Commanders, embattled coach Ron Rivera face tall task at Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders enter their NFC East Thanksgiving Day matchup in vastly different mindsets. While the Cowboys (7-3) are rolling toward their third straight playoff appearance, the Commanders (4-7) are on track for their seventh consecutive non-winning season. With speculation flying about a potential pink slip for coach Ron Rivera on Black Friday, especially if Washington lays another egg on national TV in Dallas, there’s one overarching storyline entering the game. Rivera

Commanders plan on-the-fly defensive fixes with Giants up next

How the Commanders’ defense went from No. 3 in yards allowed in the 2022 to the fourth-worst entering Week 11 remains one of the questions Washington is actively working to answer with seven games to play in 2023. Identifying reasons for the freefall isn’t easy. The unit, guided by the same coordinator, Jack Del Rio, was bolstered by first- and second-round selections in the 2023 draft and has remained relatively injury free. But here sits

Seahawks aim to get back on track in clash vs. Commanders

A week ago, the Seattle Seahawks were flying high. They were in sole possession of first place in the NFC West and made a trade with the New York Giants to bolster their defensive line with Leonard Williams. Then came the crash, a 37-3 loss at Baltimore. The Seahawks (5-3) will try to regroup Sunday when they host the Washington Commanders (4-5). “I would like that this game was maybe a marker that this is

Commanders’ eyes now fully on future — and Patriots

Although they may have found their quarterback of the future, the Washington Commanders are still very much in the process of rebuilding. After shipping out their top two pass rushers at the trade deadline, the Commanders will begin a somewhat new era on Sunday when they travel to Foxborough, Mass., to face the New England Patriots. Washington (3-5) was a seller on Tuesday, dealing Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 second-round pick

Giants, Commanders meet in battle of sack-prone rivals

Sam Howell and Daniel Jones have a pretty painful trait in common: They’re the two most-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL this season. Howell will try to take the Washington Commanders above .500, while Jones just hopes to get back on the field for the New York Giants when the NFC East rivals meet on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Commanders (3-3) ended a three-game losing streak last week when Howell threw three touchdown passes

Falcons’ Desmond Ridder starting to find stride with Commanders up next

Desmond Ridder will look to build off his best passing performance of the season when the Atlanta Falcons host the struggling Washington Commanders on Sunday. Nearly one week after reporters asked Atlanta coach Arthur Smith if he would move in a different direction with his QB1, Ridder connected with 10 different receivers and passed for a career-high 329 yards in the Falcons’ 21-19 comeback win over the Houston Texans last Sunday. The second-year pro completed

Young quarterbacks guide hungry Bears, Commanders into battle

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell enters Thursday’s visit from the Bears with five career starts, 24 fewer than Chicago counterpart Justin Fields. On the surface, that appears to be a considerable gulf. Hearing Howell’s teammates discuss his maturity, though, suggests that he can measure up when the teams meet in Landover, Md., in Week 5. Howell exhibited expert decision-making in Sunday’s 34-31 overtime loss at Philadelphia, going 29-for-41 passing for 290 yards and a touchdown