The Commanders need to accept the harsh truth after hitting rock bottom against Seahawks, or nothing will change

I've given the benefit of the doubt to Joe Whitt Jr. for a few weeks with awful play on the field by the players, but you can't defend this kind of showing. Four Sam Darnold touchdowns and 28 points without an incompletion in the first half made this game a blowout and unacceptable on every level. Players are wide open every week for opposing offenses, and there's no improvement whatsoever.

Injuries have taken out starting defensive ends Deatrich Wise and Dorance Armstrong for the season, as well as Will Harris for the majority of the season, but that's not an excuse. Nothing will change for the remainder of the season, and the Commanders need to let Whitt Jr. go and seriously evaluate the defense. An overhaul needs to happen this offseason, but it starts now by making changes with coaching and pulling players who are blowing wide-open plays.

The Commanders need to sell before the deadline

The trade deadline is November 4th at 4 p.m. ET, and the Commanders need to sell every possible asset they have. As I mentioned, a major overhaul needs to happen, and a new defensive coordinator needs to come in and build the defense they want. The Commanders don't have a ton, but they do have pieces they could trade away for more draft assets to build with. They have to have a tough conversation about defensive tackle Daron Payne, who is playing lights out this season, and could fetch valuable draft picks from a team like the Buffalo Bills.

Payne only has one more year on his contract, and there's no point in keeping him with a $28 million cap hit next season if he's not in their long-term plans. They also have corners that they need to unload in Noah Igbinoghene and Jonathan Jones . It doesn't matter if it's for a seventh-round pick or a pick swap; they need to do it. Igbinoghene and Jones are free agents and won't be here next season. Marshon Lattimore suffered a knee injury against the Seahawks, but it doesn't matter; somebody needs to be traded. Lattimore won't be here next season either, and he comes with $16 million salary cap savings in 2025 if he's traded or released.

The Commanders won't trade Terry McLaurin for those asking, and they need him healthy next season after getting his new contract. This team is more than one or two players away from being good, though, and they need to approach this season and the offseason with a much different approach. Coaching changes need to happen, and a roster overhaul needs to start taking place now.