Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines following an embarrassing loss against the Chicago Bears on primetime?
Well, that didn't exactly go according to plan.
The Washington Commanders got an absolute hammering for the second-straight time at FedEx Field - this time with the entire NFL world watching on primetime - against the Chicago Bears. Another slow start and suspect defense played a leading role behind their demise, which was extremely disappointing when one considers the visitors had yet to attain a single victory through four weeks of the 2023 campaign.
This was a crushing blow to the Commanders' chances of making waves under new ownership, so there is much hard work ahead on a mini-bye before traveling to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. Until then, the stories causing conversation include Emmanuel Forbes' benching, Ron Rivera's thoughts, Sam Howell's brutal honesty, and Magic Johnson's harsh assessment.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders owner Magic Johnson's harsh assessment
While the likes of Josh Harris and Mark Ein were shown smiling throughout a dismal outing from their suite, one member of the Washington Commanders' ownership group cut a completely different figure. Magic Johnson looked far from pleased by what was unfolding in front of him, and the limited partner gave a harsh assessment of the team's performance on social media after failing 40-20 in front of another sold-out audience.
"Tonight the Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime. It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20."Magic Johnson via X/Twitter
Johnson is absolutely right. It seemed as if the Commanders came into the contest thinking they were guaranteed victory without putting in the effort, which doesn't fly in the NFL and came back to haunt them in the worst way imaginable.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera on potential changes
This looked like a winnable game for the Washington Commanders and hopes were high among the fanbase after their encouraging overtime loss at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. However, another flat start on home soil put them in a hole they were unable to get out of, coughing up 40 points to send their passionate support away from FedEx Field with far more questions than answers.
After a 2-0 opening to the season, the pressure is heating up on Ron Rivera as Josh Harris' ownership group continues to assess everything with the franchise. When asked about what went wrong and what comes next, the head coach stated via The Washington Post that there will be the usual assessment before deciding on any alterations that need to be made before Week 6 at the Atlanta Falcons.
"It starts at the top. We’ve got to be better. That’s on me. We’ll see. I’m not going to sit up here and talk about those things until we get an opportunity to break the tape down. We’ve got to look at the rotation of the players, look at what we do and make sure … we’re putting them in position to be successful. We evaluate everything."Ron Rivera via Washington Post
Rivera was clearly disappointed with how things unfolded, which is understandable in the circumstances. However, this once-vaunted defense is a shell of its former self, so it might be worth focusing on changing the approach in the hope it can unlock their obvious talent across all three levels.
Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes' benching
After failing to cope with the physical presence of A.J. Brown in Week 4 at the Philadelphia Eagles, all eyes were on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes to see if he could show the necessary resolve with the primetime lights glaring. However, it was another rough outing for the first-round pick, who was benched in the second half by head coach Ron Rivera in favor of Danny Johnson.
Forbes once again looked sluggish in coverage going up against D.J. Moore, who had a career day versus the head coach who drafted him No. 24 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He also missed an important tackle on running back Khalil Herbert, which might have been the final straw for Rivera with the game getting away from the Washington Commanders.
When discussing his decision to take Forbes out of the firing line, Rivera stated via Nicki Jhabvala from The Washington Post that the coaching staff gave the Mississippi State product an opportunity to bounce back. When things weren't going his way, that's when they pulled him.
"The thought process was he was struggling. We were hoping he would bounce back from last week and, you know, we felt it was time to make a move."Ron Rivera via X/Twitter
This is a blow to Forbes and the Commanders, but it's not the end of the world by any stretch. The rookie was always going to go through some growing pains to begin his NFL journey, so altering expectations should be forefront of the coaching staff's mind until further notice.
Commanders QB Sam Howell's resolve
If there was one positive to take from such a demoralizing loss on home soil versus a team that had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft beforehand, the performance of Sam Howell would be it. The quarterback recovered from an indifferent first half to give the Washington Commanders a fighting chance of an unlikely comeback at one stage, but Joey Slye's missed field goal coupled with yet more defensive frailties put the contest out of sight.
Howell finished the game with a 72.54 percent completion percentage from 51 passes for 388 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 99.1. It wasn't perfect, but it was another sign of the former fifth-round pick's resolve when things around him were crumbling.
The North Carolina product cut a forlorn figure after the contest when speaking with the media. After being asked about where the Commanders go from here, Howell gave a short but sharp response regarding his firm belief in this group of players via Clutch points.
"We’re not panicking, We know the team we can be."Sam Howell via Clutch Points
The Commanders and Howell might not be pressing the panic button just yet, but sitting at 2-3 following an impressive start, the margin for error is slimmer than ever before. Unless things start progressing positively - especially on defense - heads could roll with Josh Harris' ownership group looking to stamp their mark on the franchise.