Washington Commanders

If you were looking for good football, Thursday's matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders didn't have it.

Competent quarterback play? Nope.

Literally anything fun or exciting or in any way interesting? Not a one.

It did, however, have one thing last week's ghastly fiasco did not: a touchdown.

When Justin Fields hit Dante Pettis on a 40-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, it marked the first time since Week 4 that a touchdown was scored during a Thursday night game.

Commanders running back Brian Robinson would score a fourth-quarter touchdown to cap off the barnburner 12-7 Washington victory—giving us a whopping two touchdowns if you're keeping track at home—but the social media focus was on the first score that ended the drought.

Justin Fields has ended the TNF touchdown drought!!! Give him a gold jacket now

— ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) October 14, 2022

I’m surprised Al Michaels didn’t say “Do you believe in miracles?!” after that TD that ended the #TNF drought

— Tommy Maroon (@tommymaroon2) October 14, 2022

TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN BEARS! Thursday night drought ends at 6 quarters. Can I get an amen? 🙏🏼

— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) October 14, 2022

DANTE PETTIS BREAKS THE TD DROUGHT 🙏

anytime TD ➡️ +900
to score the first TD ➡️ +3100

(via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/kyNVPXesQj

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 14, 2022

QBs in the last 2 TNF games:

5 — INT
1 — TD pic.twitter.com/LunW3KEU5y

— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 14, 2022

a team after scoring a TD on TNF pic.twitter.com/5AJir7loAb

— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) October 14, 2022

I know that #TNF is supposed to be on Amazon @PrimeVideo , but these last 2 weeks are more like someone ordered the #NFL on Wish.

— Jay Scott Smith (@JayScottSmith) October 14, 2022

Thursday Night Games on Amazon have no end zones. 🤦🏻‍♂️#TNFonPrime #TNF pic.twitter.com/JHTCWqcSI5

— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) October 14, 2022

The Bears continued to produce stellar yardage on the ground, totaling 238 yards on 6.4 yards per attempt, but continually made unforced errors that handed the game to Washington. Chicago turned the ball over on downs three times, Fields threw an interception, and Velus Jones Jr. muffed a punt that set up the Commanders' game-winning touchdown.

Washington, which we again remind you won this game, got a total of 99 passing yards from Carson Wentz.

If you're hoping these dreary Thursday night matchups are just a two-week blip, it's not looking too great. The remainder of the TNF schedule features just three games (Ravens-Buccaneers, Titans-Packers and Cowboys-Titans) between teams with winning records heading into Week 6.

We may not see another six-quarter touchdown drought, but this is not looking like a best-of-the-best slate of games for Amazon's first year with exclusive TNF rights.

Don't worry, though. We'll all still be watching and tweeting along in good fun.

Here's how bad Carson Wentz was in the Washington Commanders 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday night: His best play of the night, and one of the key plays in the game, was... a block he threw for running back Brian Robinson.

In Wentz's defense, it was a hell of a block.

Carson Wentz the offensive lineman 😤 @cj_wentz#WASvsCHI on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/0NxrLlxiBS pic.twitter.com/vunS4S2B7e

— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2022

Well Washington needs to put Carson Wentz at OL.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 14, 2022

Maybe Wentz is a fullback?

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) October 14, 2022

Wentz could be the next Taysom Hill

— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) October 14, 2022

That block was Wentz's best play of the night by a country mile

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) October 14, 2022

Carson Wentz pancake block on Roquan Smith is the best (only?) highlight of this game.

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 14, 2022

But still. He's the quarterback. It was the traditional quarterbacking things that Wentz didn't do very well on Thursday, finishing 12-of-22 for 99 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while taking three sacks. He also rushed twice for two yards.

And even on the game-winning touchdown drive, the Commanders took over on Chicago's six-yard line after a muffed punt and promptly ran the ball twice.

So really, the best thing you could say about Wentz—in an overall ugly game where he was clearly battling a sore hand after taking a hit—was that he didn't have the one major gaffe that blew the whole thing.

Granted, folks on social media had more creative things to say about his evening than that:

People who said it will deny it now but the most common reaction to the Eagles drafting Jalen Hurts was, "What a waste of a draft pick! They already have Carson Wentz!"

