The Washington Commanders suffered their fifth consecutive loss to the Detroit Lions, 44-22, at Northwest Stadium. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

1. Trouble containing Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams.

The Lions had no trouble moving up and down the field against the Commanders' defense, amassing 546 yards -- their best performance of the season so far -- and averaging eight yards per play.

The biggest challenge was the duo of former first-round picks Gibbs and Williams, who combined for more than half of the Lions' yardage for the evening with 291 combined yards and four total touchdowns.

Gibbs' versatility was apparent throughout the night, as he opened the game accounting for 36 yards on the Lions' first touchdown drive, which culminated with a 14-yard receiving score from Gibbs. Gibbs had an even better series in the second quarter, touching the ball on six plays of Detroit's nine-play 87-yard touchdown drive that ended with another Gibbs score. Gibbs' longest play of the night -- a 43-yard touchdown run -- wasn't the Lions' final score of the night, but it did end any hope the Commanders had of mounting a comeback.

Williams was just as efficient on Sunday, catching six of his seven targets for 119 yards. Williams often found soft spots in the Commanders' coverage and turned moderate gains into even more explosive plays with his speed. He had a 22-yard catch to start the third quarter and later turned a short dump-off throw from Jared Goff into a 41-yard gain during the Lions' next possession.

The Commanders have often struggled to contain explosive playmakers this season, and it's clear they still have work to do to shore up that weakness.

2. The offense struggled to get started...

Similarly, slow starts have plagued the Commanders' offense at various points this season, although injuries have amplified that issue in recent weeks.

Although the Commanders did have some positive moments later in the game, the offense, led by Marcus Mariota, came up sluggish against the Lions' top 10 defense. They punted on two of their first three drives, the first of which was a three-and-out after Mariota overthrew a pass intended for Zach Ertz. The Commanders managed to get into field goal range on their second drive, but that was largely credited to Noah Igbinoghene's 46-yard return to the Commanders' 48-yard line. Washington's seven-play drive covered 26 yards, most of which was gained from Mariota's connection with Treylon Burks.

The Commanders' third drive stalled after five plays when Mariota was sacked for a loss of 13 yards.

"We have to figure it out," Mariota said. "It's not just offense; it's not just defense; it'snot just special teams; it's on everybody. And at the end of the day, like I said, going into this game, I believe in the guys in this locker room. But we have to figure out what it is and what these details are if we're missing the lack of execution. It takes all of us."

3. ...but Mariota finished with a solid performance.

There were some positives from the game, most of which came on offense. The unit came alive after their first three drives with Mariota at the front of that effort.

Mariota, who finished the night 16-of-22 for 213 yards with five carries for 22 yards, looked efficient and delivered accurate passes throughout the night. He had an 82.8 QBR with two passing touchdowns to zero interceptions. He connected with rookie Jaylin Lane on a 41-yard completion that helped set up the Commanders' first touchdown of the night and found Burks down the left sideline for a 37-yard completion.

As expected, Mariota's individual success didn't improve his mood. He wore a somber expression as he answered questions from the media during his press conference, saying the team is frustrated and upset with how they have played in recent weeks. Still, it's a good sign to know that Mariota can run the offense effectively while Jayden Daniels is sidelined with his elbow injury.

4. More injury updates.

It's become a weekly occurrence for the Commanders to have injury updates, and that unfortunate trend continued against the Lions.

Four players were added to the growing list of injured players on the Commanders' roster. Trey Amos suffered an ankle injury on Gibbs' second touchdown and was later escorted to the locker room and ruled out. Ale Kaho suffered a concussion and was placed in the protocol. Cornerback Jonathan Jones, who had an impressive pass breakup on a ball intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first quarter, tweaked his groin in the second half. Chris Rodriguez Jr., who started the game at running back, suffered a shoulder injury and was also escorted to the locker room.

We will likely get more updates from head coach Dan Quinn later today (Nov. 10), but the number of players who have gone down with injuries continues to be a growing problem. There are already 10 players on the team's Injured Reserve list with others, like Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels, with no clear timetable on their recovery.

5. Promising signs for the future.

Although the Commanders have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, their path to making the postseason is becoming narrower by the week. Even if the Commanders manage to pull out some magic in the last seven games, there should be plenty of opportunities for them to get a better look at their younger players.

Several of those players made an impact against the Lions with one of the most notable being Burks, who led the team with 58 yards on three receptions. Burks, a 2022 first-round pick, flamed out with the Tennessee Titans, largely because of injuries, but flashed some talent on 21 snaps. If the Commanders look to retool their receiving corps during the offseason, Burks could be a piece to keep around through training camp.

Other young players who had positive plays include Lane, whose 41-yard catch was the Commanders' longest play of the day, and tight end Ben Sinnott, who connected with Mariota for a four-yard touchdown in the second half. Although the injuries on the Commanders' roster are not ideal, they do provide the players who could be foundational pieces for the future to show they are ready for larger roles.