4 huge disappointments from the Commanders' loss vs. Eagles in Week 8

What huge disappointments emerged from yet another hard-fought Washington Commanders defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles?

I honestly don't know what is more painful. Seeing the Washington Commanders look lifeless against teams like the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, or seeing the team hit the glass ceiling of their potential in hard-fought losses to heavyweights like the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Commanders' decision-makers came into Week 8 saying they would make trade deadline decisions based on the outcome of the game. Well, what did the 38-31 loss to the Eagles really prove?

This team has playmakers. This team is competitive. But, this team is flawed.

After their loss at the Giants, Sam Howell spoke to the team and said there were plenty of games left. And, the team responded, coming out with a vengeance against the Eagles.

But, as we have seen countless times before, there is almost no margin for error.

That bend-but-don't-break defense that we've seen over and over and over, has officially broken. The lack of focus with dropped passes and missed assignments is beginning to show. It is clear that Ron Rivera's methods are no longer working.

And yet, the biggest disappointment of all is knowing that the new ownership regime will most likely let it all play out for nine more games. That is a tough pill to swallow.

Let's highlight some of the other major disappointments from Week 8's loss to the Eagles.

Commanders defense

The Washington Commanders defense allowed 30-plus points for the fifth time this season. After being hyped up once again throughout the summer, this unit continues to underachieve, falling in the bottom five in points per game allowed and yards per game allowed.

With so many first-rounders on defense, at a certain point, you have to hold Jack Del Rio accountable for the team's lack of success. It has been a recurring theme to see a player come open due to a miscommunication on defense. That was certainly the case against the Philadelphia Eagles where DeVonta Smith got wide open for a 38-yard touchdown reception.

After seeing rookie Emmanuel Forbes thoroughly embarrassed by A.J. Brown in Week 4, Del Rio and Ron Rivera thought it was a good idea to put the young cornerback in coverage on the prolific receiver. How did that work out?

Jalen Hurts immediately saw the mismatch and hit Brown for a 20-yard completion on third-and-11. Later in the game, Brown caught a touchdown pass with Forbes in coverage, this time on a third-and-7.

Overall, the Eagles converted on 61.5 percent of their third-down attempts.

When legends like Darrell Green are subtly calling out the coaching and saying Forbes isn't getting the help he needs, that's an issue.

Ron Rivera - Commanders HC

Late in the third quarter, Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith on a 17-yard pass on fourth-and-4. It was clear to the announcers, the fans, and many on the Washington Commanders' sideline that the pass was incomplete.

And yet, Ron Rivera waited and waited to see a replay before throwing the challenge flag. The Philadelphia Eagles - who are too smart to let a good opportunity pass - quickly snapped the ball, taking advantage of the head coach's indecision.

Instead of getting the ball back in good field position at their 45-yard line, the Commanders saw the Eagles score three plays later to tie the game.

Not challenging was egregious enough, but then not taking accountability for the decision after the game was a really bad look for Rivera. This is the same coach who admitted he didn't know the team could be eliminated from playoff contention in a post-game conference last season.

At some point, enough is enough, and a change needs to be made. Whether that comes during the season or once the campaign concludes is the big question - but all signs are pointing to such alterations unless there is a turnaround of epic proportions.

Commanders ghosted the running game

Sunday was one of the better-called games of Eric Bieniemy's time as Washington Commanders offensive coordinator. However, he continues to abandon the run too quickly.

Let's not forget that Bieniemy doesn't have Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball anymore. Having a young quarterback in Sam Howell distributing 40-50 times per game is really not putting him in the best situation.

Yes, he was only sacked once against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. But one of the reasons that Howell is leading the league in sacks is due to the number of times he is being asked to drop back and throw the ball.

The Commanders lead the league in team passing play percentage and have averaged a 69.4 percent passing play percentage over their last three games. That number is actually skewed down by the Atlanta Falcons game, as the team ran a more balanced attack in that contest with 28 passes to 22 runs.

Even the Kansas City Chiefs have a passing play percentage of 60 percent this season, after averaging 62.36% in 2022. If your team - with a quarterback that boasts less than 10 career starts - is throwing the ball more than Mahomes, you're doing something wrong.

Teams that throw 40-plus pass attempts don't have the best winning record. Howell has surpassed that milestone four times this season - his record is 0-4 in those contests.

Brian Robinson Jr. has continued to show burst and had a career-high 29-yard run against the Eagles. Chris Rodriguez Jr. - after averaging 4.9 yards per carry over the last two games - got zero touches on Sunday.

The ironic part in all of this is that Bieniemy is a former running back. Run the ball.

Commanders got some questionable calls

Late in the fourth quarter, Sam Howell found Jahan Dotson on a third-and-5. After originally being called a completion, the play was apparently reviewed by New York and called incomplete during the TV timeout.

This decision was subsequently challenged by Ron Rivera and upheld.

How did a pass that was originally marked as complete get reviewed and overturned when it wasn't in the final two minutes of the game? How come this play happened to be reviewed but the earlier questionable catch by DeVonta Smith wasn't?

There were other missed calls where the Washington Commanders' defensive linemen were clearly held. Another was a questionable pass interference call on Benjamin St-Juste, and even the announcers disagreed with one particular penalty on tight end Logan Thomas.

But, the officiating is not why the Commanders lost the game. The defense's inability to get stops when needed most and the offense going into neutral late in the game led to the reverse.

This team has heart but needs to cut down on mental mistakes. Does that require new coaching to come in? Does that require making major changes at the trade deadline? Only time will tell what the team decides to do.

But until that time Daron Payne accurately describes the team's current situation.

"We fight hard every time, but until we stop allowing big plays...then we won't win."

Daron Payne via X/Twitter