The opinions expressed in this article are from national reporters and do not reflect those of the team.

The Washington Commanders are 3-5 following their 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here's how they stack up with the rest of the NFL heading into Week 9.

ESPN

Rank: 20

• John Keim: Washington traded away four picks, including a 2025 third-rounder and a second-rounder in 2026, to Houston for Tunsil and a fourth-round pick. He has provided the Commanders with their best tackle play since Trent Williams in 2018. Tunsil is credited with allowing three sacks, though one of those came on a play that took 3.7 seconds. Regardless, he came at a premium cost, and he is worthy of an extension with one year left on his deal, even at age 31. "I would definitely want Laremy to be my bodyguard," Washington coach Dan Quinn said after Week 1. That remains true two months later, though a hamstring injury suffered Monday will need to be monitored.

NFL.com

Rank: 18

• **Eric Edholm:** The compromised Commanders battled early and had their chances against the Chiefs but couldn't stop the second-half avalanche defensively. Johnny Newton and Javon Kinlaw both left the game with injuries, too, but the offense appeared to take the biggest health hits. Washington was already without Jayden Daniels, and then the team lost Laremy Tunsil to a hamstring injury. Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin returned to action Monday, but while McLaurin made a pair of spectacular grabs, he only played a handful of snaps in the second half. Marcus Mariota did fairly well, with Samuel to blame for his interception, but the QB couldn't get much going after halftime. The Commanders have to hope Daniels can return for a big one against the Seahawks, as Washington's grip on this season is starting to slip.

USA Today

Rank: 21

• Nate Davis: Monday night's loss dropped them to 13th place in the NFC − if only two games behind the Niners, who currently hold the conference's final wild-card spot. The return of QB Jayden Daniels will obviously help, but this offense also has a lot of other issues to address.

Pro Football Talk

Rank: 24

• **Mike Florio:** Reality has set in, quickly.

Bleacher Report

Rank: 18

• B/R staff: At 3-5, the Commanders need quarterback Jayden Daniels back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Granted, the organization doesn't want to rush a soft-tissue injury, being that Daniels is dealing with a tweaked hamstring. However, the hope is he can return to the field in Week 9 after not being ready for Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Yahoo Sports

Rank: 20

• Frank Schwab: We're seeing how much a healthy Jayden Daniels means to the Commanders. He covers up a lot of flaws. The Commanders aren't doing anything particularly well, and they struggled across the board against the Chiefs. Even when Daniels returns, this doesn't look anything like a playoff team.

CBS Sports

Rank: 20

• Pete Prisco: They hung around against the Chiefs, but you can't blow early scoring chances and expect to beat that team on the road. They need Jayden Daniels back.

Sporting News

Rank: 23

• Vinnie Iyer: The Commanders got the expected losing result in Kansas City with Marcus Mariota playing for an injured Jayden Daniels with the offense struggling to create anything. The defense cannot hold up against better passing offenses, either.

Sports Illustrated

Rank: 21

• Connor Orr: The Commanders came into Monday night's game second in missed tackles, which may say just as much about the team's current predicament as how long they'll be without Jayden Daniels.

FOX Sports

Rank: 21

• **Ralph Vacchiano:** They are heading in the wrong direction with their third straight loss. And they'll need Jayden Daniels back for their next two — home games against the Seahawks and the Lions.