Commanders' turmoil shows fractures spreading through veteran leaders

The Washington Commanders, once again, have outdone themselves.

Their loss to the Detroit Lions was their fifth in a row and their fourth by at least 20 points. They've fallen to 3-7, and their Week 12 bye after this weekend's tilt against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid can't come soon enough.

The most embarrassing part of Washington's latest defeat wasn't on the scoreboard. It was a scuffle during the second quarter in which two defensive starters summed up everything wrong with the Commanders' culture in 2025.

Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw illustrate Commanders' culture issue in the worst way

After a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown gave the Lions a 20-3 lead, defensive tackle Payne punched wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the helmet for reasons unknown. His linemate, Javon Kinlaw, then also got involved in the scrum, making contact with a referee and drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that allowed Detroit to move closer to the goal line for a successful two-point conversion attempt.

Worse yet was Kinlaw's childish attitude after the game.

"He started it!" the $15 million man with a total of zero sacks this year told reporters. Payne, who got off to a strong start, had also quietly disappeared in recent weeks until making his presence known again in the dumbest possible way. Even when he was making plays earlier in the year, he hasn't taken down a quarterback since Week 1.

This behavior from two of Washington's supposed defensive leaders is downright unacceptable. St. Brown may have instigated it, but he knew they would take the bait.

Payne has been suspended for the Commanders' Week 11 contest after losing his appeal. Kinlaw should have been ejected, but the officials didn't want to toss players on consecutive snaps.

Let's not let linebacker Frankie Luvu off the hook, either. He was lucky to be eligible to even play against the Lions. His controversial hip-drop tackle in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks was pretty marginal, but when you're known as a repeat offender, you have to be more careful.

All in all, some of the Commanders' most trusted pieces are letting them down. Payne is the longest-tenured player on Washington's defense, an eight-year pro. Luvu is supposed to be the emotional heartbeat of his unit. These are the players who need to step up to right the ship amid the injury turmoil. Instead, it's everyone's fault but theirs.

It's been an embarrassing stretch for Washington, and some accountability is long overdue. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like any messages are getting through.