The Washington Commanders defeated the Houston Texans 23-10 in Week 11 to improve to 6-5 on the season. The win was Washington’s fifth in its last six games.
The Commanders put on a show in the first half, holding the Texans to five total yards and rolling up 246 yards of total offense. However, Washington head coach Ron Rivera seemingly took his foot off the gas pedal in the second half. The Commanders only passed the ball five times in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Did Washington move up in the various NFL power rankings with another win?
We review the latest power rankings from around the NFL media world.
USA TODAY
Last week: No. 18
DE Chase Young was activated Monday, though it remains to be seen when he and his surgically repaired knee can contribute to Washington’s post-Wentz playoff push.
ESPN
Last week: No. 17
What/who is underachieving? Passing game
Washington invested in a new quarterback (Carson Wentz) and drafted a wide receiver in the first round (Jahan Dotson) to pair with Terry McLaurin and a healthy Curtis Samuel. Yet the passing attack has struggled, ranking 21st in yards per game, 25th in yards per attempt and 28th in completion percentage. The reasons vary: Wentz needed time to fully acclimate in the offense, but the protection didn’t give it to him, and the run game left the Commanders in bad third-down situations. Injuries have played a role, to Wentz, Dotson and tight end Logan Thomas. And while they’re 4-1 with quarterback Taylor Heinicke, it’s more a function of the run game and defense — and some timely throws by him. But with the protection improving and players getting healthy, the passing game could improve down the stretch. — John Keim
Yahoo Sports
Last week: No. 15
Taylor Heinicke will keep the starting quarterback job, and it’s the right call in the moment. However, the baffling path to that decision is an indictment of the Washington organization. They saw Heinicke start most of last season. They had time over the offseason to evaluate Carson Wentz, and traded a lot to get him. Early this season, Wentz was exactly what he has been the past few years. Heinicke isn’t really any different than he was last season. But after six games of Wentz, Washington decided Heinicke was better after all. Does all of that sound like rational decision making from a competent franchise?
Sports Illustrated
The Commanders are at the back end of our fringe-contender area. They move up one spot from last week but aren’t soaring despite a convincing two-game stretch over the previous two weeks. As mentioned above, Washington’s schedule is prohibitive, but its quarterback play is also regressing to baseline levels while the running game and defense struggle to pick up the slack.
Bleacher Report
Last week: No. 16
The Washington Commanders are now officially Taylor Heinicke’s team.
After downing the Texans in emphatic fashion Sunday, the Commanders have won five of six and are above .500 for the first time since winning the season opener. Heinicke has won four of five starts in place on an injured Carson Wentz, and after Sunday’s victory head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that regardless of Wentz’s health, Heinicke will start next week against the Atlanta Falcons.
For his part, Heinicke said he’s going to enjoy the ride for however long it lasts.
“I take every opportunity I can get and have fun with it,” Heinicke said. “Something may change in two weeks and he’s back in there. Who knows? But this week I’ll have fun with it, go out there and hopefully get a win. I feel I play my best doing that. I just want to keep this thing rolling. The biggest thing for me is to try to be a clean quarterback, get the ball in those playmakers’ hands and let them do their thing.”
By just about any objective measure, Heinicke has outplayed Wentz. The team has certainly rallied around him. And there’s at least one other reason for the Commanders to stick with Heinicke.
If Wentz plays 70 percent of Washington’s snaps this year, the Commanders owe the Indianapolis Colts a second-round pick in 2023. But if Wentz fails to hit that benchmark, the pick becomes a third-rounder.
“At 6-5, the Commanders are technically the worst team in the NFC East,” Sobleski said. “Yet Rivera’s squad has won five of its last six games. Wentz’s injury opened the door for Heinicke, and the Commanders have been a better team because of the change. Granted, Heinicke hasn’t lit the world on fire. Yet he’s extending plays and getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers, particularly wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who has 352 receiving yards, including two 100-plus-yard efforts, in the team’s last four games. Rivera’s decision to name Heinicke the starter was the right move, and the Commanders could benefit with a surprising postseason appearance.”
Touchdown Wire
Last week: No. 15
Washington has overcame plenty over adversity that comes with a 1-4 start and a quarterback change to find themselves a game above .500 in a highly competitive NFC East. As long as their defensive line consisting of tackles Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and end Montez Sweat continue to feast, Washington will be a tough draw in the last six games.
The Athletic
Last week: No. 18
Thankful for: A drama-less quarterback decision
Ron Rivera’s decision to continue riding with Taylor Heinicke was an easy one from the outside. Washington was 2-4 before Carson Wentz was placed on injured reserve with a finger injury. The Commanders are 4-1 in games since, including Sunday’s blowout win in Houston. Heinicke is not solely responsible for that turnaround — the defense ranks fifth in TruMedia’s defensive EPA per drive over that span. And now that Chase Young is coming back, the Commanders are real playoff contenders (and just a half-game from the No. 7 seed). But odds are we haven’t heard the last from Wentz just yet.
NFL.com
Last week: No. 17
The Commanders are a thing in the NFC playoff race. That’s the only reasonable deduction after a 23-10 win over the moribund Texans moved Washington over the .500 mark for the first time since the season-opening win over Jacksonville. That’s five wins in six weeks for the Commanders, with four wins in five starts for Taylor Heinicke. After the game, Ron Rivera made it clear that this is Heinicke’s job as long as the team continues to win. “We are going to go with Taylor, and we’ll work Carson (Wentz) back in and see where Carson is in terms of when he’s ready to be the backup,” the coach said. “Then, we’ll go from there.” Wentz has been sidelined since mid-October by a finger injury.
Pro Football Talk
Last week: No. 16
With Chase Young back, the Commanders could be ready to leapfrog the Giants on the playoff tree.
CBS Sports
Last week: No. 17
They have won five of six to get into the playoff race. The defense has really come on in recent weeks, and Taylor Heinecke is managing things at quarterback
