By idling at the NFL’s trade deadline this week, the Patriots sent a message to their roster: we’re riding with you the rest of the way.

At 2-6, it’s all but certain the Pats won’t turn their season around in time for a playoff run, but a few young players could shape the remainder of this campaign. Whether that means finishing close to .500 or making a case for playing time in 2024 and beyond remains to be seen. But it all starts Sunday.

From the roster, these are the four Patriots most pivotal to a win over the Commanders.

WR Demario Douglas

The Patriots’ new leading receiver played a career-high 41 snaps last week. Don’t be surprised to see Douglas surpass that against Washington.

The Commanders rank second-worst in the league at defending opponents’ No. 1 receivers by DVOA. They field a young secondary with tall, long cornerbacks that could struggle against Douglas’ elite quickness. The sixth-round rookie is by far the Pats’ best yards-after-catch threat and most consistent separator versus man coverage.

Over the past two weeks, the Patriots have also featured Douglas in motion-heavy game plans. Against Miami, they ran a season-high 34.1% of plays with a receiver in motion at the snap. On those plays, they enjoyed a 53% success rate, up from their 38% mark for the entire game.

Douglas executed most of those pre-snap motions with Kendrick Bourne, but now that Bourne is out for the season, the rookie should be plenty busy before and after the snap as Mac Jones’ new go-to guy.

WR Tyquan Thornton

It’s not quite now or never for the 2022 second-round pick, but it’s getting close.

The Patriots made Thornton a healthy scratch for last weekend’s loss at Miami, a clear sign the staff doesn’t believe he can be efective. In his last game action, Thornton caught one pass for two yards versus Buffalo. The week before that, he secured one of two targets for six yards.

Despite boasting 4.3 speed and above-average height for his position, Thornton has never been able to apply his rare talents and make an impact. Sunday would be an ideal time, given the Patriots’ poor health at receiver and Washington’s dreadful deep-ball defense. Defending passes with 20-plus air yards, Washington has allowed the most completions, highest yards/attempt average and highest Expected Points Added (EPA).

Thornton can get behind most defenses, and it sounds like Mac Jones would love to throw him the ball.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing with really fast receivers. That’s a quarterback’s favorite thing, right?” Jones said this week. “You have guys that can threaten the defense vertically, and the really good ones are the ones who can have multiple routes, as well. So, I think Tyquan definitely has that, and he has the right mindset right now.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him progress and grow, for sure.”

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C David Andrews

It all starts in the middle.

Whether the Patriots are running the ball or protecting Jones, they must win between the tackles against Washington. This season, they’ve proven to be an above-average rushing team inside, thanks largely to a terrific season from center David Andrews and the hard running of Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.

That must continue Sunday, especially if left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/knee) is limited or out. On Thursday, Andrews spoke to the challenge of facing Commanders defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Among defensive tackles, Allen (34) and Payne (34) rank among the league leaders in tackles for loss over the last two-plus seasons.

And when Jones faces pressure, he has a passer rating of 56.8 with three touchdowns and four interceptions this year, per Pro Football Focus.

CB J.C. Jackson

In his first three games as a Patriot this season, Jackson looked like his old self.

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He played strong man-to-man coverage and flashed natural instincts. He even broke up a pass against Buffalo and bested Bills star Stefon Diggs, who’s long had his number. Then, over a single outing, Jackson regressed.

He allowed two touchdowns last weekend at Miami, where the Dolphins picked on him relentlessly. In all, he allowed five catches, two touchdowns and committed a defensive pass interference penalty. While Commanders leading receiver Terry McLaurin is no Tyreek Hill, his speed is still a danger.

This week, Bill Belichick called McLaurin “a very explosive player,” who threatens all levels of the defense.

“He can make plays down the field, intermediate, catch-and-run plays. He’s quick, plays a lot of different positions,” Belichick said. “They move him around. … It’s not like all the targets go to him, but he’s clearly one of the top players in the league. There’s no doubt about that.”

McLaurin leads Washington with 42 catches for 495 yards and two touchdowns this season.