The opinions expressed in this article are from national reporters and do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders are 3-3 following their 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. Here's how they stack up with the rest of the NFL heading into Week 7.
ESPN
Rank: 17
- John Keim: When Washington signed the veteran defensive tackle to a contract that averaged $15 million per year, many scratched their heads. But Kinlaw ranks 13th among defensive tackles with a 40.2% run stop win rate (his previous career best was 35%). He has been credited with seven run stops, already a career high. Washington wanted Kinlaw because it believed he was still ascending after multiple injuries hampered his growth. He has now been healthy for two straight seasons and is really producing. Washington's run defense still needs some work -- it ranks 20th after finishing 30th last season -- even with Kinlaw doing his part.
NFL.com
Rank: 12
- **Eric Edholm:** Monday felt like a missed opportunity for the Commanders, who had the ball twice in the fourth quarter with the lead but punted and fumbled, opening the door for the Bears to snag a one-point win. Jayden Daniels rallied from his early pick to take command of the game, but he coughed the ball up late in the misty weather. The Bears had no trouble hanging on to the ball, and they promptly marched down the field for the game-winning field goal. Washington held them to 1-for-3 in the red zone, but it was not a particularly good defensive showing for the Commanders, especially after such an encouraging outing against the Chargers. The offense did its part with three turnovers, and Matt Gay also missed a kick, so the breakdowns were all around.
USA Today
Rank: 15
- Nate Davis: They doubled their season turnover total from three to six Monday night. QB Jayden Daniels kept them in their loss to Chicago 'til the end regardless but could really some of his weapons back.
Pro Football Talk
Rank: 19
- **Mike Florio:** They blew an opportunity to catch the Eagles; they might now be caught by the Cowboys or the Giants.
Bleacher Report
Rank: 16
- B/R staff: A win over Chicago would have given the Commanders a share of the NFC East lead at a time when the reigning-champion Eagles might be showing some cracks. Unfortunately, Washington fell behind early, failed to stop Chicago late, and lost on a last-second field goal.
Yahoo Sports
Rank: 18
- Frank Schwab: There was no Hail Mary to beat the Bears this time. The Commanders caught a lot of breaks last season, and that's hard to replicate. On Monday, a botched handoff was fumbled away and led to a rough loss. The Commanders are fine at 3-3, but some regression was inevitable.
CBS Sports
Rank: 19
- Pete Prisco: They lost a tough one to the Bears, and the biggest concern remains the defense. They give up a lot of big plays because of poor tackling.
Sporting News
Rank: 19
- Vinnie Iyer: The Commanders got a bit sloppy early and late with Jayden Daniels and the rest of the offense, making uncharacteristic mistakes to put extra pressure on the defense. Daniels is now 1-1 vs. Williams early in their fun duel.
Sports Illustrated
Rank: 16
- **Connor Orr:** This was not a great Jayden Daniels game, but I think we can all agree that it was also not a great Commanders defensive performance, which was obviously more costly. We're going to get Daniels on nights—especially in a nor'easter—-when he cannot be Superman. We cannot, however, depend on Washington to outscore its opponents so regularly without some help.
FOX Sports
Rank: 18
- **Ralph Vacchiano:** The Commanders beat themselves with three turnovers, all of which led to Bears points. Meanwhile, Dan Quinn's defense may end up being the real problem for this team.
