Commanders Conquest: Winnable Games Ahead, But Seeds of Doubt Are Planted
ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders got off to a 1-3 start following the first quarter of the NFL season.
Moving ahead, the team will need to not only identify its biggest shortcomings but come up with feasible plans for fixing them.
How well they do there, is going to determine whether or not we're discussing a Commanders' resurgence in the second quarter of the year, or looking ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft.
SECOND QUARTER DEFENSIVE MVP: DT JONATHAN ALLEN
Allen already wears a captain's patch as one of the leaders of his team, but he's also doing a lot of leading on the field as well.
He and Daron Payne are holding up the defensive line with two sacks a piece, while Allen is also tied for third with 18 tackles.
His message throughout the losing streak has been one of self-accountability and focusing on doing his job over looking for others to blame for their struggles.
It'll be easy to maintain that approach for Allen because he's that kind of guy. But his teammates will need to continue following that lead as well if they're going to continue taking strides toward playing winning football.
SECOND QUARTER OFFENSIVE MVP: QB CARSON WENTZ
The bottom line here is, quarterback play has to be better in the second quarter of the season.
And while Wentz can't control what's happening on the offensive line, he can take strides to try and counter those deficiencies.
The problem there is, as it always is, there's a defense looking to take advantage of those adjustments just as much as they want to exploit a compromised offensive line.
In a performance-based business like professional football, nobody is handing out free wins because of injuries and struggles.
Adapt and overcome, survive and find ways to thrive. That's what has to be done, and if you touch the ball on every play, it all starts with you.
SECOND QUARTER OPPONENTS
Week 5: vs Tennessee Titans (Sunday, October 9th at 1 P.M. ET)
Week 6: at Chicago Bears (Thursday, October 13th at 8:15 P.M. ET)
Week 7: vs Green Bay Packers (Sunday, October 23rd at 1 P.M. ET)
Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, October 30th at 4:25 P.M. ET)
What makes the Commanders' losing streak more perplexing, and frustrating from a fan aspect, is that the team has the talent to win each game they've dropped along the way.
So, if you gauge this next stretch off of teams Washington has the talent to beat, then 3-1 in the next four should be attainable.
But if you base future predictions on past performances, the view ahead turns 0-4 rather quickly.
The best way to go about this then is to expect 2-2 then, and hope for better.
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