'I'm sure it's a beautiful city, but who cares?' Commanders eyeing win, not vacation, in Madrid

MADRID -- This is not the Washington Commanders team Spain thought it would be getting. This is also not the Commanders team the organization thought it would be taking overseas.

But this is where the Commanders are entering Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network): 3-7, losers of five straight, ravaged by injuries and having lost their past four games by a combined 89 points. They're one of three teams in the past 35 years to have lost four consecutive games by 20 or more points, per ESPN Research.

"You have to be honest," quarterback Marcus Mariota said, "and I don't think we are who we think we are."

They thought, after a 12-5 season in 2024, they'd at least be playoff contenders. They had quarterback Jayden Daniels, one of the most exciting -- and marketable -- players in the game. And because of him, one of the league's most dynamic offenses.

That's why the NFL wanted Washington to play in one of its international games. Only two years after Dan Snyder sold the franchise to Josh Harris, the team had become popular again.

Now the Commanders are without Daniels -- who sustained a dislocated left elbow on Nov. 2 -- and are playing their way into a top-10 pick, maybe even a top-five pick if they can't turn it around.

Once more, Mariota, who has stepped in to replace Daniels, opted not to duck the state of the team. After Sunday's 44-22 loss to Detroit, Mariota was asked how far they were from being the team they anticipated.

"It's a great question," he said. "I don't feel we're close."

He emphasized he hasn't lost faith based on how he has seen his teammates respond to adversity. However, it hasn't translated to any level of success. The Commanders beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-10 on the road on Oct. 5. That day, they overcame an early 10-point deficit and -- for one half -- looked like the team they were expected to be.

Since then, it has been either heartbreak ... or heartburn. It started with a last-second loss to Chicago, followed by four consecutive blowouts.

One year ago, Washington punter Tress Way had two games in which he didn't punt and three others in which he punted only once. This season, it's the defense that doesn't see the opposing punter. Over the past three games, Washington's opponents have punted a combined four times.

"A step forward and then two steps backwards," coach Dan Quinn said of the defense this season. "It's not what we want and that's a big part of us. The identity and play style and all of it."

The Commanders have allowed 154 points over the past four games -- the most they've allowed over a four-game stretch since 1954.

"I understand we're not where we want to be in this moment," Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "It's frustrating. We don't want to be in this situation. It's on us to get ourselves out. We can't look back on the past and talk about what should have been or what could have been."

Don't expect Wagner to turn a trip to Madrid into a sightseeing tour.

"We've got to get a win," he said. "That should be all of our focus. We're going to Madrid; I'm sure it's a beautiful city, but who cares? We play a football game there, and we have to win. That's my thing: Don't get caught up in where we're at because it will affect where we're at."

And where they're at is a place the organization hoped it had left in its rearview mirror after 2024.

Injuries have been a major storyline all season for the Commanders, who lost their starting defensive ends -- Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong -- to season-ending injuries. Starting corners Marshon Lattimore (torn ACL) and Trey Amos (fractured fibula) are out. Starting safety Will Harris (fibula) remains on injured reserve. Topping it off this week: Defensive tackle Daron Payne was suspended one game after being ejected for punching Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown on Sunday.

And then there's the offense. Daniels has not been ruled out for the season but is sidelined indefinitely and has missed four games and counting. Receiver Terry McLaurin (quad) won't play in Madrid, marking the seventh game he will have missed. Running back Austin Ekeler tore an Achilles in Week 2 and is done for the season.

McLaurin, Brown and Ekeler combined for 152 catches, 1,915 yards and 14 touchdowns (13 by McLaurin) in 2024. They have combined for 21 catches, 277 yards and one touchdown this season.

But losing games in the manner they have has stung more. They were 8-4 in one-score games last season and lost only one regular-season game by double digits. This year, they're 0-2 in one-score games and have lost four by double digits. They haven't been in the lead since the fourth quarter of their Week 6 loss to Chicago.

"It's frustrating," linebacker Frankie Luvu said, "but I don't know what to say."

Last year, Washington's players often spoke of their tight bond -- starting with spring practices. It strengthened as the Commanders traveled for joint practices against the Jets and Dolphins.

Then, after a Week 3 Monday night game in Cincinnati, the Commanders spent the week in Arizona before a game vs. the Cardinals. Quinn often talked about how much that time cemented those bonds. A close group grew closer, paving the way for a special run.

Now they're hoping a week away together can help salvage their season. That's why, when asked after Sunday's loss whether this trip was coming at a bad time, Quinn said it was "just the opposite."