If ever there was a week that coaches should have the attention of the Washington Commanders, it was this week.
Last week was nothing short of a disaster. Against the one-win Chicago Bears, Washington was humbled and humiliated, losing 40-20 at FedEx Field.
The embarrassment should have infuriated the Commanders and motivated them to prove themselves this week at Atlanta against the 3-2 Falcons.
The Washington secondary has something to prove after getting burned by Bears quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore. They will need to do it without starting safety Darrick Forrest, whose shoulder injury landed him on IR for at least the next four weeks.
The offensive line has given up 67 quarterback pressures, which is 26th in the NFL. Quarterback Sam Howell has to prove he can get rid of the ball sooner, having been sacked an NFL-leading 29 times for minus-185 yards. It stands to reason if Howell can deliver the ball sooner, the quarterback pressures will come down some as well.
Yet it is also true Howell has six interceptions in five games, which is tied for second-most in the league.
Meanwhile, the Falcons’ offensive players, like QB Desmond Ridder, tight end Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, are hoping the same Commanders defense shows up in Atlanta.
Ridder has been sacked 16 times this season, suggesting both teams have had troubles at times with their passing game. In fact, through five games, Howell’s passer rating is 22nd at 86.0, and — look at that — who is next? Ridder is 23rd at 85.8. When it comes to QBR, Howell is 19th at 48.2, while Ridder is 24th at 42.7.
Perhaps it will come down to the running game, where the Falcons have certainly been more efficient than Washington. Robinson and Tyler Allgeier have rushed for 364 and 191 yards, respectively. By contrast, Washington is led by Brian Robinson and Howell with 271 and 101, respectively. Bijan Robinson is averaging a sixth-best 5.4 yards a carry and Allgeier 3.1, while Brian Robinson is averaging 4.0 a carry for Washington.
Imagine that — a game in 2023 could be won in the trenches.
