Washington fans will tell you the spot was wrong.
Some will say Jayden Daniels played the worst game of his young career.
The truth is Sunday’s 28-27 loss to Pittsburgh showed Washington how far they have to go and also how far they’ve come. Yes, the Commanders lost a 10-point second-half lead, but they did it against a well-run organization that had two weeks to prepare and that needed a perfect throw to a receiver they just acquired to win.
It’s a maddening loss, but let’s be real. The NFL has very few middle-class teams. There is a block of good teams (none great) and teams playing for the draft. In the middle are teams trying to figure out if they can make a run for the playoffs.
The difference is that, for the first time in over a generation, Washington isn’t one of the teams hopelessly at the bottom. It’s hard for the fan base to get used to that, but the fans in the DMV are willing to learn how to.
That’s why it’s more important to judge this team based on what they do after Sunday’s tough loss than on the loss itself.
After playing a team with two weeks to prepare, Washington has a short week to prepare for a trip to Philadelphia.
The Commanders are a half-game behind the Eagles.
Philadelphia is coming off a blowout win over Dallas.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 14-20 for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Add in Hurts’ 56 yards rushing, and he’s starting to look like his old self.
AJ Brown had 109 yards receiving, while Saquon Barkley rushed for 66 yards.
Washington’s defense has its hands full with the Eagles and a crowd that will be over-the-top after a day full of adult beverages.
A division road game for first place is the perfect opportunity to show the league how much Washington has grown.