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 14, 2022

Howie Roseman has made some great moves since the end of the 2020 season.

Getting a 1st-rounder for Carson Wentz was his best one.

— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) October 14, 2022

Carson Wentz 1st-and-goal from the 10 is a bomb defuser emphasizing to his subordinate "if he so much as nicks one wrong wire, this entire place blows"

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) October 14, 2022

Imagine being Dan Marino watching this game knowing Carson Wentz has a super bowl ring

— Sarah York (@thesarahyork) October 14, 2022

Justin Fields vs Carson Wentz in a battle of two QBs who just love getting sacked.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 14, 2022

If Wentz can't handle the Bears' blitzes, what is Wink Martindale gonna do to him?

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 14, 2022

Ultimately, a win's a win, and the 2-4 Commanders desperately needed one, especially amidst another tumultuous week (in what has seemed like a decade of them).

When head coach Ron Rivera was asked about what separated the Commanders this season from the rest of the NFC East—a combined 13-2 to start the year—he answered "quarterback."

The point he was trying to make, apparently, was that the other quarterbacks in the division weren't adjusting to new teams and schemes like Wentz has had to do this season. You know, those well-established superstars like Daniel Jones and Cooper Rush.

But after Thursday's performance—win or not—it's hard to argue that Wentz isn't at least partially holding this team back. There are plenty of other issues at every level of the organization, but Wentz was poor against the Bears.

This time, it didn't cost Washington. But it has in the past, and if his level of play doesn't improve, it will in the future.

After returning to practice this week for the first time since being shot multiple times during an attempted robbery on Aug. 28, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson opened up about overcoming adversity and getting back on the football field.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Robinson called his first day of practice "beautiful" after having an "up-and-down" recovery process over the past six weeks.

"I'm the king of adversity," he said. "I've been dealt with so much adversity in my life."

Robinson didn't address whether he can play Sunday but did note how he approached rehab after doctors told him the injuries weren't career-ending:

Brian Robinson: "Once the doctors told me I'd be able to play ball again, my mind went to whatever I could do to get back on the field again."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 5, 2022

Brian Robinson, on how he got through the mental part of his recovery: "Just staying grounded in what I want from this ordeal and what I want in my life. I want to be a football player."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 5, 2022

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Robinson suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the glute and lower leg. NBC Washington noted the Commanders running back was confronted by two teenage boys as young as 15 years old who attempted to rob him at gunpoint.

Washington D.C. Chief of Police Robert Contee told NBC Washington that Robinson was shot by one of the teenagers after wrestling a gun away from the other.

Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters on Aug. 30 that Robinson was discharged from the hospital the following day and met with Washington doctors at the team's facilities.

Robinson was cleared by doctors Monday, and he was activated off the non-football injury list Wednesday. The move opened up his 21-day practice window while the Commanders decide whether to move him to the active roster.

The 23-year-old was named to the All-SEC First Team in 2021 as the starting running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He ran for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 14 games.

Washington used the No. 98 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft to select Robinson. He was competing with J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson to be the team's starter early in the preseason.

Robinson had 57 rushing yards and one touchdown on 14 carries in two preseason games.

The Commanders have until Oct. 26 to decide if they are going to add Robinson to their 53-man roster. They host the Tennessee Titans at FedExField on Sunday.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told reporters on Monday that running back Brian Robinson has been cleared by doctors and will be activated off injured reserve on Wednesday.

Robinson, who was shot twice during a robbery attempt in August, will have three weeks to either be elevated to the active roster or kept on the non-football injury list for the remainder of the 2022 season.

Robinson appeared poised to win the starting running back job over Antonio Gibson this summer before he was shot twice in his right leg.

"We know he's got a bright future, and the future doesn't have to be immediately now," Rivera told reporters on Aug. 31. "Until he's ready to roll, we have no intention of putting him out there."

The 23-year-old was Washington's third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, impressing with his physical and aggressive running style.

He missed the first four games of the season with his gunshot wounds, but his recovery has appeared to go very smoothly:

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr., who was shot twice during an armed robbery attempt less than a month ago, is out here running routes. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7wOHWeDaY3

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 25, 2022

in his stead, Gibson has rushed for 173 yards and two scores to go on 3.3 yards per carry along with 13 catches for 101 yards. Scatback J.D. McKissic has 65 yards on the ground and 19 catches for 122 yards.

