It’s not rock bottom?
The Washington Commanders were coming off an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. and they were returning home for a primetime game on a short week against the worst team in the league. What could possibly go wrong? The Chicago Bears didn’t play like 6-point underdogs, and they had a field day against Washington’s defense. The Commanders lost 40-20, and the defense gave up 30 or more points over the last four weeks.
DraftKings had the Washington Commanders at 7 1⁄2 wins for the season after the Eagles game, and that’s dropped down to the 6 1⁄2 win odds from the preseason. Washington goes on the road for their next game and they opened as 2-point road underdogs to the Atlanta Falcons.
High: 17
Low: 30
Average: 24.8
#17
Odds Checker(Radowitz)
Just when we thought Washington was coming around, they played extremely poorly against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. Last week: 12
#20
DraftKings Network
Last week: 14
#21
ESPN
Fantasy surprise: WR Terry McLaurin
McLaurin remains a very good receiver; the opportunities have changed, however. He’s averaging career lows in targets per game (6.5), yards per catch (10.4), yards after the catch (2.52) and also in percentage of catches for 20-plus yards (12). He is catching five passes per game, second best in his career, but McLaurin has now gone nine consecutive games without a 100-yard game, dating to last season. He averaged 13.5 fantasy points last season and that has fallen to 12.6, ranking 27th at receiver. One big game could change this direction, but Washington needs to get him more involved downfield to create big plays as he’s done in the past. — John Keim Last week: 16
#22
Fox Sports(Helman)
Dallas turned in the most embarrassing performance of Week 5, but don’t forget about the Commanders. Thursday Night Football, at home, against a reeling Bears team. Washington was a six-point favorite. And they got absolutely crushed. Not a great look for Ron Rivera, a defensive guru, to allow Justin Fields to play the game of his career. Last week: 17
Sportsnaut(Johnson)
There are so many directions to go with the Washington Commanders. It starts with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who is once again wasting a premium defensive line with a pass defense that gives up big plays in bunches. Del Rio isn’t the only problem. Whether it’s a byproduct of play-calling or Sam Howell’s decision-making, there’s no normal world in which Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas should be targeted just as often as Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. One thing that would help, Eric Bieniemy recognizing the Chiefs’ system doesn’t work with Washington’s skill group. Last week: 15
#23
Touchdown Wire(Bailey)
For as much as the Commanders have invested in their defense, there is zero excuse for giving up 30+ points in four consecutive games. Last week: 15
Clutch Points(Johrendt)
A pretty disappointing performance on Thursday night for the Commanders, as they played from behind the majority of the game and allowed the Bears to have their way on offense. Sam Howell was alright (388 yards, 2:1 TD:INT), but the defense allowed over 450 total yards of offense, which included strong efforts from Fields and Moore. Last week: 20
#24
Sports Illustrated(Orr)
Some team was going to take the brunt of Chicago’s built up angst and frustration. That team ended up being the Washington Commanders, who are 2–3 coming off the mini-break from playing Thursday. With a pair of road games coming up against the Falcons and Giants, we could easily see Ron Rivera’s club at 4–3, positioning themselves for the playoff race, or 2–5, positioning themselves for Caleb Williams. Last week: 24
Sporting News(Iyer)
Sam Howell is definitely a gamer with his arm and legs, but the offense remains inconsistent with usage of everyone. The defense can be good when impassioned, which wasn’t the case against the Bears. Last week: 22
Bleacher Report
If Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera knows any real estate agents, he might want to give them a call.
Because after Thursday’s debacle in the nation’s capital, Rivera may be on the move soon.
There’s no way to sugarcoat what happened—the Commanders were pasted by a winless Bears team that hadn’t won a game in almost a calendar year. Washington’s defense was embarrassed, allowing big play after big play through the air. The offense was rendered one-dimensional by a 27-3 halftime deficit.
Five games into the 2023 season, the Commanders are allowing over 31 points per game, and Rivera told reporters that unit has been a disappointment.
