Commanders Corner: Elimination Edition
We waited two weeks for this? Washington was technically eliminated when they lost 28-20 to the Los Angeles Rams but for many the season has been over for some time.
Was it the day the Burgundy and Gold got blasted by Buffalo? Or perhaps the prime time meltdown against then-winless Chicago?
If you were still optimistic after that, then perhaps your spirit was broken during one of the two losses to the New York Giants, or during the consecutive games where the team allowed 45 points. Sunday’s loss just makes it official, as we learn that this team wasn’t as much “playing down” to foes this year because the 2023 Commanders are a bottom-tier squad.
What was the most disturbing aspect of Sunday’s loss? The inability to convert third downs (1-7 in the first half and 3-14 on the day)? The wide-open Cooper Kupp on a 62-yard touchdown pass to begin the second half? Multiple snaps dribbled back by Camaron Cheeseman? Or the CBS crew referring to the team as the “Commodores?”
I wasn’t watching closely so I don’t know if it was once, twice or three times an error. What we do know is three games remain and there should be a regime change (heaven help us if there isn’t) in mid-January.
Howell about That or a Tale of Two Quarterbacks: Sam Howell was benched in the fourth quarter after completing 11-26 passes for a season-low 102 yards and his final pass of the day was an interception. He was also sacked once to increase his season total to a league-high 59 (but only 19 sacks over the last seven games, so at least he is trending in the right direction). Jacoby Brissett came off the bench to complete 8-10 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns on his two drives. After the game, Coach Ron Rivera said that Howell stays the starter, and that makes sense, especially with the team out of contention.
Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood: Running back Brian Robinson Jr. sat with a bad hamstring (a hammy shelved the second-year pro at halftime of the Miami game two weeks ago) and Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for 35 yards on 10 carries. Antonio Gibson remained the change-up back with four rushes for 15 yards and five catches for 20 yards. Each saw the ball on a third and short with Rodriguez moving the chains and Gibson coming up short.
Pass Catch Fever: Terry McLaurin posted a season-high 141 yards receiving on six catches to put the wideout back on pace for a 1,000-yard season. He also made his first touchdown reception since October. Curtis Samuel (5-41 with two TDs Sunday) and Jahan Dotson (one catch for 12 yards) also have just one 100-yard receiving game to their names this year. Even with the “spreading the wealth” idea of this offense, one would think that there’d be more games where these three talents would go off.
Third and Sad: The offense moved the chains on 3-14 attempts, with five of their first eight possessions turning into three-and-outs (the tenth possession saw Howell get intercepted on the first play from scrimmage). Just the two previously mentioned called runs. Howell completed 1-6 passes for one conversion while getting sacked once. One of his two scrambles resulted in a first down while the other set up a fourth and short that was converted. Brissett completed 1-2 passes on the money down for zero conversions. Curtis Samuel was the top target, catching two of the three passes thrown his way for one conversion.
Yardage breakdown: 1-4 on short-yardage, 2-7 when needing four to six yards, 0-3 on third and long. For the season: 31-51 (60%), 14-39 (36%), and 23-93 (25%). Fourteen games in and over half of their third downs are long-yardage.
D gets another Incomplete: On the bright side, the 28 points allowed are the lowest during this five-game losing streak. On the bothersome side, the Rams averaged 5.3 yards per carry and began the second half by scorching the secondary on a 62-yard pass where Cooper Kupp was wide-open. Demarcus Robinson had three plays of 20+ yards. Daron Payne led the team with two sacks, moving the tackle into fifth place on the team. The leader? Montez Sweat with 6.5, much like Juan Soto led the Nats in homers despite being traded away halfway through the season.
Special Situations: Where to begin? The team finally cut long-snapper Camaron Cheeseman after two more snaps were dribbled, one being a punt that Tress Way fell on that set up a Rams field goal and the other coming on an extra point attempt that would have brought Washington within seven in the final minute of regulation. Way averaged 40.6 yards on five punts, while Joey Slye made 2-3 extra points. All of Slye’s non-onside kickoffs were touchbacks. Punt coverage allowed one four yard return, while Jamison Crowder returned a punt for 15 yards. Byron Pringle had kickoff returns of 25 and 28 yards, while John Bates returned one kickoff 10 yards.
Flying Flags: Only three penalties for 28 yards with two coming on offense (hold, pass interference) and the other on defense (roughing the passer). Charles Leno Jr.’s hold gives him a team-high eight infractions on the season while holding moves into a tie with false starts for the most-called penalty this fall (13 apiece). Most costly flag? Logan Thomas’ offensive pass interference took a touchdown off the board, and while the Commanders wound up scoring on that possession, they had to burn 1:28 of the 3 minutes 14 seconds remaining on the clock to do so.
Dissecting the Division: Dallas (10-4) despite their loss at Buffalo remains in first place and has the No. 2 seed in the NFC thanks to having a better conference record than Detroit. Philadelphia (10-4) is in second place of the East because the Cowboys own a better division record (4-1 to 3-1) and owns the No. 5 seed. The New York Giants (5-9) are in 12th place of the NFC thanks to a better conference record than Chicago, remaining on the fringe of playoff contention. Washington (4-10) is all alone in 14th place of the NFC and stands two losses (or two Giant wins) away from wrapping up a second straight last place finish in the division.
Elimination Island: The Commanders weren’t the only team eliminated in Week 15, with three others allowed to book that mid-January cruise. The New York Jets were shut out in Miami, Arizona couldn’t stop San Francisco, and Tennessee tumbled at home to Houston while wearing Oilers colors and having “Oilers” written in the end zone. Football karma, indeed.
Comparing the Quartets: The AFC North (35-21) stays the class of the league while the NFC South (22-34) even with a 3-1 Sunday remains the division of depression. The NFC East (29-27) falls back to earth with an 0-4 week. Meanwhile, the AFC takes a 41-31 lead against the NFC in the interconference competition, wrapping up a symbolic victory over the other conference.
In the Booth: CBS had its No. 6 team of Tom McCarthy, James Lofton and Jay Feely on hand for their game against the Rams. The new broadcast world had CBS broadcasting three games that would have been on FOX 10 years ago. The world of flip-flopping games means you’re going to have more games where a broadcaster is seeing a team for the first time, not always a good thing. Their next game is also on CBS, and the world is set up again for the Catalon-Barber-Ryan trio to announce this one (it’d be their fourth Washington game — the most of any crew).