Two major topics entering the Washington Commanders’ season were whether Sam Howell was the starting quarterback of the future, and whether coach Ron Rivera could keep his job in a make-or-break year under new ownership.
Howell continues to make the case to stick around. Rivera, on the other hand, is running out of time.
The Commanders fell 29-26 on Sunday in Seattle, with Howell tossing a game-tying touchdown in the final minute only to watch the Seahawks march back down the field for the winning field goal.
The Commanders allowed 489 yards of offense, continuing a trend under Rivera and his defensive coordinator for all four seasons, Jack Del Rio. That defense has become known for allowing game-changing plays to opposing offenses, and is currently 31st out of the 32 defenses in the NFL in points allowed, coughing up 27.4 per game.
“We had to take advantage of that opportunity,” Rivera lamented after the game. “It was set up in a good situation, and we just didn’t get it done.”
Rivera gave a vote of confidence to Percy Butler, the young safety who had a costly miss on Sunday, describing Butler as a young player who is still growing into his role. The coach said as a whole, the defense has to “come together and work together,” describing that as difficult with a roster in flux.
Washington had an immediate setback to the unit when cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was ejected on the first drive of the game for the defense.
Rivera objected to the decision to eject Forbes, which was made by the NFL’s officiating review group in New York instead of on the field.
“I know the onus is on the defensive player to miss that,” Rivera said. “But sometimes it’s incidental. I get the (penalty), but I struggle with the ejection.”
Rivera was also unhappy with pass interference calls against Benjamin St.-Juste, noting that he plans to send those clips to the NFL to ask for clarification.
The defense had its moments, including using pressure to rattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith late in the game, but as it has over the last four years, the explosive plays were too much to overcome.
Rivera also dismissed the thought of a continuing problem with special teams, where long snapper Camaron Cheeseman had another uneven game, including a snap that led to a missed extra point.
“We got it straightened out in the end when it mattered and when it counted,” Rivera told reporters. “I mean, they all matter, they all count, and Tress got it down. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the first one.”
Meanwhile, Howell continued his development with another strong game. He was sacked three times, but also delivered three touchdowns, including a jaw-dropper of a throw on the move to Brian Robinson Jr. and a clutch throw to Dyami Brown with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.
“Everything he did, I thought he gave us an opportunity to win,” Rivera said. “That’s the biggest thing you can ask from the quarterback is to put you in a position to win.”
The Commanders also had a big game from Robinson, who is establishing himself as a strong receiving option for Howell, something that could pay dividends in the back half of the season.
The team’s other running back, Antonio Gibson, also seems to be back on the good side after an early-season fumble sent him to the bench.
Rivera said he views quick passes to Robinson and Gibson as an extension of the team’s rushing game, allowing them to get the ball in different places than they would on a traditional handoff while also mitigating the risk of a sack.
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