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

We're back for another edition of Hail Mail after the Washington Commanders dropped their sixth consecutive game with a 16-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

I thought about taking a break since the players are on their bye week, but hey, fans are still really opinionated, and even though there were only a few replies to my call for questions (I kind of expected that, given the circumstances), I decided to take some time out of my European vacation and do some writing.

So, here we go: here's what Commanders fans want to know this week.

@crecord33: Did last year's success set us back 3, 5 or 10 years?

Twitter (Or X, I guess. I still can't bring myself to call it that) is such an interesting place. You're not the first fan to have this opinion, crecord. I've seen a lot of fans on social media say this or something similar. I know the fan base is frustrated (I know that's an understatement), so I will approach this with empathy.

Let me start off by saying that as a sports fan and human, I fully understand the frustration Commanders fans are feeling right now. It's not a good feeling when your favorite team doesn't live up to expectations, especially when they were about as high as they could possibly get this past offseason. And I'll say this: I don't believe anyone expected this Commanders team to lose six straight games, so it's a bit of a shock for a lot of people.

I'll confess I am one of those disappointed people who had high expectations for the team. I thought, and still believe, that the moves Adam Peters and the Commanders made this offseason made sense. I have thought about this team basically nonstop since I started working here in 2019, and I can tell you right now that things are obviously much better (and easier) when the team is having success.

So, let me say it again: I get it.

However, and I'm saying this is in a gentle tone from the Marvel-themed hotel bar in Disneyland Paris: I don't understand the notion that last year's success set the franchise back in any way. I wouldn't trade the success the team had in 2024 for anything, aside from winning the Super Bowl of course, and I am positive that everyone on the football operations side of things (the people who actually won the games) feel the same way. Fans had been praying for a season like that for decades, and I think it's a little odd to wish for less success in hindsight just because this season didn't go as planned.

But this year's lack of success is where that thought stems from, and to be honest with you, I don't believe this year's issues have much, if anything to do with how the team fared last year. To me, the problems originated from a lot of bad luck.

Injuries obviously aren't the only reason the Commanders have struggled, but they have obviously played a massive role. Jayden Daniels has missed half the season; their starting three receivers have barely been on the field together; Sam Cosmi didn't come back until a third of the way through their season; Austin Ekeler is out for the year with a torn Achilles; Will Harris broke his fibula and is just now coming back; three of their best defensive ends all suffered injuries that, best-case scenario, will keep them out for most of the season; Luke McCaffrey broke his collarbone; Marshon Lattimore tore his ACL; Jonathan Jones missed four games with a hamstring injury; and Trey Amos fractured his fibula and will end the season on IR. I'm sure I'm missing some injuries, but you get it.

The point is this: any team that sustains that many injuries to that many important players is going to run into problems. That's certainly not an excuse to lose games, but it does make things much more difficult.

I'm not saying that fans should just accept the results of the previous six games. To borrow a phrase from Game of Thrones, good service requires hard truths, and I think it is a fan's responsibility to be critical of their team when things aren't going well. However, I do think it is important to take everything into consideration before providing said criticism. What's more, let's not let the discomfort from this season bleed into the future, because things are still bright for this franchise.

Don't forget that the Commanders have the most important position in sports figured out. Jayden Daniels has proven that he can be the team's long-term answer at quarterback. I still believe that the team's draft picks over the last two seasons can develop into long-term starters. Washington's injured players will not stay injured forever. I also believe in Peters' ability to draft talented players and Dan Quinn's ability to coach them into competent professionals. What's more, if the Commanders do get a high draft pick this year, there's so much they can do with that capital, from taking the best player available at positions of need to trading back and acquiring more picks.

Are there still some things to figure out on the roster? Absolutely. I would have said that even if the Commanders didn't sustain a barrage of injuries. But Peters, Quinn and their staff are smart people. After all, they did put together the roster that got them to the NFC Championship last year. They can figure this out, and I'm genuinely not just saying that because I work for the team.

Fans should feel upset about the season. I'm not going to take that away from you, and you should feel upset about your team being 3-8. But I'm not going to write off the franchise's future because of a bad season, especially when I believe there is a strong foundation.