Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the team gets set to resume football activities heading into Week 6?
Week 5 was a dramatic one around the league. The Washington Commanders could do little but relax and watch things unfold after their Thursday Night Football beatdown at home to the Chicago Bears, which hopefully provided the motivation needed to give a good account of themselves during a critical stretch of games leading up to the midseason point.
Two other NFC East teams also lost, which is something. Heading into preparations for Week 6, the stories causing conversation include Sam Howell's franchise credentials, Terry McLaurin's rallying cry, Ron Rivera's assessment of Emmanuel Forbes, and where the Commanders currently stand in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders 2024 NFL Draft standing through five weeks
It's a little early to be looking at where the Washington Commanders sit in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is a lot of football left and Ron Rivera won't be throwing in the towel on his team's hopes, but scouts behind the scenes will already be working tirelessly to identify prospects of interest ahead of the all-important assessment period.
According to Tankathon, the Commanders currently hold the No. 11 overall selection in 2024 after three straight losses. They have seven picks overall and looking at how things are unfolding, there will be multiple key needs to fill.
- Round No. 1 (No. 11 overall)
- Round No. 2 (No. 42 overall)
- Round No. 3 (No. 73 overall)
- Round No. 4 (No. 114 overall)
- Round No. 5 (No. 150 overall)
- Round No. 6 (No. 190 overall)
- Round No. 7 (No. 232 overall)
This is likely to change significantly depending on results around the league and compensatory picks. One also has to ask if Rivera will be around to oversee another draft process if he cannot galvanize his troops over the remaining 12 games.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin wants improvement
Thursday night was embarrassing for everyone associated with the Washington Commanders. Josh Harris, Magic Johnson, and other members of the team's new ownership group were far from pleased with what they witnessed at FedEx Field versus the then-winless Chicago Bears, which increased their losing streak to three games and raised more concerns about whether this was the start of another lost campaign.
There is still time to turn things around, starting this weekend at the Atlanta Falcons. However, wide receiver Terry McLaurin stated via Sports Illustrated that everyone - including himself - must start fighting for respect and raise their respective performance levels in pursuit of turning this sinking ship around.
"When you don’t get off to a fast start against a team that’s hungry like that, fighting for every play, every yard, and they’re capitalizing, that’s what happens. [Bears] record didn’t really matter, I believed that coming into the week and when you don’t come to play, that’s what's going to happen to you. A lot of people, myself included, we all got to get better."Terry McLaurin via Sports Illustrated
The Commanders aren't going to get anywhere by pointing fingers and wallowing in self-pity. Now is the time for big characters and supreme commitment to improvement, which is the only way McLaurin and his teammates are going to get themselves out of this ever-increasing slump.
Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes challenged
It was another torrid outing for Washington Commanders' cornerback Emmanuel Forbes against the Chicago Bears. Just why those in power felt it necessary to put the first-round selection against the opposition's primary threat consistently is anyone's guess, but the results were the same as what transpired at the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was torched by A.J. Brown.
Forbes was benched by the coaching staff to avoid any further complications as another game slipped away from the Commanders. It is clear a rethink is needed to take some pressure off the former Mississippi State star, but Ron Rivera's comments via The Washington Times indicate that the believes the defensive back is quickly becoming a weak link.
"I think doing what we did with Emmanuel [Forbes] was kind of the indicator that we can’t go through this anymore. Now it’s time. We have to continue to put the guys out there that we believe are going to get it done the right way."Ron Rivera via Washington Times
Rookie corners go through more adjustments than most. That's been the case throughout NFL history aside from the elite few who manage to hit the ground running immediately.
Forbes has to play with more discipline and consistency, there's no getting away from that. But the Commanders must also do a better job of nurturing the player at an important stage of his early development.
Commanders QB Sam Howell's franchise qualities
Looking at Sam Howell's full sample size over the first five games, it's been encouraging more often than not. The quarterback is clearly growing in confidence and although results haven't been great over the last three, he is way down the list of problems the Washington Commanders must solve to improve their fortunes.
The former fifth-round pick looks every bit the productive signal-caller Washington hoped for when they decided to give Howell this huge opportunity. Something ex-offensive coordinator Jay Gruden also agrees with based on comments via USA Today Sports - especially considering the suspect protection he's working behind.
"Sam Howell is making a case to be the franchise quarterback for sure. He’s a tough, competitive guy. And that’s what Washington needs right now. They need competitiveness. Their offensive line is not playing that well right now. They need a quarterback with some toughness, a guy that can get out of trouble and make some tough throws. And Sam’s doing that. He’s taking a lot of sacks; they’re leading the league in giving up sacks. And Sam’s part of that for holding the ball. He’s young; he’s still getting to know the offense with Eric Bieniemy. And they’ll come along as the season goes on."Jay Gruden via USA Today Sports
This is all positive for Howell, although the player will be keen to point out that his good performances aren't amounting to wins currently, which is the most important thing. If other areas can make strides and the gunslinger continues to shine, better fortunes won't be too far behind.
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