Commanders News: Sam Howell, roster cuts, Ron Rivera and Week 1
By Dean Jones
Commanders building on positive momentum
Much has been made about the importance of preseason. Some teams value the process more than others, but it was nice to see the Washington Commanders build some positive momentum with three straight victories ahead of such a critical campaign.
These results won't matter if the Commanders fluff their lines when the real action commences. But head coach Ron Rivera is hoping this newfound positivity is something his team can put to good use based on comments via Pro Football Talk.
"It creates a good atmosphere. It creates a positive vibe and we’re going to grow from it. Does it mean we’re going to win in the regular season? [I] don’t know but I hope it does. I hope this is something we can draw from, something that can help us as we go forward. . . . There’s some energy, there’s some excitement and hopefully we can feed off that."
- Ron Rivera via Pro Football Talk
One of the biggest takeaways surrounding the Commanders this summer is the increased excitement across the organization. The arrival of Josh Harris' ownership group saw fans return in their numbers, packing the bleachers throughout camp and set to sell out FedEx Field or their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals for good measure.
Rivera is under immense pressure to get things right in 2023. Washington's fortunes could go either way with a tough-looking schedule and a competitive division, but things couldn't be going much better up to now aside from one or two injury complications.