Talk Commanders

Last week was a none-too-subtle reminder that life for a young quarterback in the NFL is not an experience for the faint of heart. Buffalo came to town fully ready for everything the burgundy and gold had in store. The emphasis will be understandably on young Sam Howell. But, this was a total team loss. The Defense did nothing of note. Oh, there was an interception which closely resembled a punt. That was about it. Chase Young remains largely undisciplined. When facing a running QB the worst thing for the Edge to do is go wide and deep thereby opening passing and running lanes. Chase did it all day. The most telling play came when Josh Allen dropped back to pass from the Washington 10-yard line. Kamren Curl came on a delayed Safety Blitz through a wide-open B-gap. He had Allen dead to rights. When he got there his brain simply disengaged. Instead of taking Allen straight on he attempted to blow the larger man up with his right shoulder. Allen moved slightly then ran untouched through the same huge lane eventually crossing the goal line untouched. A little finger roll with a leap was just a bit of salt on an open wound. For his part Curl was on the ground, his face planted on the turf. Sometimes a failure takes time to be properly recognized. In this case recognition was immediate. A coach’s job is to get a player in position to make a play. The coach’s part was nicely done. The player’s part was a total muff. It was that kind of day.

The ask doesn’t get easier. Time to travel to Philly to take on the undefeated, and defending NFC Champions. The good news is that Eagles have not looked as dominating as last year. They have yet to put together a complete game. It’s probable they view this game as a great opportunity to get that task done.

A popular advertisement at one time said, “Life comes at you fast.” Football comes much faster than that. After only two weeks the Burgundy and Gold have won nearly a full third of the wins predicted for them by a myriad of experts. So far these wins have come against an admittedly poor team, and one just coming to grips with its inadequacies. If Josh Harris and his ownership group was the Rescue Squad for the long-suffering, and largely invisible fanbase then Sean Payton was N. Richard Nash’s “Rainmaker” for the parched Colorado football plains. Sean was going to fix everything including the formerly Hall-of-Fame-bound turned pedestrian Quarterback Russell Wilson. He went so far as to brag on SXM radio during training camp tours that he had done more offensive “Installs” in a shorter time than he thought possible. After losing last week, he was forced to admit his team couldn’t even execute personnel groupings in a timely manner. Wilson was chronically late getting the team out of the huddle. High School teams get these elements of the game correct in the vast majority of cases. At the professional level such failures are inexcusable. The punditry expects things in Denver to solidify. It won’t matter to the Washington squad. They hit Denver at a good time leaving with the win.

The Buffalo team on the schedule today has none of Denver’s basic execution issues. It’s a very good team with deserved Championship ambitions. A win today for the Washington Commanders would represent a significant upset.

Washington’s home opener was more of an exorcism than a great football expose.  A win is surely a win.  But, this was one few could love other than immediate family.  There were scarcely surprises except that the home team actually won a game that felt like it would lose for much of the day.  Sam Howell looks like a quarterback with great upside confined to a rookie’s body.  Young QBs drink from the fountain of knowledge via a three-inch fire hose.  It’s rarely a pretty sight.  This was no exception.  The Defense eventually took over the game.  That side of the ball is the lopsided strength of the team.  David Aldridge called the win, “Unsatisfying.”  Be that as it may, it still beat the Dickens out of losing.  This is a team facing an absolute gauntlet of a schedule.  If it wants to make hay while the sun is shining it needs to go to Denver this week and win. The following week the Buffalo Bills come to town with Super Bowl aspirations in tow.  A week later is the short hop to Philadelphia where the reigning Division Champions reside.  There’s no place to run, no place to hide.  Of the next three contests this Denver game is the peach.

Change always comes with promise. Sometimes the promise is realized. Often it is not. Back in the author’s submarine days the word started circulating that a new Commanding Officer was coming. It was energizing. The previous Captain wasn’t bad. But, a new CO afforded the thought that the grind of going to sea for long periods coupled with hard work in port would be somehow less onerous. The grizzled Korean War Veteran Master Chief would have none of it. “Everyone thinks that change will make things better. Sometimes that happens. Most times things just get different.”

The Washington Commanders season ended last week with regards to their playoff chances, and the team turns to the future today to see what rookie Sam Howell can do at quarterback today in his first start of his pro career. Coincidentally, the team is retiring the No. 9 today in a celebration of long-time QB Sonny Jurgensen’s jersey number.

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The Washington Commanders (7-7-1) are back home with a lot of changes, and mostly with Carson Wentz named the starter for the team at quarterback for this game against the Browns, a team already eliminated from the playoffs. The Commanders control their own fate that if they win today and next week then they are guaranteed a playoff Wild Card spot. The other buzz around the team is the unveiling of their new mascot.

The Washington Commanders (7-6-1) are back on the road and staring at a turning point in their season. With a win today, and losses by Seattle and the teams behind them, the Commanders would take a big step towards a Wild Card spot. First things first, they have to beat the first place San Francisco 49ers on the road in a game that Vegas gives nearly a touchdown advantage to the home team.