Commanders Struggle; Injuries, Young Players Spotlighted

The Washington Commanders are 2-2 after a 34-27 road loss to Atlanta, with coach Dan Quinn urging the team to 'grow' and fix sluggish starts and third‑down breakdowns. Quinn singled out defensive problems — missed tackles, poor communication, lack of pressure and penalties — as key issues to correct in meetings and practice. Injuries have mounted: DE Javontae Jean‑Baptiste tore his pec and is headed to injured reserve, Terry McLaurin (quad), Noah Brown (groin) and John Bates (groin) are day‑to‑day, Sam Cosmi remains on the PUP list, and Jayden Daniels' practice plan is being monitored. Those absences forced the team to rely on a young pass‑catching group, with Luke McCaffrey producing back‑to‑back touchdown plays and special‑teams tackles and Jaylin Lane and Ben Sinnott also contributing and earning praise. Washington now heads to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in Week 5 hoping injured starters can return and the younger players continue to develop.