“Well, I’m a little disappointed, more so than I am surprised,” Rivera said. “I just think that some of the things that we have to do is we have to play with a little bit more discipline. We’re going to stop trying to do more than we need to and do our jobs. Probably the basic thing that goes to it, and as I said, we’re taking a look at some of the things that we’re doing with them. Are we truly putting them in the best position to make plays? That’s the thing that we have to look at and go through the next day.”
“It’s not all Rivera’s fault that the Commanders laid an egg against Chicago,” Davenport said. “Or even mostly his fault. But getting humiliated at home by one of the worst teams in the league is not something that endears a coach to a new owner. Unless Washington turns things around in a hurry, it’s hard to imagine Rivera lasting past 2023—if he makes it through the season.” Last week: 15
NFL SpinZone(Scataglia)
I am not sold on this team with Ron Rivera as head coach. He hasn’t had a winning record in ages and the defense should not be as bad as it is. Sam Howell might end up being something worthwhile, but the head coach and defense need some fixing. Last week: 19
#25
Yahoo Sports(Schwab)
It felt like Thursday night’s loss was the end of the Ron Rivera era, not in a literal sense but practically speaking. The Commanders looked unprepared and the 0-4 Bears wrecked them. New ownership didn’t hire Rivera and have no reason to keep him around if the season doesn’t get better. At the very least, it seems Rivera is coaching for his job the rest of the season. Last week: 13
ProFootballTalk(Florio)
The always-smiling Magic Johnson suddenly isn’t. Last week: 20
The Ringer
A leap of faith with Sam Howell hasn’t paid off in Washington. Last week: 26
New York Post(Dunleavy)
Last week: 20
#26
NFL.com(Edholm)
Winnable games lie ahead, but there are some really concerning trends that must end before harboring those thoughts. The high-profile defense is being gashed by big plays. Sam Howell is taking way too many hits. And the rookie class has provided little help, with first-round CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. suffering through another tough outing last week. Arguably the most fixable of the issues is the defensive front. Dominating more and playing with more discipline on the D-line would help alleviate the secondary concerns. The Commanders’ celebrated group of QB hunters is racking up pressures and sacks, but it hasn’t taken over games enough. That unit is at least part of why Washington’s defense has taken a step backward. Last week: 22
CBS Sports(Prisco)
That was a terrible showing against the Bears. What is wrong with that defense? It’s hard to believe that unit is that bad. Last week: 21
The Lines
Other than Chase Young, Washington’s star-studded defensive line has underperformed this season and their secondary was exposed in a 40-20 loss to the Bears. Last week: 25
Oddshark
Last week: 23
#27
USA Today(Davis)
Only Denver has surrendered more points than Washington’s 160. Only Minnesota has turned it over more times than Washington’s 10. Lethal combo. Last week: 15
The 33rd Team(Reynolds)
A power rankings price needs to be paid for teams that get blown out at home by the 2023 Bears. Sam Howell had his moments last Thursday, but most of his production came in a negative game script. The Washington Commanders’ defense was obviously horrendous in that showing, but their front four was an unexpected non-factor.
The Commanders have enough talent to be a playoff contender, but they’ve been extremely inconsistent. Further, narrow wins against the Cardinals and Broncos aren’t exactly encouraging. Last week: 19
The Score
Last week: 17
#28
The Athletic(Kendall)
With the season starting to go south, new Washington owner Josh Harris surely is starting to think about cleaning house in the Commanders football offices. Coach Ron Rivera entered the season on shaky ground, and the 2023 draft class isn’t doing general manager Martin Mayhew any favors. First-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes was benched Thursday night after being torched by DJ Moore, and no one else in the class has made much impact. Last week: 21
Pro Football Network(Miller)
Losing a game to a 0-4 team at home on a short week is sickening enough. Getting thoroughly deconstructed defensively by what had been one of the worst offenses in the NFL over the first four weeks was an absolute embarrassment.
Sam Howell has a steep learning curve remaining. But it is nice to see that his offensive coordinator is letting him sling it. He needs to continue getting live reps in so his process speeds up because if he keeps up the pace, he will break the record for sacks taken in a season. Last week: 21
#29
Team Rankings
Last week: 26
#30
NumberFire
Last week: 25