Breaking News: Commanders’ path to saving their season starts and ends with Jayden Daniels…see more

The Washington Commanders enter Week 9 at 3–5, teetering between irrelevance and resurgence.

And now, they find themselves under the lights of Sunday Night Football, facing a 5–3 Seattle Seahawks team that’s disciplined and loaded with youth-infused talent.

Washington will be without Terry McLaurin once again, Deebo Samuel Sr. remains banged up, and the offense has been anything but consistent. Yet, there’s still a sense of belief. There’s still that lingering feeling that, if Jayden Daniels is on the field, the Commanders have a shot.

The second-year quarterback hasn’t had the linear rise some expected following a sensational rookie campaign that won him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Injuries have limited him, and other varying outliers have minimized his impact. But his mere presence on the field transforms the energy of the roster — the rhythm, the confidence, the execution.

The former LSU phenom’s ability to mask offensive inefficiencies is the great equalizer. For all of Washington’s holes — protection breakdowns, inconsistent weapons, and a running game that’s been up and down Daniel give them chance to complete. Sometimes, that’s all that matters.

Every franchise has its fulcrum. For the Buffalo Bills, it’s Josh Allen. For the Baltimore Ravens, it’s Lamar Jackson. And as Washington saw last week, for the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s Patrick Mahomes.