Three of the NFL’s best teams through five weeks hail from the NFC East.
The lone exception? The 1-4 Washington Commanders.
As the rest of the division thrives, the Commanders have scored just 62 points during an ongoing four-game losing streak. They’re already four games behind the Philadelphia Eagles following Week 5’s loss to the Tennessee Titans.
On Monday, per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, head coach Ron Rivera had a jarringly blunt response to why the division’s other teams are currently superior to his quad.
“Quarterback,” Rivera answered.
While it’s surprising for Rivera to seemingly throw Carson Wentz under the bus just five games into his Washington tenure, fans are also confused at the assessment given the division’s other quarterbacks.
While Jalen Hurts has made significant progress in the pocket this season, defense has vaulted the Dallas Cowboys to four straight victories behind steady, clean play from backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
Daniel Jones hasn’t quite taken monumental strides in his fourth season, but the New York Giants are surprisingly 4-1 with a resurgent season from running back Saquon Barkley.
Meanwhile, Wentz has thrown six interceptions and ranks 24th in QBR between Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields.
While Rivera’s initial response raised eyebrows, he followed with a kinder assessment of Wentz’s play.
“Our QB’s done some good things and he’s had a couple games where he’s struggled. … Most of the time he’s very solid. … But the way he performed yesterday? Just shows you what he’s capable of. We chose him because we believe in him.”
Whereas the other NFC East teams rank inside the top 10 of points allowed, Washington resides at 28th. The Commanders also have the group’s least effective running game.
Quarterback isn’t the only issue, but Wentz must play considerably better for Washington to have any chance of escaping last place.