Shocker: no one likes to lose. Unfortunately for the Washington Commanders, they have done more of that than they would like over the past month.

The Commanders are 1-4 after starting strong with a victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since the dramatic season-opener, things have been more turbulent for the Burgundy & Gold. Flashes of offensive and defensive production have not been enough to collect wins, and a combination of penalties, errors and inconsistency has been the team's undoing.

It is easy for morale to get low in that situation, but the Commanders are doing what they can to remain confident.

"I feel like you gotta have some sort of pride about yourself to come into work and give it your all, no matter what the scoreboard looks like, no matter what your record looks like," said wide receiver Terry McLaurin. "You're in a fortunate position just to be playing in this league, and it can be taken away from you at any moment."

As Jahan Dotson pointed out on Monday, many of the players are from college programs where losing is less prevalent. Penn State, for example, had three winning seasons and as many bowl appearances during Dotson's time with the program.

As one of the team's leaders, McLaurin's approach is to remind his teammates, especially the younger players, that it is a long season with ups and downs.

"You can't necessarily ride the highs and the lows," McLaurin said. "Just try to stay as consistent as possible."

At the same time, the Commanders are aware that they need to get back in the win column to correct their season. And while the sting of last Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans is still fresh, Thursday's game against the Chicago Bears is an opportunity to get rid of it quickly.

 "We have a Thursday game. We've got to get this bad taste out of our mouth, go to Chicago and try to get a 'W' on Thursday Night Football," said offensive tackle Charles Leno. "There's a lot of things that line up for us to play well. ... We can change the season around right now."

The way Jonathan Allen sees it, Thursday's game is a "must-win" for the Commanders.

"We're 1-4. I don't know too many teams that have started out 1-5 and still had a good season."

Here's a morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. All reports, rumors and conjecture are a reflection of the media conversation and are not endorsed or confirmed by the Washington Commanders.

The reports and deals expressed in this article have not been confirmed by Washington, nor do they reflect any insider information from anyone in the front office.

• The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala writes about Ron Rivera apologizing to Commanders players for "misconstrued" comments.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras reports on Carson Wentz's status ahead of Thursday's game.
• The Athletic's Ben Standig gives his opinion on Thursday's game against the Bears.
• ESPN's John Keim writes about the state of the Commanders heading into Week 6.
• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux writes about the Commanders remaining confident entering a "must-win" game against the Bears.
• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux writes about Dotson's hamstring recovery.
• The Washington Post's Tramel Raggs writes about Dyami Brown getting his first two career touchdowns.
• The Washington Post's Candace Buckner gives her opinions on the Commanders' performance through five weeks.
• The Washington Post's Sam Fortier writes about the Commanders making a change at defense.
• The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala reports on the Commanders' loss to the Titans.
• The Washington Post's Scott Allen gives four takeaways from the Commanders' 21-17 loss to the Titans.
• The Washington Time's Jacob Calvin Meyer writes that Dyami brown's two-touchdown performance was a bright spot for the Commanders.
• The Washington Time's Matthew Paras reports on the Commanders' loss to the Titans.
• NBC Sports Washington's Peter Hailey writes about the Commanders falling short to the Titans.
• The Athletic's Ben Standig writes about the Commanders' loss to the Titans.

Check Out What's On Commanders.com:

• Brian Robinson relives emotions of making NFL debut
• Practice report | Going back to Chicago 'still brings back a nice, big smile' for Ron Rivera
• Rivera reflects on battle with cancer, being an advocate for proton therapy
• 'Pull as we climb': Mentorship making the difference for Latino members of Commanders football staff 
• Dyami Brown calls 2 TD performance vs. Titans "a blessing"
• 3 numbers to know from Washington's Week 5 loss
• Commanders-Titans Stats & Snaps
• Instant Analysis | Commanders fall short to Titans after game-sealing INT
• 5 takeaways from Washington's Week 5 loss to Tennessee
• Media roundup | Rivera, Commanders players reflect on Week 5
• Commanders-Titans Stats & Snaps