3 reasons Commanders should start fire sale after TNF embarrassment
By Jerry Trotta
Count your blessings, Washington Commanders and football fans. The nightmare is over. You can now look forward to a full slate of Sunday football. In order to cleanse your palette’s, might we suggest Chiefs-Bills and Cowboys-Eagles. Honestly? Watch anything that doesn’t involve the Broncos and you’ll be good.
OK, back to the matter at hand.
This was a rare win that didn’t cause for celebration. It took a muffed punt in the red zone for Washington to defeat the hapless Bears in primetime. If not for Tress Way’s cannon for a right leg and Christian Holmes wrestling the ball away from Velus Jones Jr., we’d be discussing a fifth-straight loss for Ron Rivera’s side.
The “a win is a win” slogan doesn’t apply here. The Commanders’ season is saved, but only for the time being. This was the easiest game remaining on the schedule and it took a quasi-miracle for them to pull it off.
The Commanders are one of the worst teams in the NFL and it’s officially time for the front office to embrace a fire sale before the trade deadline.
3 reasons Commanders should start a fire sale after TNF
3. Barely beat the Bears/Time to think about 2023 draft
It’s time, folks.
The Commanders needed a cavalcade of Bears errors to win this game. This victory does nothing to alter the course of the 2022 season. Velus Jones’ muffed punt, Justin Fields missing a wide-open receiver in the red zone in the first half and countless dropped passes from Bears wideouts in the fourth quarter, culminating in Darnell Mooney’s juggling effort on the final play, decided this game.
Look at the stats. Chicago out-gained Washington by over 100 yards, Justin Fields out-gained Carson Wentz through the air, the Bears won the time of possession battle handily and Washington had seven penalties to Chicago’s four.
It’s just impossible to envision the Commanders winning more than five games. Assuming teams like the Steelers, Raiders and Lions figure things out, Washington should be in contention for a top-five pick. Only the Panthers and Texans are on a worse trajectory than the Commanders. That’s just the facts.
Maybe Rivera sparks a second half turnaround again, but nothing we watched Thursday night suggests that’s possible. Headed for another playoff-less season and last-place finish in the formidable NFC East, it’s time for the Commanders to follow their fans’ lead and turn their attention to the 2023 draft.
Time to break out the film on CJ Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis.