Commanders Power Ranking Roundup: Washington Sinks After Slow Start

The 2026 NFL season hasn’t started the way that the Washington Commanders would have hoped. The Commanders dropped their season opener to the Philadelphia Eagles and followed that up with a second straight loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.

To make matters worse, the Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels due to an ugly elbow injury. Overall, the outlook is pretty bleak in Washington right now, and that’s reflected in the latest batch of national NFL power rankings.

Where the Commanders Are Ranked in NFL Power Rankings After Week 2

After starting the season with two straight losses to division opponents, it’s no surprise that the Commanders aren’t ranked too highly in any of the national power rankings.

• ESPN: 28 (Last week: 23)
• Sports Illustrated: 28 (Last week: 24)
• NFL.com: 28 (Last week: 23)
• CBS: 29 (Last week: 26)

What National Pundits Are Saying About the Commanders After Two Weeks

As expected, the injury to Jayden Daniels was the main focus of national pundits when discussing the outlook for Washington.

Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated: “You should not blame Dan Quinn for Jayden Daniels’s two elbow dislocations,” Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated wrote. “You should, however, begin to consider a world without Daniels, or at the very least, an uncomfortable world where the Commanders wind up with a top-five pick.”

Nick Shook of NFL.com: “It’s fair for Commanders fans to ask the football gods why they deserve such punishment. Jayden Daniels’ latest elbow injury throws Washington back into a familiar place of doom and gloom, which is especially disappointing when considering how hard the rebuilt defense has played for Dan Quinn through two weeks.”

It remains to be seen how long Daniels will be sidelined for, but it might not even matter if the Commanders aren’t able to win some games in his absence. They’re already 0-2, with a couple more losses, Washington could basically kiss its’ playoff hopes goodbye.

Commanders to Host Defending Champions in Week 3

Things won’t get any easier for the Commanders moving forward. Washington will host the defending-champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. The Seahawks currently sit atop the AFC West at 2-0, and they’ll be looking to continue their winning ways in Washington.

Marcus Mariota will start for the Commanders against the Seahawks in Daniels’ absence. He started eight games for Washington last season while Daniels was sidelined with injury issues and went 2-6 in those starts. Overall, he has a career record of 36-46 in the regular season as a starter. Going against a dominant defense like Seattle’s will be a tall task for Mariota.