Commanders News: Magic Johnson, Ron Rivera, Charles Leno Jr. and Week 7

Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the team basks in their hard-fought victory at the Atlanta Falcons?

This was a must-win game for the Washington Commanders. The performance was something of an irrelevancy compared to the actual result and although they made hard work of it, ending a three-game losing stretch at the Atlanta Falcons was mission accomplished with pressure mounting.

Building on this newfound momentum is the next big task, but the Commanders do have more winnable games coming up heading beyond the midseason point. Until then, the stories generating column inches include Ron Rivera's assessment, Magic Johnson's delight, Washington sending support to veteran left tackle Charles Leno Jr., and an early look at the odds for Week 7.

Let's delve into each topic in more detail.

Commanders at NY Giants early odds for Week 7

The Washington Commanders demonstrated their fighting qualities to get one over on the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn't perfect - not by any stretch of the imagination - but they found a way to see things out and emerge victorious.

This boosts confidence heading into their next NFC East divisional matchup with the New York Giants. According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Commanders are 1.5-point favorites on the road at MetLife Stadium. This is available at -110 depending on which side of the spread takes your fancy (bet $110 to win $100).

Anyone wishing to wager Washington on the money line can do so with odds of -122 (bet $122 to win $100). New York is the slight underdog on home soil after an indifferent opening to the campaign at +102 (bet $100 to win $102).

FanDuel Sportsbook has set the over/under at 40.5 points.

• Over 40.5 points: -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
• Under 40.5 points: -115 (bet $115 to win $100)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Commanders send suppport to Charles Leno Jr.

The Washington Commanders revealed shortly before they took the field in Week 6 that veteran left tackle Charles Leno Jr. would be missing for personal reasons. This was swiftly followed by the devastating revelation from the family regarding the passing of their daughter.

This is a tragic turn of events and everyone sends their best to Leno and his family during an obviously difficult time. Something that is reflected in quarterback Sam Howell's comments post-game based on comments via Nicki Jhabvala from The Washington Post.

"Thoughts and prayers are with [Charles] Leno and his family. Just super tough to hear something like that happen to one of our teammates, one of our brothers. So we're all all behind him and supporting him and his family."

Sam Howell via X/Twitter

Football obviously comes secondary at a time like this. People get caught up in the moment, but it's easy to forget it's just a game and when something like this happens, it becomes evidently clear.

The Commanders will rightfully give Leno all the time he needs before returning to the team. Family should always come first in any form of life - especially when it comes to devastating news like this.

Again, we send our deepest condolences and prayers to the Leno family. Our thoughts are with you all.

Commanders owner Magic Johnson's delight

After an embarrassing loss against the Chicago Bears on primetime, limited partner Magic Johnson called out the Washington Commanders for a perceived lack of effort with the entire NFL world watching. This immediately laid down the gauntlet to Ron Rivera and those in the front office and cast further doubt on their respective futures.

If the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer was looking for a positive response, he got it. The Commanders rolled up their sleeves and got the job done by any means necessary, with some important defensive stops down the stretch sealing a hugely important triumph.

Johnson took to social media after the game to congratulate the Commanders on an improved display. He also lauded the fanbase for turning out in their numbers on the road to spur the team on.

"Congratulations to my Commanders on today’s 24-16 win vs. the Falcons! Defense came up big twice in today’s win with two interceptions in the last 5 minutes, one by [Benjamin] St. Juste and one by [Jamin] Davis. Coach [Ron] Rivera really had the team ready to play! I want to thank all of the Washington Commanders fans for coming out because they helped will us to victory! We had more fans in Mercedes Benz Stadium than the Falcons!"

Magic Johnson via X/Twitter

This is a week-to-week evaluation for Johnson and the rest of Josh Harris' ownership group. That's why it's pivotal for Rivera and his players to keep building positivity over the next few weeks against opposition they can beat.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera's assessment

It came as no surprise to see Ron Rivera's job status come under the microscope after such a demoralizing defeat at home versus the Chicago Bears in Week 5. Reports suggest Josh Harris is willing to be patient, but getting back in the win column was of critical importance at the Atlanta Falcons.

Again, it wasn't exactly a complete performance. But ball security for both teams and a momentum-shifting punt return from Jamison Crowder tipped the scales in Washington's favor to keep their hopes of a wild card berth alive for another week.

When discussing the win, Rivera stated via USA Today Sports that there are still areas of improvement needed despite the win. However, the head coach was clearly relieved that his team got over the line in a tight situation.

"There are some things we still need to work on and improve, some of the details. We weren’t as good as we needed to be. We did our job, but we need to pay more attention to details because we almost got ourselves into trouble."

Ron Rivera via USA Today Sports

This proved above all else that the Commanders were still fighting for their head coach. That's the biggest positive aside from the result itself, but how Washington builds on their third victory of the 2023 season will go a long way to determining Rivera's future beyond the current campaign.

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