Commanders News: Trade talk, power rankings, Jacoby Brissett and Ron Rivera
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as trade speculation continues to mount ahead of the upcoming October 31 deadline?
Although the Washington Commanders are currently preparing for their latest NFC East divisional clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, there is a lot going on behind the scenes according to reports. This centers primarily on the trade deadline and whether there might be any outgoings with the team sitting at 3-4 and staring down another campaign of abject mediocrity.
As we wait for further developments, the stories causing debate include where the Commanders stand in ESPN's power rankings, trading veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, head coach Ron Rivera on the offensive play-calling, and significant interest in the defensive duo of Montez Sweat and Chase Young.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders slump in ESPN's power rankings
It came as no surprise to see the Washington Commanders fall in ESPN's weekly power rankings after their embarrassing loss to the New York Giants. This was the latest unacceptable performance in a game they should have won, which dropped them to No. 23 and piled further on head coach Ron Rivera for good measure.
ESPN's topic this week was young risers. Instead of going with quarterback Sam Howell, beat writer John Keim highlighted linebacker Jamin Davis as someone to watch.
"Quarterback Sam Howell could be this person by season's end (and many would have predicted receiver Jahan Dotson at season's start), but Davis has been the under-25 player who has been the most consistent. He has one interception and one forced fumble and more than half of his tackles have been for gains of 3 yards or less. Davis, 24, is playing more decisive vs. the run and is one sack shy of his career high (3.0)."
- John Keim, ESPN
This places the Commanders squarely among the NFL's bottom feeders, which is completely understandable when one considers how lackluster they've been more often than not. If improvements aren't made soon, it's not hard to see how things might unfold once the campaign concludes.