It's likely that all three will see playing time once Robinson is deemed ready for game action.

"When we get Robinson back, there are some things that we can do that we want to feature his skill set and the skill set that not just he has, but [Gibson] and [McKissic have]," Rivera told reporters. "I mean, those three guys are all quality backs, and they all have their special abilities. Once you have the full complement now, you can just grow it even more."

The Carson Wentz era has not been kind to the Washington Commanders, who fell to 1-3 on the season with a 25-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

Following Sunday's loss, Wentz shouldered much of the blame for the team's struggles while speaking with reporters.

"I have to be more accurate. I have to make better decisions," Wentz said.

Wentz was subpar against the Cowboys, completing 25 of 42 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. He also rushed for just five yards.

The 29-year-old entered Sunday's game having completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 861 yards and seven touchdowns against three interceptions through the first three weeks of the season.

While those numbers are respectable, the Wentz experiment hasn't gone very well for the Commanders, who acquired him in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts over the offseason.

Following a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, head coach Ron Rivera said he wasn't worried about Wentz and that he was confident the signal-caller would bounce back against the Cowboys:

"I'm not worried about Carson. Carson's going to bounce back. He's a very resilient young man. And I loved his press conference, accepting responsibility. And he put it on himself and he tried to make sure everybody understood that this is a team game, we're all culpable. And I don't disagree with him. We are all culpable, myself included.

"But there is a sense of urgency. There is a 'gotta have it,' a 'gotta go out and get it done' type of mentality. It was the same thing last week. We wanted it. We worked to do it, and we're going to do it every week that way. It's just sometimes, it doesn't work your way."

But now that Wentz's struggles have become more apparent, it might be time for the Commanders to start worrying. However, it's unclear if Washington is considering making a switch to either Taylor Heinicke or rookie Sam Howell.

If anything, the Commanders would likely pick Heinicke over Howell given his experience.

Heinicke has appeared in 24 NFL games across four seasons and has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,886 yards and 22 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He also started 15 of 16 games for Washington last season, throwing for 3,419 yards and 20 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.

The Washington Commanders are reportedly expected to activate running back Brian Robinson from the non-football injury list early this week.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Robinson is expected to return "sooner rather than later," but he is not a lock to play in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. Activating Robinson will allow him to practice with the team and fully test his overall health after being shot in an attempted robbery in August.

While two bullets hit Robinson's leg, he avoided major damage to his ligaments, tendons and bones and has made a full recovery. The next step will be ramping up his football activity after the Alabama product spent several weeks rehabbing.

Robinson was a third-round pick in April's draft and was seemingly in line to be the Commanders' early-down back before being shot. It's unclear what role he will play upon his return.

Antonio Gibson will start his fourth game of the season Sunday and has performed to mixed results the first three weeks. After a brilliant Week 1 saw him total 130 yards on 22 touches, he has put up a total of 81 yards the last two weeks. He's averaging a career-low 3.1 yards per carry and has seen J.D. McKissic and Curtis Samuel take over most of the passing game work.

Washington was planning on using Gibson as a return man on special teams before Robinson went out, and it's possible the preseason plan winds up taking shape. Robinson will have to prove he's healthy and explosive after an impressive preseason, but there's a real chance his starting role will be waiting for him once he's ready.

Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz is coming off his worst outing of the season in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he hasn't lost the confidence of his head coach.

Ron Rivera said he fully believes Wentz will be able to put his disappointing performance behind him.

"I'm not worried about Carson. Carson's going to bounce back," Rivera told NBC Sports Washington's JP Finlay. "He's a very resilient young man."

The Commanders fell to 1-2 this season after their 24-8 loss against the Eagles. Wentz finished with 211 yards on 25-of-43 passing with no touchdowns, no interceptions and two fumbles, one of which was lost. Per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Wentz was sacked nine times and sustained 17 hits on Sunday.

Rivera was especially impressed with how the 29-year-old signal-caller shouldered the blame for the loss.

"I loved his press conference, accepting responsibility," Rivera said. "And he put it on himself and he tried to make sure everybody understood that this is a team game—we’re all culpable. And I don’t disagree with him. We are all culpable, myself included."

