Washington Commanders defensive tackle and team captain Jonathan Allen always keeps it real. Don’t go to Allen if you want a colorful or controversial quote. Allen is realistic and honest.
In his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington Tuesday, Allen talked about the Commanders’ 24-8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
One troublesome aspect of Sunday’s loss to the Eagles was the amount of Philadelphia fans at FedEx Field. It’s nothing new, but Washington made a concerted effort in the offseason to try and limit how many of the opposing team’s fans found their way to FedEx Field.
The Junkies asked Allen if it irked him.
“I would like to say yes, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to put a better product out there,” Allen said. “We can’t get on the fans for not showing up if we’re not giving them a reason to show up. So, that’s not really something I’ve thought about recently because we’ve got to play better football if we want them to come out. It just is what it is.”
That’s the answer we’ve come to expect from Allen. Allen and other players have done contests and giveaways on social media in recent years to encourage Washington fans to come to games at FedEx Field. However, the continued losing and owner Daniel Snyder’s presence still keep Washington fans away.
For that to change, the Commanders need to build a consistent winner. And after watching the past two weeks, Washington is closer to yet another rebuild than sustained success.