FEDEX FIELD — Washington suffered its worst loss of the season and perhaps the Ron Rivera era on Sunday, dropping to 4-7 on the year with a 31-19 loss to New York.
The Giants entered FedEx Field with a 2-8 record and a starting quarterback, a third-stringer who lives with his parents, but still managed to pass for 246 yards and three touchdowns. That quarterback’s name is Tommy DeVito, and he passed for just 86 yards in last week’s loss to the Cowboys.
Washington’s defense certainly produced a strong pass rush, but when the blitz wasn’t firing, DeVito picked at 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 changes.
Ron Rivera’s group turned the ball over all afternoon, in various ways including kick returns, and finished with three fumbles and three interceptions from young QB Sam Howell. He played well in spurts, but didn’t have the most accurate day as a passer.
Howell proved his toughness with a touchdown run just before halftime, pinballing past a series of defenders before rushing into the end zone. It was a disappointing afternoon for Howell, who finished 31-of-45 for 255 yards and a touchdown and three picks.
Washington has another game in four days and will play the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving. Due to the limited time frame, it’s possible that managerial ownership won’t be able to have tough discussions about the future of Rivera and the staff he’s assembled.
But we need to have these conversations over leftover turkey on Thursday night, or sooner.
Not only did the managers lose to a bad Giants team that got into chaos, but the Giants beat them. Washington had nine sacks, nearly tying a franchise record, but still spent most of the fourth quarter trailing by two points.
Was there a small comeback attempt in the second half of the 4th quarter? of course. Want to read glowing articles about the good things you can get from this game? Look elsewhere.
There’s an old adage in the NFL. “At home, he can’t lose to a third-string quarterback and keep his job.”
Actually, this isn’t an old saying, but maybe it should be.