Wentz is in his first season in Washington after being acquired in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts in March. He had solid showings in his first two games, including leading the Commanders to a fourth-quarter comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

Through three games, Wentz has thrown for 861 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 63.1 percent of his passes. However, he's been sacked 15 times, tied for the league-high with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Rivera said the team is aware that there are multiple mistakes that need to be addressed.

"But there is a sense of urgency. There is a 'gotta have it,' a 'gotta go out and get it done' type of mentality," he said. "It was the same thing last week. We wanted it. We worked to do it, and we’re going to do it every week that way. It’s just sometimes, it doesn’t work your way."

The Commanders will try to end their two-game skid when they face the Dallas Cowboys in another NFC East showdown on Sunday.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera isn't going to make a change at quarterback right now.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday's 24-8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Rivera definitively said "no" when asked if he is going to replace Carson Wentz after he was sacked nine times.

The Commanders traded a 2022 second-round and third-round pick along with a conditional pick in 2023 to the Indianapolis Colts to acquire Wentz. They also received a 2022 second-round and seventh-round pick in the deal.

Wentz was coming off a solid statistical season in Indianapolis, but the way the Colts finished in 2021 left a lot to be desired. He threw for 185 yards, turned the ball over twice and was sacked six times in a 26-11 Week 18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that ended the Colts' playoff hopes.

Things apparently got so bad on the field and behind the scenes that Colts head coach Frank Reich apologized to owner Jim Irsay for lobbying to acquire Wentz from the Eagles, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

While there is no indication of drama in the Commanders locker room right now, Wentz is still making the same mistakes that cost him down the stretch in 2021.

The Eagles held Wentz to 24 passing yards and registered twice as many sacks (six) as completions allowed (three) in the first half. Washington had minus-16 net passing yards through the first two quarters.

In his first three games as Washington's quarterback, Wentz has four turnovers (three interceptions, one lost fumble) and has been sacked 15 times.

The Commanders have been outscored 46-0, and the offense has managed just 87 yards in the first half of the past two games combined.

Taylor Heinicke is the No. 2 quarterback on Washington's roster. He started 15 games last season, throwing for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. The 29-year-old is best known for racking up 352 yards of offense and accounting for two touchdowns in the Commanders' 31-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 NFC Wild Card Game.

Sunday's loss to the Eagles dropped Washington's record to 1-2 overall.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera doesn't want you to believe everything you read.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that the Commanders "had the parameters of a trade agreement in place that would" have landed them Jimmy Garoppolo at the NFL Scouting Combine.

However, "the deal fell apart" after the San Francisco 49ers quarterback elected to undergo shoulder surgery.

"Bullcrap report, just so everyone knows," Rivera told reporters after Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. "I didn't talk to anybody about Jimmy G. The timing is what really upsets me."

According to Schefter, Washington then shifted its attention elsewhere after the surgery decision was revealed and ended up trading two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz.

Washington may have been better off with Garoppolo during Sunday's 24-8 loss, which wasn't as close as the final score indicates.

Philadelphia went up 24-0, and the Commanders didn't even get on the scoreboard until their defense notched a safety in the fourth quarter. A garbage-time touchdown from Antonio Gibson made the final deficit more respectable, but Wentz didn't account for a touchdown and fumbled twice, losing one.

As for Garoppolo, it was rather shocking when the 49ers decided to keep him after it looked like a foregone conclusion they would move him this offseason.

They already decided to transition the offense to Trey Lance, and having Garoppolo on the roster seemed to create an awkward situation where the youngster may be looking over his shoulder. After all, Garoppolo led San Francisco to the Super Bowl during the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game last season.

Yet the decision to keep the veteran has paid off, since Lance is out for the season with a fractured ankle and torn ligaments.

And Washington will move forward with Wentz, who impressed by throwing for more than 300 yards in each of his first two games but took a step back Sunday for the 1-2 Commanders.

In the game billed as Carson Wentz taking on the team that drafted him for the first time, it was the Philadelphia Eagles' current quarterback who stole the show.

Jalen Hurts continued his torrid start to the season with 340 yards and three touchdowns through the air in the Eagles' 24-8 victory over the Washington Commanders.

