The Washington Commanders are 3-4 after Sunday’s 14-7 loss to the New York Giants. It was a game Washington needed to win with a schedule that becomes much tougher, beginning next week with a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was another slow start for the Commanders on both sides of the ball. New York had 256 total yards of offense in the first half with multiple backups, while Washington managed only 46 yards.
What do we make of this team after seven games?
Here are five takeaways from the Commanders’ Week 7 loss to the Giants.
Sam Howell's day
I didn’t think this was Sam Howell’s best day, but considering the pressure he was under, that’s understandable. Howell was sacked five times in the first half — six overall. And upon initial review, each of those sacks were on the offensive line and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Howell calmed down and played better in the second half. He still missed some throws he was making earlier in the season. That’s going to happen. With each passing week, the concern is real that the Commanders will ruin Howell. He is up to 40 sacks on the season. Yes, Howell needs to get rid of the ball sooner, but Bieniemy and the OL haven’t helped things. Howell’s second-half play was encouraging, as he led the Commanders on two long drives in the fourth quarter, but the team couldn’t get out of its own way.
Chris Rodriguez should continue to receive carries
The rookie sixth-round pick had four carries last week against the Falcons. On Sunday, Rodriguez led the Commanders with 31 yards rushing on seven attempts. We aren’t saying Washington should bench Brian Robinson Jr. or cut into Antonio Gibson’s time, but Rodriguez should absolutely be in the mix. Rodriguez runs with power, and patience and has the best vision on the team. He sets up his blocks well. You can see why he was such an effective runner in the SEC. Robinson is Washington’s top back but Bieniemy should keep finding ways to involve Rodriguez.
Chase Young is going to cost a lot
Chase Young had two more sacks against the Giants. Young has been active in every game, and the sacks are starting to come. A free agent at the end of the season, Washington has a major decision to make between him and Montez Sweat. There’s no doubt that Young has a higher upside, but if he keeps putting up numbers, he will cost a lot. That’s not a problem because the Commanders have plenty of cap room, and you don’t mind paying pass rushers.
Regardless of how many sacks Young finishes with, he’s closer than ever to resembling the 2020 version of himself. Young still isn’t the game-wrecker many projected him to be, but maybe that’s coming.
Slow starts are this team's identity
How many times did we hear this offseason that the Commanders, from coaches and players, that they needed to get off to a fast start? Not only in the season but in each game. It’s painful to watch, and it’s clearly a coaching issue. It’s been this way for four years. They start slow, they make a run — or mini-run — in the middle of the season only to limp toward the finish line. Some may not agree, but I think that’s where they’re headed this year. When I see they may make a run, I am not talking about a six-game winning streak, but the Commanders may win a couple in a row, including beating a superior team or two, sucking fans in and making you believe, “What if?”
If these coaches haven’t identified why they start slow and fixed it, it’s not going to happen. It all falls on head coach Ron Rivera. He picked this coaching staff. Jack Del Rio’s defense has plenty of talent, and yet I’ve never seen a secondary that has so many communication issues — in year four of this regime.
Sunday felt like the end unofficial end
We’ve heard owner Josh Harris isn’t going to fire coaches during the season. But how much longer can he let efforts like this continue? It’s not going to change. This team can’t protect the quarterback. They don’t seem interested in trying to cater their offensive philosophy to protecting the quarterback. They give up far too many big plays on defense. So if they play well in the second halves of games, they are already in a hole. Sometimes, as we’ve learned in two of the last three weeks, that hole is too great to climb out of.
Offensively, this team rarely makes big plays unless Howell connects with Terry McLaurin. Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown are capable, but for different reasons, it hasn’t happened. Watching other teams, even with backups, move the ball with ease and then watching the Commanders struggle for every yard is maddening.
With a new owner, we knew changes were coming. Harris has said all the right things, although we know Magic Johnson wasn’t happy with that Thursday night loss to the Bears. On Sunday, it was clearer than ever; it’s not a matter of it; it’s only a matter of when. If Harris plans to make a move, he should do it before the end of the season because if Rivera goes, the team needs to start fresh in the front office, too. The next GM has some big decisions to make, and the Commanders need to get ahead of other franchises.
