4 Commanders on the hot seat entering Week 15 at LA Rams
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders find themselves firmly on the hot seat entering their Week 15 game at the Los Angeles Rams?
There is a sense of growing inevitability about the Washington Commanders' fate in 2023. Another losing season was confirmed before the bye. Their extended period of rest came too late to alter this fact. Defensive end Montez Sweat claimed the locker room was simply going through the motions as the franchise gets set to embark on a new era.
Ron Rivera and his coaches are focusing on the next game and nothing more. The players should do the same considering almost everyone is fighting for their future if Josh Harris' ownership group hits the reset button as anticipated.
Sunday's game at the Los Angeles Rams was seen as a potential damp squib before the campaign. But from Sean McVay's standpoint, his team is still fighting for a potential wildcard spot despite many writing them off after trading stars such as All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
A big challenge awaits on SoFi Stadium's fast track this weekend. Here are four Commanders firmly on the hot seat heading into the clash.
Emmanuel Forbes - Commanders CB
The Washington Commanders opted to release Danny Johnson this week. This is a huge indicator of their preference to hand extended playing time to younger individuals within the secondary over the team's remaining four games.
This puts the spotlight squarely on Emmanuel Forbes. It's been a rocky first season for the first-round cornerback, but finishing strongly would bring a semblance of encouragement about what the first-round pick might be capable of with another offseason to hone his craft.
Forbes will have his work cut out this Sunday. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are a devastating wide-receiver tandem. Head coach Sean McVay is a mastermind in identifying weak links and exploiting them accordingly.
If Forbes isn't up for this significant test, that's exactly what he'll become.