Jalen Hurts vs. Carson Wentz went from being a debate to a complete quarterback mismatch in the span of a year. One guy plays winning football. The other plays losing football.

— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) September 25, 2022

In the past six days, Hurts has thrown for 673 yards and accounted for six scores. He likely could have had more production Sunday, but head coach Nick Sirianni took his foot off the gas pedal in the second half after going up by 24 at the intermission.

The first half Sunday was nothing short of a masterpiece for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. Hurts had 291 total yards (279 passing) and three touchdowns. DeVonta Smith was the recipient of seven catches for 156 yards and a score through two quarters.

HURTS LETS IT FLY TO DEVONTA SMITH 🦅

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/I9HLeATt2O

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 25, 2022

DeVonta Smith's 45-yard reception from Jalen Hurts had a completion probability of 8.1%, the most improbable completion so far this season.

🔹 Air Distance: 58.7 yds
🔹 Sideline Distance: 0.5 yds

The pass was also Hurts' longest completion of his career.#PHIvsWAS | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/nO0FBh8SB7

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 25, 2022

The final sequence before halftime was a feather in Hurts' cap. He attempted a quarterback sneak from Washington's 1-yard line on 3rd-and-goal but got stopped for a loss of one yard with 18 seconds remaining.

With no timeouts remaining, Hurts and the offense quickly got in shotgun formation. The third-year quarterback got the snap off before the clock expired and found Smith in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to take a 24-0 lead.

The Philadelphia Eagles are absolutely phenomenal on offense… That got Slim Reaper going today and he is taking souls!

Oh and don’t look now but if you’re having Early MVP conversations without Jalen Hurts then you ain’t having realistic MVP conversations!

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) September 25, 2022

https://twitter.com/RoobNBCS/status/1574112687780659205

Jalen Hurts is proof of what hard work, preparation, and opportunity looks like. He has worked his tail of to improve and it shows!

— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) September 25, 2022

There was talk coming into the season that the Eagles could be plotting to add one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class. They added to their receiving group by acquiring A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans and maintained both of their first-round picks in next year's draft.

While it's still early in 2022, the results so far suggest Hurts is their quarterback of the future.

nfl reporters: eagles will look for a qb in the 2023 draft if jalen hurts doesn't live up to his potential

2022 jalen hurts: pic.twitter.com/WZIfoJbDvG

— ruby (@rubythevalley) September 25, 2022

Players in NFL history with at least 900 pass yards and 150 rush yards in their teams first 3 games of a season:

Jalen Hurts

END OF LIST. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/DjwawpXaaa

— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) September 25, 2022

MVP chants for Jalen Hurts as he leaves the field

Eagles 3-0 for first time in 6 years pic.twitter.com/HBZMUr5Rel

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 25, 2022

As Hurts continues to move up the early-season MVP rankings, Wentz was not given a warm reception by his former team. He finished 25-of-43 for 211 yards, but his day was even worse than those numbers would indicate.

The Eagles defense sacked him nine times, with six coming in the first half. Wentz had minus-16 net passing yards going into halftime (24 passing yards, 40 yards lost on sacks).

Carson Wentz has been sacked more times in the first half (6) than the Commanders have 1st downs (5)

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 25, 2022

Watching Carson Wentz today pic.twitter.com/zLtKZlUNgR

— D.J. Short (@djshort) September 25, 2022

This is the best game Wentz has had for the Eagles since 2017

— Subscribe to the You Know Ball Patreon (@TrillBroDude) September 25, 2022

In his first game vs the #Eagles, Carson Wentz finished with 24 pass yds & was sacked 6 times in the 1st half.

It is his fewest pass yds in a 1st half and his most sacks taken in any half in his career.

Teams to record 6+ sacks in the 1st half are 8-0 over the last 10 seasons.

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) September 25, 2022

Washington's offense in the first half over the past two weeks has been abysmal. The unit has been shutout by the Eagles and Detroit Lions with a total of 86 yards.

Wentz has been great at putting up numbers in the second half, though most of that has been garbage time because the Commanders were losing by three scores at the start of the third quarter against the Eagles and Lions.

There was little doubt that Philadelphia had to move on from Wentz when he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2021. Hurts' development since being a second-round draft pick in 2020 has the Eagles standing tall in the NFC after another dominant performance.