The Commanders are already eradicated from the playoffs. Beginning Brissett, who’s a identified commodity as a veteran backup, has zero upside. Regardless of Howell’s struggles in latest weeks, persevering with to let him study would a minimum of give him the possibility headed into the offseason to go away a constructive impression on what’s more likely to be a brand new entrance workplace and training employees in 2024.
Even Brissett himself appears to be aware of his and Howell’s supposed roles. He is aware of he is not a long-term resolution as a beginning QB. Howell, who at one level this season led the whole NFL in passing yards, was seen that manner as just lately as a month in the past.
Now he is being benched whereas Washington has nothing to play for, within the curiosity of getting a greater probability to win within the fast second. That is wealthy, contemplating the whole motive the Commanders and Howell are on this state of affairs is that the group — and particularly HC Ron Rivera — embraced a shedding tradition.
Rivera, whose energy all through his first three years in D.C. was in constructing a powerful locker room tradition that maximized its outcomes on the sector, has phoned it in amidst the rumors of his impending dismissal — and it exhibits. Montez Sweat, who Washington willingly traded away on the deadline, all however confirmed that the Commanders had given up on the season many weeks in the past.
The shedding was sure to take a toll on Howell, and Rivera has achieved nothing to instill confidence in his younger signal-caller. No effort to make the group higher round him. No constructive reassurance throughout his media pressers, the way in which different coaches equivalent to Robert Saleh have
given amidst their QBs’ struggles. Now, straight-up kicking him to the curb in a recreation wherein he’d don’t have anything to lose.
It is whole and full organizational malpractice. Washington will now enter the 2024 season being compelled to hit the reset button on the whole roster, as a substitute of getting items who may have been promising constructing blocks for a brand new regime.
There is not any telling how exhausting will probably be for whoever the Commanders’ coach and QB are subsequent 12 months to make any progress whereas beginning nearly from scratch. And in as we speak’s age of instantaneous gratification, persistence will rapidly put on skinny with them, too.
That is how dangerous groups keep dangerous. It has been a relentless cycle in Washington for a lot too lengthy, and this time it was all so avoidable.
