The Seahawks head to Washington this week for a Sunday night game against the Commanders, who on Monday night suffered a third straight loss to fall to 3-5. To help you get ready for this week's game and learn more about the Commanders, we reached out to Commanders.com senior writer Zach Selby with five questions about this week's opponent.

The Commanders have lost three straight and are 3-5 after coming into the season with high expectations after a great 2024 campaign. Injuries have obviously been a big factor, but what else needs to improve, in addition to health, for Dan Quinn's squad to get back on track?

Selby: They need to get their ground attack going again. The Commanders have struggled to run the ball consistently during their losing streak, with the most glaring example coming on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Commanders put up a season-low 60 rushing yards for the night and just 18 in the second half. At one point, the Commanders led the league in rushing yards per game but ranked 20th over the last three weeks.

The Commanders have a diverse running game when the offense is at its best with Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and even Deebo Samuel all having the possibility to carry the ball. Washington's lack of help at receiver has resulted in defenses overcommitting to stop the run, preventing its backs from finding much success. Prior to Monday's game, Croskey-Merritt faced the ninth most eight-man boxes, according to Nex Gen Stats, and while the rookie has some impressive traits, it's difficult for most players to get positive yardage in those situations.

Of course, they're facing a difficult task against the Seahawks' defense, which is allowing the fewest rushing yards per game this season, but they must get something going on the ground if they hope to win.

On a related note, what's the vibe/mood around the team this week coming off a loss and facing a tough stretch of games?

Selby: The team remains optimistic about their outlook this season, despite being below .500 with one of the most difficult strengths of schedules for the rest of the year. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Thursday that the day's walkthrough was the best he's seen in a while and that you couldn't tell that the team was 3-5 based on their attitude. They're obviously frustrated by the injuries and inconsistent play, but they still believe in the culture that Dan Quinn established and that they can turn things around. However, they're also aware that time is running out for a playoff push, and there isn't really a margin for error anymore.

The Commanders announced Friday that quarterback Jayden Daniels will start on Sunday after being out last week with a hamstring injury. What will his return mean to the offense?

Selby: Daniels' return should provide a significant boost for an offense that has struggled in his absence. Marcus Mariota has played well overall in his place, but the unit is clearly better and more dangerous when Daniels is on the field.

And regardless of who is at quarterback, the offense needs to find a way to generate a vertical passing game. In fairness to the Commanders, that's a tough ask when your top two deep threats -- Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown -- are not on the field. They're still trying to find players who can make explosive plays downfield. Deebo Samuel can be that player, but he's at his best when he gets into open space quickly. We'll see what they do this weekend, although there's not another player on the active roster who can provide downfield plays like McLaurin.

Aside from the obvious big names, what player or players could you see being an X-factor in this game?

Selby: For me, wideout Luke McCaffrey is the easy answer. Although he faced little opposition on all three of his touchdowns this season, he has taken on a larger role and has shown noticeable improvement in his second year. However, he is most valuable on kickoff returns, as he ranks second in kickoff return yardage and is tied for the third best return average. He's been close to breaking off a touchdown on multiple returns and could be even more potent if he can improve his quickness.

What matchup or matchups are you most looking forward to seeing play out on Sunday night?

Selby: I'll go a little unconventional here and say the matchup between Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde is the one I want to see the most. Kingsbury has made the best of a difficult situation this year. Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon in Week 2; Brown has been off the field more often than on it; McLaurin has been nursing a quad injury; and Daniels has missed three games with knee and hamstring injuries. He's had to be creative with his play calling to keep the offense competitive, and aside from the last two weeks against the Dallas Cowboys and Chiefs, he's done a good job of that.

Kingsbury will face another difficult challenge this week against Durde and the Seahawks defense, which in many ways is performing like one of the NFL's better units. They have an impressive defensive front that knows how to put pressure on quarterbacks with limited running lanes on the ground. Offenses have a hard time staying on the field and scoring against Seattle's defense, as they're top 10 points allowed and third-down percentage.

The point is that Kingsbury will need to be in his bag of tricks to keep the Commanders in the game. It would be great if Daniels is able to come back, but either way, the team will need an exceptional night from its play caller.