The Washington Commanders are 4-11 after Sunday’s 30-28 loss to the New York Jets. With the loss and a New England Patriots win, Washington moved up to No. 3 in the 2024 NFL draft order.
The Commanders played one of the worst first halves in memory, committing a series of blunders from inopportune penalties, turnovers, blocked punts to dropped passes, but, somehow, managed to come from behind in the second half, even taking a 28-27 late behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Ultimately, though, the Jets had the last opportunity, and kicker Greg Zuerlein drilled a 54-yard field goal to give New York the win.
As we do every week, it’s time to review the best and worst Washington grades from Pro Football Focus in the Week 16 game against the Jets.
Top 5 offense
- RG Sam Cosmi: 86.8
- RB Chris Rodriguez Jr: 84.9
- RT Trent Scott: 72.7
- C Nick Gates: 71.5
- WR Terry McLaurin: 65.7
Sam Cosmi continues his streak of dominant play. Cosmi has played like a top-five NFL guard for the last six weeks. If he had played at that level all season, he would have been a possibility for the Pro Bowl. But remember, this is Cosmi’s first season as a full-time guard after playing right tackle his first two seasons.
Rodriguez was terrific, averaging almost six yards per attempt and scoring his first two NFL touchdowns. Trent Scott replaced an injured Andrew Wylie and was solid. The Commanders ran the ball more in the second half with Scott at right tackle.
Top 5 defense
- LB Khaleke Hudson: 82.5
- CB Kendall Fuller: 78.0
- DT Jonathan Allen: 76.0
- S Percy Butler: 73.5
- CB Emmanuel Forbes: 70.2
All Khaleke Hudson has done the last two years is take advantage of every opportunity he’s been given. With Jamin Davis out for the season, Hudson moved into the starting lineup and has been terrific in each of the last two games. The Commanders should’ve found a way to play him more throughout the season.
It’s good to see Jonathan Allen back on the good list after a rough couple of weeks. Forbes played 29 snaps after Benjamin St-Juste left with a concussion and held up well. Regardless of what coaches think about Forbes right now, he needs to be playing every snap.
Bottom 5 offense
- TE Logan Thomas: 52.9
- RT Andrew Wylie: 51.4
- QB Sam Howell: 47.3
- WR Curtis Samuel: 44.8
- TE John Bates: 43.4
The biggest takeaway here: It was a rough day for Washington’s tight ends. The Commanders desperately need to address the position in the offseason. Thomas has been a good player, but is likely gone after the year. Bates is a good second tight end but not a starter. It’s strange to see PFF grade Wylie so low here, as the site is often much kinder to him than his performance on the field would indicate.
Bottom 5 defense
- CB Benjamin St-Juste: 57.4
- DE Casey Toohill: 56.2
- DT John Ridgeway: 53.5
- DE Jalen Harris: 52.7
- S Kamren Curl: 47.2
It was another rough outing for St-Juste. In the first half, he had two penalties that cost Washington over 30 yards, one of which was pass interference and the other a holding penalty. He left the game with a concussion. This was Curl’s worst game, according to PFF. He hasn’t played well lately, which isn’t ideal heading into free agency. Curl is a good player, and like everyone else on this unit, it’s just been a bad year.
Other notable grades
- DT Daron Payne: 67.1
- DB Quan Martin: 66.8
- LB Cody Barton: 68.7
- QB Jacoby Brissett: 64.8
- LT Cornelius Lucas: 59.8
- LG Saahdiq Charles: 59.1
Daron Payne was solid again in the middle of the defensive line for the Commanders. He and Allen still aren’t making enough game-changing plays, but they aren’t playing as badly as some believe. Barton has improved dramatically throughout the season, but his play remains an issue. He almost had a pick-six, returning it nearly 60 yards.
Brissett played well for the second straight week, and we aren’t sure why he wasn’t graded higher in his limited time under center. Lucas did a solid job at left tackle. He’s always solid. Charles returned to the starting lineup and was better than Chris Paul had been playing. Charles is frustrating because, at times, you see dominance, but he is way too inconsistent. Upgrading at left guard is one of Washington’s many goals this offseason.
