Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as preparations continue for Week 11 against the New York Giants?
The margin for error has gone from slim to non-existent for the Washington Commanders following their hard-fought loss at the Seattle Seahawks. Sitting at 4-6 isn't great, but head coach Ron Rivera has a good opportunity to put things right this weekend against the New York Giants before things get much tougher over the final fortnight before the bye.
Morale is pretty high in the building despite their fortunes hanging by a thread - but that's not always enough. Until then, the stories causing debate include Jack Del Rio's frank assessment of Emmanuel Forbes' ejection, Josh Harris' ambition, Eric Bieniemy's upcoming challenge, and concern surrounding Antonio Gibson's status for Week 11.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson's status
Things have been relatively good on the injury front where the Washington Commanders are concerned this season. Saahdiq Charles and Darrick Forrest are working their way back from complications, but some concern has emerged regarding Antonio Gibson's status against the New York Giants in Week 11.
Gibson missed the second straight day of practice on Thursday with a toe complication. This comes after the running back's best two-game stretch of the season and would be a blow to Eric Bieniemy's plans schematically if he cannot suit up.
The former third-round pick out of Memphis is also fighting for a new deal, so he can ill-afford to miss any considerable period. If Gibson doesn't participate in any shape or form during Friday's session, that normally represents a tell-tale sign of a player missing Sunday's contest.
Watch this space…
Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy's challenge
Eric Bieniemy has the Washington Commanders offense humming right now. While some more emphasis on establishing the run early wouldn't hurt, the passing attack is among the league's best and the offensive coordinator is doing a good job of scheming his players open.
Bieniemy faces another difficult test this weekend. For all the New York Giants' faults offensively, their defense can still do damage, and coordinator Wink Martindale's blitz-happy attack is something that caused the Commanders an untold amount of difficulty during their encounter earlier this season.
When discussing Washington's upcoming challenge, Bieniemy stated via the team's website that Martindale's approach won't change. For the Commanders, it's about coming up with better solutions and improving pre-snap communication.
"Wink [Martindale] is not going to change who he is. We need to make sure that the communication is in line. Then on top of that, when called upon to execute, do your job to the best of your ability. If we're doing that, we'll give ourselves a chance."Eric Bieniemy via Commanders.com
Sam Howell is more comfortable under center and the offensive line has improved slightly in recent weeks. Anything less than further progress and exceptional execution is going to make life more difficult than needed in this one.
Commanders DC blasts Emmanuel Forbes' rejection
It's been a few days since Emmanuel Forbes' controversial ejection at the Seattle Seahawks for a late hit on wide receiver Tyler Lockett. While the flag wasn't in question, removing the rookie cornerback entirely was perceived as improper punishment that didn't necessarily fit the crime.
This was a sentiment echoed in no uncertain terms by defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who stated via Sports Illustrated that the whole situation is a terrible look for the NFL. Especially considering the decision didn't even come from the referees in charge at Lumen Field.
"The penalty I understood, it was deserving of a penalty. The ejection, for a first-time offense on play six - or whatever it was - of the game, that was shocking. And the fact that he wasn't ejected by the officials on the field, he was ejected by somebody sitting in an air-conditioned room in New York, and that's troubling. I think that's troubling for the league. They're going to have to work that out. But that's not a good look. I don't think that's healthy for the league to have those types of things happen. Emmanuel, young player - good player, he's not a guy that's like notoriously known for headhunting people and stuff like that. So I did not think it was warranted."Jack Del Rio via Sports Illustrated
Forbes will likely get a hefty fine when they are officially revealed on Saturday. The league tends to double down on calls like this rather than admit a mistake, which is a microcosm of the current predicament facing struggling officials with higher stakes involved.
Commanders owner Josh Harris' ambition
It's been a little over three months since Josh Harris' ownership group bought the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder for a league-record $6.05 billion. It's been a crash course in learning how to successfully run an NFL franchise, but the improvements are already evident in terms of game-day experience and forming a concise plan for a sustainable future.
Rome wasn't built in a day, as the old saying goes. The mess Snyder left behind was substantial, but team president Jason Wright seemed highly confident that Harris' ambition and passion would leave the Commanders in a much better spot after the next offseason period via the Sports Business Journal.
"After next offseason, we’ll be in a healthier spot. I don’t think we’ll quite be where we want to be in the future, but we’ll be in a very healthy spot, that changes what you decide to invest in. Between now and then, the incremental improvements on guest experience have very direct ROI back to the season-ticket members."Jason Wright via SBJ
Wright is probably referring to the landmark staffing changes that are likely to occur once the 2023 season concludes. Harris and his wealthy team of investors are also eager to get something rubber-stamped regarding a new stadium despite significant investment in the upgrades at FedEx Field.
It's an exciting time, for sure. And make no mistake, we'll get much more clarity about Harris' plans in the coming months.