Week 13 saw the high-flying Miami Dolphins come to town on a rainy day at FedEx field in Landover Maryland. The Commanders would fall again this time 45-15, making them 4-9. Many fans have already turned their attention to the NFL Draft and this loss just means that the Commanders have a real shot at a top 5 draft pick. Unfortunately, the draft is not until April, and we still have 4 more weeks of football left to play. Let’s dive into this mess of a day for Washington.
Sam Howell: C
Hard to blame Sam today, the o-line was atrocious all day. Sam spent most of his day just trying to extend plays and make something happen. He had some pretty throws, as he always does, but he also had some ugly ducks out there. He took a lot of shots, a problem he has dealt with all season. He did have one heck of a TD run, one of two on the day, these are becoming more common for him which is another staple of his game that he needs to unlock more often. His big blemish on the day was one of the ugliest pick 6’s you will ever see. Again, hard to blame him, the o-line failed immediately and left Andrew Van Ginkel untouched for the INT. It was an ugly game overall for the offense, so it is hard to give Sam anything more or less than a C, especially on a day where you only score 15 points. Sam finished his day with 12 completions on 23 attempts for 127 yards 0 TDs, 1 INT and 2 rushing TDs.
O-Line: F
Atrocious game from this line today. Sam was only sacked 3 times, all in the first half. But that was a product of Sam’s escape ability and moving the pocket, that number could have easily been 6 or 7. BRob was able to work his way to a nice day before a hamstring injury took him out, but it was in spite of the o-line. The line did not just fail Sam, but the run game as a whole today as well. The running lanes were inconsistent at best, non-existent at worst. It is pretty evident that this line will be seeing a major overhaul this off season and it will be much needed.
Running Backs: B
BRob was having a great day before his hamstring injury. He had 7 rushes for 53 yards and was making a play when it was needed. The score meant that his attempts likely would not have been much as the game wore on, but still a good day was taken from him. Gibson got more involved as a result, but it was his damage in the passing game that helped more than anything, he caught 4 passes for 37 yards on top of his 10 rushes for 35 yards. With Gib taking the lead spot, Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw increased action, he had 4 rushes for 20 yards. I am excited to see what he can do next season with hopefully a larger role.
Wide Receivers: C
Curtis Samuel saved the WR group from an F today. Curtco had a solid day hauling in 4 passes for 65 yards, Jahan Dotson was the only other WR to make any impact with 2 catches for 23 yards. Not sure what is going on with Terry, he did save an INT on a play where Sam got hit trying to throw it away, but only 4 targets and 0 catches. Maybe the turf toe from earlier in the season is still lingering, but he just isn’t even involved lately.
Tight Ends: F
Cole Turner caught a pass for 2 yards and that is it, nothing from this TE group today and that is just sad.
D-Line: D
The d-line made a few plays here and there saving them from an F. I do like what KJ Henry has shown in his extended action as of late, but he still has a long way to go if he wants to be a serious contributor. Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen were no where to be found today, I am not sure if I really blame them or not. When the team traded Tez and Chase it was evident that they were throwing the towel in on the season. It is not ok to check out, but with what they have been through with this team, I understand to an extent.
Linebackers: C
Jamin Davis had a heck of a game today with 8 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a pass defended. He was playing fast and smart out there today. Despite the defense getting cooked, Davis was a bright spot. Cody Barton on the other hand was not and he could have had a sack if he didn’t get his ankles broken by Tua. I expect the LBs to be one of the bigger overhauls this offseason right behind the o-line. Their best day is an average day, they do not make any game changing plays, and they hurt the defense more than they help it week in and week out.
Defensive Backs: F
Quan Martin got beat by Tyreek Hill for a 78-yard TD on the 3rd play of the Dolphins opening drive. That play summed up how the rest of the afternoon was going to go for this secondary. I do want to say that Quan should not be fully at blame for the play. Tyreek Hill is not someone you defend 1-on-1, to do so with a 2nd round rookie with no safety help is just terrible coaching from Ron Rivera. Hill had 132-yards and 2 TDs on 3 catches with 9:14 left to play in the first half. He finished with 5 grabs for 152-yards and 2 TDs, but it was obvious that the Dolphins took their foot off the gas in the 2nd half. Kendall Fuller and Kam Curl are usually the only 2 bright spots in this DB group, but even both of them got beat up today pretty badly, it was just ugly.
Special Teams: D
Zero kick return attempts, 1 punt return for 11 yards, 0/1 on FGs and Tress Way is the only reason this unit avoided the F. Way punted 5 times on the day and had 2 land inside the 20, a usual game for him.