For the second time over the past two seasons, the Washington Commanders won a meaningless final game to close out their campaign.
In front of a majority visiting team fanbase at FedEx Field, the Commanders beat their rival Dallas 26-6 behind rookie quarterback Sam Howell and a defense that held the Cowboys to just one score.
Howell showed both promise and inexperience. After the punt coverage unit recovered a muffed catch by the Cowboys’ Kavonte Turpin early in the first quarter, Howell hit Terry McLaurin on his first-ever NFL pass attempt for a 16-yard touchdown.
Sam Howell's first pass as a pro is for a TD. He went to his best option in Terry McLaurin. What a nice way to start your first-ever game. Washington leads Dallas 7-0 with 11:08 in the first quarter. #HTTC #NFL
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) January 8, 2023
“It was just fun to get out there and play some football with those guys,” Howell said after the game. “It was a lot of fun to get out there but there were definitely some things that I could’ve done better. On offense, we left a lot of points out there, but overall, it’s just fun to go out there and play football again and get the win.”
The rookie from North Carolina also showed his inexperience, throwing into double coverage on second and goal from the Cowboys’ five-yard line. The pass was intended for Cam Sims but was intercepted by Malik Hooker.
“I thought he handled it very nicely,” Rivera said about the day in its entirety. “(He) went out and did some really good things. He started strong, missed an opportunity, little bit of everything you’d expect from a rookie. Kinda glad that he got an opportunity to start and get that out of the way, so next year he won’t be as much of a rookie.”
Howell had trouble finding a rhythm until the second half. After four consecutive punts, he put together a 6-play, 59-yard drive for a touchdown. The drive was highlighted by two completions to fellow rookie Jahon Dotson and Howell’s nine-yard run for a touchdown to give Washington a 20-6 lead.
Howell would also display his arm strength, finding Terry McLaurin on a 52-yard bomb leading to a Joey Slye 29-yard field goal that increased the score to 23-3.
“He’s confident in his arm honestly and I think we had some opportunities to catch some balls down the field today,” said McLaurin. “Going into the week we knew that was an opportunity for us receivers. So, in that, I had off-man coverage. I just hoped he got the ball up and when he did, he really did everything to be honest. I just caught the ball, it was like he walked it down to me, to have that confidence to throw that ball on time,
especially when you haven’t gotten that rep with me, we haven’t thrown a deep ball the whole season.”
The defense, playing without starters (DL) Jonathan Allen, (S) Kam Curl, and (CB) Benjamin St. Juste limited the Cowboys to just 182 total yards of offense.
That brings up a troubling question. Where was this effort last week?
After winning five straight games in October and November to improve to 7-5, it seemed as if the Commanders were a lock for the playoffs. But an 0-3-1 stretch including a week 17 loss at home against the Cleveland Browns doomed a once-promising season.
The Commanders finish the 2022 season 8-8-1. It marks the 8th time in 9 years the team has finished with between seven and nine wins.
The question now is, where does the franchise go?
The expected sale of the club sometime after the Super Bowl means Ron Rivera and his administration is likely to be in charge of both free agency and the draft in 2023.
Is this group capable of making the right moves to improve the team?
History says no. Rivera has yet to post a winning record in Washington. in fact, he has only three winning seasons in twelve years as a head coach.
Offensive coordinator Scott Turner is under fire as well. A report in the Washington Post suggested that players have been frustrated with Turner’s play calling this year.
There is also a question of talent evaluation. The Carson Wentz trade was a bust and Rivera’s draft record has been inconsistent at best.
Then there is free agency. Rivera has let offensive linemen Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff, Erick Flowers, and Morgan Moses leave through trades, free agency, and outright release. Replacements have not been up to par and the front office will be under pressure to bolster the offensive line in the offseason.
It is expected that a new owner could pay more than 7 billion dollars for the franchise, before the cost of a new stadium. Whoever that winds up being, he or she will have a close eye on a head coach and his staff that has underwhelmed in three years on the job.
The offseason is now here for the Commanders.