Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines after the team's embarrassing loss against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3?
Well, that was a bump back down to earth.
The Washington Commanders were humbled in the worst way imaginable at home against the Buffalo Bills, which was an inept showing from start to finish and a damning indictment of how far this team is from genuinely contending. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Some harsh lessons await in the film room over the coming days. Before then, the stories causing debate include Ron Rivera's assessment, Terry McLaurin's advice, Antonio Gibson on another fumble, and Sam Howell's accountability.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin's advice
This was an afternoon to forget for the Washington Commanders. They weren't at the races and suffered accordingly against a team that smelled blood from the outset and had the conviction to make the home team pay in no uncertain terms.
Sam Howell bore the brunt of Washington's failings with an error-prone display. When discussing his quarterback, wide receiver Terry McLaurin stated via Clutch Points that it was the team's failings - not just one individual - and the challenge now is to put things right.
"It was a tough day for all of us, not just him. You're going to have tough days at the office. Some uglier than others. But that's what makes this grind so much sweeter. When you correct the thing you did wrong and next week you're able to show improvement."Terry McLaurin via Clutch Points
Things don't get any easier for the Commanders with a trip to the Philadelphia Eagles. Make no mistake, we're about to find out how tough this team actually is.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson's issues
It's hard to point out one thing that went wrong for the Washington Commanders in Week 3. It was more of a vast collection of errors and mishaps that came together as one en route to one of their biggest hammerings since Ron Rivera became head coach.
Just when it looked like the Commanders might get something going on offense, their momentum was halted in the worst possible way when running back Antonio Gibson's fumbling problems continued. This is a constant issue with the player and something that doesn't look to be getting better anytime soon.
When talking about the problems, Gibson stated via Washington's website that keeping the same mindset and focusing on the bigger picture remains the best course of action. After all, this was just one game and there is a lot of football remaining before the Commanders' fate is sealed.
"Same thing. Come to work. Nothing's going to change in our minds. We're gonna come to work. It's a long season. That was one game. We still need to correct, but that was one game. It's a long season and we can still make what we want to happen come true so just got to go to work."Antonio Gibson via Commanders.com
Patience is wearing thin with Gibson among the fanbase. Anything further balls security issues might see him fall further out of favor and also put his chances of earning another deal in real jeopardy along the way.
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Commanders HC Ron Rivera's assessment
Many thought the Washington Commanders could become one of the league's surprise packages after their 2-0 start. While that could still be the case, expectations should be tempered until further notice after their hammering against the Buffalo Bills.
The Commanders once again got off to a slow start, which is the same thing every week and something teams like the Bills take full advantage of consistently. And there was no miracle comeback this time around versus one of the most opportunistic defenses anywhere in the league.
When discussing the loss, Ron Rivera centered his early assessment on missed opportunities and losing the turnover battle by a considerable margin via Yardbarker. However, the head coach also stated he'll evaluate everything closely in the coming days before making alterations.
"Missed opportunities. That’s the bottom line. First of all, you can’t turn the ball over, which we did. And if you lose the turnover battle like that, you’re going to get beat. That’s the truth of the matter. I thought he handled some of the moments pretty well and I thought there was other ones that he probably could have done something different. We’re going to get an opportunity to evaluate everything, evaluate what we’re doing, make sure it’s the right thing first and foremost. Then secondly, we’ll evaluate how we thought the players did."Ron Rivera via Yardbarker
Rivera and his staff need to do a lot of soul-searching this week. Because if the Commanders come out flat again, they can expect a similar outcome at the Philadelphia Eagles.
Commanders QB Sam Howell's accountability
Sam Howell got a rude awakening against a high-caliber defensive unit in Week 3. This is all part of the learning experience, but the former fifth-round selection cannot have too many performances like this if he wants to become the team's long-term option under center.
Howell turned the football over frequently, lacked confidence or conviction, and couldn't overcome adversity under constant pressure playing behind a suspect offensive line. It was a bad day at the office with plenty of blame to go around, but the North Carolina product wanted to carry the can as all good leaders do based on his comments via Washington's website.
"You know, there's a lot of things, obviously it starts with me and I got to take better care of the football. Do a better job just leading my offense. Obviously a lot of things didn't go right today and it starts with me. But you know, the good thing is the sun will come up tomorrow, another opportunity to get better and go to work. We have a lot of stuff we can get better at. We're excited to go back and get better. But we have to play better and that starts with me."Sam Howell via Commanders.com
There were always going to be some bumps in the road given Howell's lack of experience. But what's important for the signal-caller is studying what went wrong and learning accordingly heading into the most intimidating atmosphere he'll face all season at the Philadelphia Eagles.