Commanders News: Sam Howell, Emmanuel Forbes, Jahan Dotson and Chase Young
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the page turns on their Week 9 triumph at the New England Patriots?
Although the Washington Commanders picked up a vital victory in Week 9 against the New England Patriots, their situation remains precarious. They are just two games out of a wildcard berth despite five defeats in seven, which means the margin for error couldn't be slimmer for head coach Ron Rivera as he looks to cement his status as the team's head coach beyond 2023.
Getting a win next weekend at the Seattle Seahawks would go a long way, that's for sure. Until then, the stories causing conversation include Sam Howell's execution improvements, Jahan Dotson's confidence boost, Emmanuel Forbes' outlook, and Chase Young's new beginnings.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson's confidence boost
It's not been easy overall for Jahan Dotson this season. However, the wide receiver has begun to show life over the last fortnight, coming up with some big plays and looking a lot more like the promising rookie fans held such high hopes for in 2022.
Dotson gained another big confidence boost in Week 9, bringing in a dime from quarterback Sam Howell for a 33-yard touchdown. Something the former first-round selection out of Penn State said via Sports Illustrated came at the perfect time and was a result of hard work in practice.
"It was a big play, we needed it. Sam did a great job. He saw cover zero. We’ve been working on it all week. He gave me a chance to make a play for the team. I was able to capitalize."
- Jahan Dotson via Sports Illustrated
The Washington Commanders need the same performance levels from Dotson over the second half of 2023. There was another drop early on that drew criticism, so cutting out these mental errors and taking advantage of every target is imperative moving forward.