FEDEX FIELD — Seemingly unthinkable, the Commanders season reached a new low in Sunday’s 45-15 loss to the Dolphins.
It wasn’t their worst loss—that was probably Chicago or maybe the second Giants game—and it wasn’t at all surprising. Miami is quite good and Washington is not. At all.
But there was nothing redeeming about this defeat. Nothing. The weather was bad, Sam Howell was hardly sharp, Brian Robinson hurt his hamstring, and the defense continued on their downward spiral of embarrassment.
In a Commanders organization with a million questions, Sunday’s game revealed one truth to even the most devoted fans: the current structure is broken and needs to be torn down and replaced.
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The Dolphins have explosive players and brilliant schematics that put those players in position to succeed.
Washington has, well, what exactly?
Now sitting at 4-9, losers of four straight and six of their last seven, the Commanders have little left to do. There’s not a trick or strategy to get some different results. Ron Rivera already fired his defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, like that was the team’s only problem.
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Washington owner Josh Harris has no choice but to clean house as soon as this season ends. This is Rivera’s operation and has been for four years. The results had been mediocre until this year, though mediocrity now feels a significant step up from the current level of abysmal play.
The real questions that matter are what happens in January, after this season whimpers to a close. Harris needs to look far and wide for his answers, and perhaps Miami provided a preview.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith will be a hot head-coaching candidate, and certainly Miami’s offense impressed. Look at the Miami front office, too, where assistant general manager Marvin Allen has an impressive resume and might want to get a chance to run his own shop.
What has Miami built? They aggressively traded for Tyreek Hill a few years back, paid him handsomely, and he’s delivered some of the best wide receiver play in the NFL ever since.
At halftime, Hill had more yards at halftime (142) than the entire Commanders offense (130).
Washington has four games remaining with a bye week on tap. It’s going to be very difficult for Rivera to find new reasons to motivate these players coming back after a bye week, but at the same time, this is pro football, a game without guaranteed contracts, and players will always go all out.
The Dolphins held a 31-7 lead at halftime, and during the second half, the most lively the home crowd got was when free t-shirts were thrown out into the crowd.
Josh Harris didn’t pay $6 billion for a listless home stadium the first weekend in December. Josh Harris didn’t pay $6 billion for a home stadium filled with Dolphins fans. And Josh Harris certainly didn’t pay $6 billion to watch his team get smoked, week after week after week.
The end is near. The bye week will give Commanders fans a pleasant break of not losing next weekend.
Pink Floyd has a famous song, “Comfortably Numb,” where the lyrics explain, “There is no pain you are receding/ Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying/ The dream is gone.” That about sums up the Commanders Week 13 performance against Miami. Winter is coming in Washington, and with it, an overhaul of a shattered franchise.
