Commanders News: Ron Rivera, Jonathan Allen, Sam Howell and selling assets

Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the dust finally settles on their pathetic Week 7 loss at the New York Giants?

The Washington Commanders are staring down the barrel of another underachieving campaign. This team has languished in mediocrity for far too long and if something doesn't change over their remaining 10 fixtures, it's not hard to envisage Josh Harris' ownership group ringing the changes when the time is right.

There is a lot of football left, but the signs are ominous following Washington's disastrous loss to the New York Giants. Until then, the stories causing conversation include Jonathan Allen's reflection, Ron Rivera sharing frustrations, confidence remaining in Sam Howell, and the prospect of selling assets at the 2023 trade deadline.

Let's delve into each topic in more detail.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen's reflection

One of the biggest talking points to emerge after Sunday's embarrassing performance at the New York Giants was the locker room tirade from defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Emotions were clearly running high, but the veteran is getting pretty sick and tired of the same old nonsense transpiring annually since he was drafted No. 17 overall out of Alabama.

When asked if he still felt the same on Monday during an appearance on 106.7 The Fan, Allen doubled down on his comments and challenged his teammates to turn their situation around at the earliest possible opportunity.

"I'm still pissed off as much as I (was) yesterday. … We got to turn it around right now."

Jonathan Allen via X/Twitter

The time for talk has been and gone. Action is all that matters right now, so nothing less than a big performance will do against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera's frustration

There have been times this season when the Washington Commanders look like a team that could potentially enter the playoff picture. There are others when they look like the league's worst operation.

This has been the sort of rollercoaster ride synonymous with Ron Rivera's time as head coach. Sunday's loss at the New York Giants did nothing to alleviate pressure on the figurehead, who's lost the faith of most fans and could be losing the locker room based on the growing frustrations coming from influential figures.

Rivera has been around long enough to know what comes next if the Commanders cannot turn things around. As for the fans' frustrations, the former linebacker shares these sentiments based on comments via Washington's website.

"I respect them. We're trying to play the best football we can and at the same time grow a football team. We're not gonna go around cutting a bunch of people, trading for a whole bunch of people, trying to hire a bunch of people. We're trying to develop a young football team to be a very good football team for the future. And that's what we're gonna continue to work on. We're gonna continue to find ways to win football games, and we'll do the best we can. We'll show up, we'll work very hard. We'll do everything we can, and we'll continue to be committed to try to put a good product on the football field and give our fans something to cheer about."

Ron Rivera via Commanders.com

Whether Rivera has gone past the point of no return remains to be seen. Their winnable stretch of games is rapidly ending and considering the Commanders' late-season gauntlet, things are looking particularly bleak right now.

Confidence in Commanders QB Sam Howell

Sam Howell had a tough time at the New York Giants through no real fault of his own. It's hard for any quarterback to put up decent numbers under constant duress - so it was to the signal-caller's credit that he managed to get some momentum going in the second half en route to 249 yards through the air.

Obviously, the third-down issues and failing to convert scoring opportunities ultimately led to the Washington Commanders' demise. Howell is also on course to smash the single-season sack record held by David Carr, which is absolute malpractice from a team that didn't invest properly in their protection throughout the offseason.

Howell is a fifth-round pick in his first full season as an NFL starter, so he needs more help from players and coaches alike. When asked about the signal-caller's future, head coach Ron Rivera reaffirmed his commitment via Yahoo Sports while also leaving the door open for possible change if he feels like it's needed.

"I will tell you this. I'm committed to him. And we'll see how things go. But I can't predict the future. And the only thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna focus in on one game at a time. Because the truth of the matter is that's the only thing that matters right now is getting ready for Philadelphia. Once I get done with this conversation with all you guys, it'll be on to Philadelphia."

Ron Rivera via Commanders.com

If Rivera makes Howell the scapegoat with so many failings elsewhere, it would be a grave error in judgment. One that would see even the most optimistic fan lose complete faith in this head coach moving forward.

Commanders selling at the trade deadline?

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Washington Commanders are in a tricky spot. They are currently sitting at 3-4 with multiple key figures looking for new deals, so another loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8 could see those in power look to recoup some draft assets in the hope of building a long-term, sustainable plan for future success.

This was a topic discussed by Ben Standig of The Athletic recently. The beat writer reported that a high-ranking front office figure claimed the Commanders would sell before the trade deadline. There have also been no contract talks between Washington and their stud defensive end tandem of Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

"According to multiple people with direct knowledge of the team’s thinking, the Commanders have not had contract extension negotiations with the representative for either [Chase] Young or [Montez] Sweat, who are both represented by Klutch Sports Group. There also weren’t any formal or significant trade conversations, or anything beyond due diligence, with other teams entering Sunday, nor had the Commanders determined whether they would be buyers or sellers. One high-ranking front-office executive from another team said following Sunday’s game that he believes Washington “will sell” at the deadline and that Young and Sweat are “available.”"

Ben Standig, The Athletic

Obviously, it would need to be the right compensation for either Young or Sweat. Others might also be available depending on the offer, so an interesting few days await if the Commanders cannot get the job done at FedEx Field this weekend.