The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

I'm back for another edition of Hail Mail, and I've noticed that the Washington Commanders' fan base is a little...well, perturbed following last Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

To be clear, I understand why people are upset. The Commanders are 3-4 after having high expectations in the offseason. It's obviously not the start that the fans or team wanted, but that's the situation they're in with three difficult matchups looming on the schedule. Up next are the Kansas City Chiefs, who are starting to look like themselves after an 0-2 start. If the Commanders hope to get back on track, it'll have to start against last year's AFC representative in the Super Bowl.

Let's get to what Commanders fans want to know this week.

-- @MrEd315: What adjectives best describe the Commanders' season so far?

This is an easy one for me: frustrating.

I think it's a perfect word because it describes so many aspects of the issues surrounding the team. It's frustrating that there have been so many injuries hampering this roster. Obviously, a player's health is more important than rushing them back onto the field, but there was so much promise around the idea of Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown on the field at the same time. What's more, injuries to Austin Ekeler, Deatrich Wise, Will Harris and Javontae Jean-Baptiste forced the team to search for other options to replace them.

Injuries aren't the only reason the Commanders have struggled this season, but they have played a role.

It's also frustrating that the defense has continued to give up explosive plays. I'm not a coach, so I won't pretend to know why the problem has persisted through the first half of the season. Here's what I will say: I think it's clear that everyone, from the players to the coaches, are frustrated that they have struggled to find a solution. What's more, it's not like the defense is devoid of talent; the defense does have good players, many of whom I believe have bright futures. For whatever reason, that hasn't resulted in significant improvement from the unit, and that is...well, frustrating to watch.

Although I don't have the answers on how to ease that frustration, I trust Dan Quinn and Adam Peters to find them. This year's struggles don't wash out last year's success in terms of building a roster that competed for a conference championship. I'm not saying fans should be content with the results from the last two months; like I said last week, I believe it's part of their responsibility to be critical of their team when things go wrong. However, let's see how the Commanders try to get out of this rut before we proclaim the season is lost.

-- @robbieroadrunr: Why is Luvu non-existent this year? I blame the scheme. What are your thoughts?

I've seen this a lot when it comes to Frankie Luvu, who, in fairness to you, has not been as consistently impactful as he was last year. He had a career season in 2024, and things have been a little uneven for him on the stat sheet.

Here's my problem with the argument of the scheme being to blame for Luvu's lack of consistent numbers: it's the same scheme as last season. It's not like they've drastically changed much about how they use him, at least not to my eyes. What I have seen, though, is that teams are adjusting to him differently than they did last year. They're treating him as a pass-rusher, which means that offensive lines are accounting for him more often in the protection scheme. That change has helped opponents prevent him from blowing up plays in the backfield -- something he often did last season.

But I will give you some credit here by saying that it's on the coaching staff to figure out ways around that problem. I'm not saying that they haven't been trying to do that. If you -- a fan -- and me -- a team reporter -- can see that teams are playing Luvu differently, then obviously the coaching staff can see that as well. Joe Whitt even mentioned it in one of his press conferences. So, they're still looking for an answer, and while they might not have found one they like yet, that doesn't mean they aren't trying.

-- @TheJoesList: Why are we always in the shotgun letting teams tee off on Jayden Daniels?

This might sound contradictory, but I don't think the two are as related as you might think. For one, while they do run most of their plays with Daniels in either the shotgun or pistol formation, that's always been a key piece of the Commanders' offense since Kliff Kingsbury was named the offensive coordinator. Indeed, that's the case for most modern offenses today with most younger quarterbacks possessing some form of athleticism. Also, the shotgun is supposed to allow the quarterback more time to pass the ball, so if that's your concern (which is valid), I don't think lining up under center is the solution.

As for how often Daniels gets hit, I think there are several factors contributing to that. Daniels is not afraid to get hit if it means picking up the extra yardage necessary to keep the offense on the field. That might make fans understandably uncomfortable at times, but that is just part of his skill set. So, as long as Daniels is the Commanders' quarterback, it's something we'll have to learn to deal with.

We also knew that the offensive line would take some time to work together. There were new pieces added to the starting lineup, and players were moved to different positions. It takes live reps, both in practice and games, to build chemistry, and I think that for the most part, the line has done a good job of protecting Daniels, all things considered.

And not to harp on the injuries, but I think that has a part to play in this as well. I like players like Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane and believe they can play roles in the offense going forward. However, both have taken on larger roles than intended, and it takes time to build a stronger rapport with those players. There are several reasons for the Commanders' slow starts offensively, and that is certainly one of them.

-- @Bsmcru990408: Does JD5 have trust issues with his receivers? He plays as if he is looking for 1 or 2 receivers to get open and if he doesn't, tries to extend the play by running.

I don't think it's a lack of trust, but rather what I said in the previous post. Washington's plans at receiver didn't initially involve McCaffrey or Lane being two of their top targets. I believe he trusts his current options, but it takes time to get in rhythm with pass-catchers. Obviously, McCaffrey and Lane caught passes from Daniels in training camp, but they didn't work as much with Daniels as Samuel did in the offseason.

It's not an ideal situation, but perhaps the game reps will help improve the depth at receiver when McLaurin, Samuel and Brown all return.

-- @JayDanielsMVP: Who's to blame for the defensive struggles, especially giving up explosive plays? Scheme/coaching or players just not doing their job?

This is one of the key questions this season, Jay. I'm going to keep this answer short for now just because this is already a long mailbag, but perhaps I'll go into more detail next week to give this question the attention it deserves.

For now, I'll just say that I believe everyone deserves some of the blame for the defense's struggles. Quinn said everyone needs to step up, and he included the coaches in that statement. And here's something I do appreciate about this team: they don't point fingers or try to find a singular scapegoat for their problems. They own their problems as a team, and I'm confident they will find an answer.

That's all for now, but I will save a more detailed answer for next time.