five-game losing streak. There's really not much to say about the Commanders right now. The offense doesn't look terrible, even without Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. Marcus Mariota and Treylon Burks have stepped in as their replacements, and while they may not be as talented, they played well. The defense, though, that's where the major problems are. It doesn't matter why a player isn't on the field, whether it's an injury or some other reason; whoever replaces him has to perform at their best.

This is true in any sport, but with the Commanders this season, we're either seeing a major disparity in defensive talent, or Joe Whitt isn't the right fit for this team. Let's take a look at the best (and worst) performers on both sides of the ball, as graded by Pro Football Focus. Jahmyr Gibbs weaved through Washington Commanders defenders before breaking loose down the right sideline. The 44-yard touchdown -- Gibbs' third of the night -- was the punctuation mark on what was a frustrating night for the Burgundy & Gold. The Commanders needed a complete game to compete with the Lions' high-powered offense, but while there were spurts of success that helped keep things manageable for two quarters, a mixture of mistakes and injuries... The Lions, now 6-3, methodically moved down the field while leaning on Gibbs, who finished the night with 172 total yards of offense to go with his three scores, and Jameson Williams' six receptions...

They averaged eight yards per play for the night and converted both of their fourth-down attempts. Washington managed to move the ball well against the Lions' top 10 defense after punting on their opening drive, as quarterback Marcus Mariota finished the night leading the unit with 213 yards. The problem, however, was that Washington didn't have the ball for much of the game. Detroit had firm control of the time of possession, 32:36-27:24, while scoring on eight of their nine possessions. Meanwhile, the injuries continued to pile up for the Commanders, as four players left the game throughout the night. Cornerback Trey Amos went down with an ankle injury and was escorted to the locker room.

Linebacker Ale Kaho (concussion), Jonathan Jones (groin) and running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) joined him. Despite a valiant effort, the Washington Commanders suffered a gut-wrenching 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, dropping their record to 7-3. With little time to dwell on the defeat, they must quickly regroup for a Thursday Night Football showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. While self-inflicted wounds and penalties ultimately proved costly, several Commanders players delivered standout performances in the losing effort. Leading the way was defensive tackle Sheldon Day, who earned the team’s highest PFF grade at 89.9.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin followed with an impressive 82.5, while defensive end Dorance Armstrong (77.2), safety Quan Martin (72.5), and receiver Noah Brown (71.6) rounded out the top performers. The Washington Commanders dropped to 3-7 with a 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Northwest Stadium. Here are four key moments from the game. Commanders lose their cool in a rout: On second and five from the Washington 13 and the Lions already leading 14-3 in the second quarter, Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs took a handoff from... Gibbs slipped out of Frankie Luvu’s attempted tackle in the backfield and got to the edge to pick up the first down. A trio of Commanders defenders had a chance to bring him down short of the goal line, but he stayed on his feet and was pushed the final few yards into the end zone...

Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta. The Washington Commanders were close to beginning the season 8-2, but numerous mistakes proved costly against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 28-27 Week 9 loss. Whether it was the dropped passes, penalties, blown coverages, or questionable spot, there are many reasons Washington can point to for its loss. The Commanders must now quickly turn their attention to the Philadelphia Eagles. The two bitter NFC East rivals play Thursday night in Philadelphia. Before we turn the page to Week 11, it's time for our weekly Commanders' report cards.

How did we grade Washington in Week 10? It's report card time. The Commanders have raised the bar. Imagine scoring 27 points against an excellent Pittsburgh defense and grading out as average. Times have changed. They did several things well.

Down their top two right tackles, Trent Scott — with help — held his own against the great T.J. Watt. The Commanders had some trouble with Cameron Heyward inside, but the offensive line held up well again for the most part. The running game was almost nonexistent, which hampered the offense. Washington also dropped several passes, some of which were costly. Those things are why the Commanders earned a C this week.

We'll grade Jayden Daniels separately. The defense was a mixed bag but deserves credit for a few things. First, Washington did a solid job against Pittsburgh's rushing attack. The Steelers ran it 43 times for 140 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Considering the Commanders' issues in stopping the run in previous weeks, this was an excellent effort. Najee Harris ran for 100 yards in the three previous games.

Washington held Harris to 53 yards on 21 attempts. The defense also forced two turnovers, including one inside the five-yard line to prevent a score. Russell Wilson didn't play a great game either, but did make some big throws when it mattered the most, including the game-winner to Mike Williams. Williams flat-out beat Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste on the play. If the Commanders can hold teams to 3.3 yards per rush in the coming weeks, they will keep winning. Edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.

had two more sacks and has 8.5 for the season. It truly was a game of inches in the Washington Commanders' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The home team came out on the wrong end this time. After newly-acquired Steelers wide receiver Mike Williams caught a 32-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh up by one, Washington had just over two minutes to respond. The sure-handed Noah Brown dropped a pass on 3rd-and-9, one of many drops by Washington's receivers on the day. On 4th-and-9, Jayden Daniels found Zach Ertz right at the first-down marker, but he was judged short.

The play was reviewed and ultimately went in the Steelers' favor. The defense came up with three big stops. They held Cordarrelle Patterson just short of the first down marker, potentially giving the Commanders a chance with around one minute remaining. It was all for naught, as the Steelers came out on 4th-and-1 hoping to draw Washington offsides. Johnny Newton answered the call and the game was over. In a match-up that almost felt like a road game with the amount of Steelers fans in the stands, Washington lost by one.

Hopefully, they won't lose the lessons this game provided. The Washington Commanders are reeling after a 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks — their fourth straight defeat — dropping to 3-6 on the season. With rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffering a serious arm injury late in the game and multiple starters now sidelined, the Commanders’ season has taken a sharp downward turn heading into Week 10. Across the league, analysts aren’t holding back. The latest power rankings from ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, and others paint a grim picture for a team once seen as a fringe playoff contender. ESPN’s John Keim dropped Washington four spots this week to No.

24, noting that the Commanders “have lost four in a row, but three of those were to teams over .500.” He added that the defense remains the team’s biggest problem, and coach Dan Quinn’s... “If the Commanders lose to 2-7 Miami — and look bad again on defense — it will signal a massive issue,” Keim wrote. Bleacher Report placed Washington at No. 24 as well, down six spots from last week. Analyst Maurice Moton wrote that the Commanders “can forget about playoff aspirations” after being “dominated through four quarters.” He added that Daniels’ injury, coupled with wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s lingering quad issue, has left... “The Commanders weren’t competitive before Daniels went down,” Moton wrote.

“Don’t expect them to reemerge as a playoff contender without him.” Yahoo Sports also slotted Washington at No. 24, echoing the same sentiment: “Jayden Daniels’ injury makes a bad season worse. The defense is very poor, and that’s something that needs to be addressed in the offseason. Washington had a really old roster this season. This won’t be the easiest fix.”

Washington Commanders Report Card How We Graded The Week 10 Loss

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