FEDEX FIELD – Washington suffered its worst loss of the season and possibly the Ron Rivera era on Sunday, falling to 4-7 on the year with a 31-19 loss to New York.
The Giants came into FedEx Field with a 2-8 record and a third-stringer living with his parents as their starting quarterback and still gained 246 yards with three touchdowns to go. That quarterback’s name is Tommy DeVito, and last week he had just 86 yards passing in a loss to the Cowboys.
Washington’s defense generated a strong pass rush, but when the blitz didn’t run, DeVito dismantled the Commanders’ secondary.
This is not the kind of loss that suggests major changes need to be discussed.
This is the type of loss that requires major change.
Ron Rivera’s group turned the ball over all afternoon and finished the game with three fumbles in different ways, including a kick return and three interceptions by junior QB Sam Howell. He played well in the sprints, but didn’t have his most accurate day as a passer.
Howell showed his toughness on a touchdown run just before halftime, taking out a number of defenders before darting into the end zone. On that day, Howell finished 31 of 45 for 255 yards with a touchdown and the three picks in what proved to be a disappointing afternoon.
Washington has another game in four days, playing the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving. It’s possible that the tight timeline will prevent the commander’s officials from having difficult discussions about the future of Rivera and the staff he has assembled.
But these conversations need to be had, whether it’s on Thursday night while eating leftover turkey or even earlier.
Not only did the Commanders lose to a bad Giants team that was in disarray, the Giants actually blew them away. Washington generated nine sacks, nearly tying a franchise record, and still trailed by two points for much of the fourth quarter.
Was there a small comeback attempt towards the end of the fourth quarter? Secure. Would you like to read a positive article about the positive aspects you can take away from this game? Look elsewhere.
There’s an old saying in the NFL: “You can’t lose to a third-string QB at home and still keep your job.”
Actually, this isn’t an old saying, but perhaps it should be.