Which Washington Commanders news stories are causing buzz after the team was given a Thanksgiving Day hammering at the Dallas Cowboys?
Fans are demanding action from Josh Harris' ownership group after the Washington Commanders suffered another embarrassing defeat with the national television audience watching on. A Thanksgiving Day thumping at the Dallas Cowboys looked devoid of inspiration or ideas, which leaves them 0-5 within the division and all but seals Ron Rivera's future with the franchise.
Morale is at an all-time low. As we wait for what comes next, the stories causing debate include Rivera's determination, Sam Howell's faith, Jonathan Allen's focus on himself, and rumored sideline friction between Eric Bieniemy and Jack Del Rio.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders sideline friction?
It did not go well for the Washington Commanders in Week 12 at the Dallas Cowboys. And make no mistake, the pressure is starting to reach breaking point.
One interesting question that came during Ron Rivera's press conference centered on a rumored sideline spat between offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. The reporter also stated defensive tackle Jonathan Allen got involved, but the head coach refused to comment.
This went overlooked by the cameras in attendance and wasn't mentioned before by anybody. Whether it's accurate or not remains to be seen, but it's another sign that the boiling point has officially been reached within a Commanders franchise that could confirm yet another losing season before the bye.
Something that won't be going unnoticed by Josh Harris' ownership group as part of their ongoing assessments.
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Commanders DT Jonathan Allen's focus
It was another game where the Washington Commanders' defense was overwhelmed. They couldn't generate pressure on the defensive line, got almost no help at the second level, and their secondary once again conceded multiple explosive plays en route to laying the biggest Thanksgiving Day turkey imaginable.
It was a somber locker room after the game. When discussing another catastrophe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen slammed the lack of execution from all involved via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, adding the plan moving forward will be focusing on his own influence and how it can improve.
"I mean, at the end of the day, in the NFL you have to do your job. As players, we’re not getting the job done and as coaches we’re not getting the job done. I don’t think anyone’s getting the job done. So, for me, I’m looking at myself — what can I do to be better? What can I do to help these guys win? Everyone has to do that for themselves."Jonathan Allen via X/Twitter
Allen was double-teamed a lot by some future Pro Football Hall of Fame talent at the Dallas Cowboys throughout. This led to another anonymous outing, but the former first-round pick out of Alabama's cut a frustrated figure for some time now with another losing campaign all but sealed.
Whether that puts his future with the Commanders in doubt or not is debatable. But the established veterans who've given everything deserve better.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera's resolve
The walls are closing in on Ron Rivera. Another disastrous loss at the Dallas Cowboys has the Washington Commanders just one defeat away from their fourth-straight losing campaign under his leadership, which is likely going to bring about significant changes at some stage.
There is an air of inevitability about Rivera's fate. New ownership isn't going to stand for mediocrity or worse, although a recent report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network suggested Josh Harris was willing to give his head coach the full season before doing anything drastic.
When the obvious questions came about his future following Washington's 45-10 drubbing at AT&T Stadium, Rivera once again stated he wasn't worried about his status via USA Today Sports. All he's worried about is doing his job and not what comes after that.
"No, I’ve told you before I’m not worried about anything. All I’m going to do is do my job and see how things go. That’s the only thing I can do. I’m not going to get into any of that stuff."Ron Rivera via USA Today Sports
Rivera was obviously dejected when speaking to the media. This is his fourth year and no genuine progress has been made, so the need to start fresh in the hope of getting the Commanders back among the contenders is imperative whether Harris had bought the franchise or not.
Commanders QB Sam Howell's faith
Sam Howell performed well enough in difficult circumstances in Week 12. He was one of the very few Washington Commanders players to emerge with any credit, although his pick-six when chasing the game late on made history as cornerback DaRon Bland broke the NFL's all-time regular season record for taking interceptions to the house.
It looks like the Commanders might have something with Howell. But the prospect of a top-five selection in the 2024 NFL Draft and head coach Ron Rivera being out of the door mean nothing could be said with any great confidence.
When discussing the prospect of Rivera's removal, Howell stated via John Keim of ESPN that the speculation hasn't transitioned to the locker room. The party line is focusing on improvement and blocking out all the outside noise.
"It really doesn't impact anything in the locker room. We just focus on what we can control, try to get better. Obviously, when things aren't going well people are going to talk about jobs for everybody -- not only coaches, players, too. We just have to zone it all out."Sam Howell via ESPN
There are just five games remaining of Howell's first season as the Commanders starting quarterback. There's been more good than bad, but the people who had so much faith in the signal-caller are unlikely to be around in 2024, which complicates matters.