There’s a lot to consider in the Commander’s win – the Hail Mary (of course), the fumble lost by an offensive lineman on the Bears’ fourth-quarter possession, the lack of a touchdown before the final play of the game. Are this team of Washington Commanders very good, very lucky, or both?
Ted Nguyen: Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s play-calling was largely brutal. From a fumble on a handoff, to an offensive lineman, to a quarterback draw on a late third down. The Bears were lucky to be in position to win, and then they blew it. This is a very good Commander team and the defense seems to be getting better. Jaden Daniels was seriously affected by his rib injury – he couldn’t play many substitutes due to that injury, but he performed well enough offensively to put them in a position to win. It was a courageous performance that should have earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The question I have regarding the Commanders is whether offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can keep the offense going as his offense in Arizona unraveled later in the season – I think it has to do with how teams use their no-huddle signals. Is by catching. Also, can this defense continue to show improvement? They have given up more than 15 points only once in the last five games.
and Pompeii: No one expects the Commander to be in the Super Bowl, but their entire team is more than the sum of their parts, and they have the ability to do what they have to do to win. Credit it to Dan Quinn and his coaching staff, and credit it to Daniels, the immediate 2024 star. The Commanders already have six wins – 10 could take them to the playoffs. If Daniels gets fully healthy (he obviously wasn’t on Sunday), stays the way he is and keeps playing the way he does, this should be a playoff team. And hardly anyone thought the Commanders could be a playoff team.
Jeff Howe: Never apologize for winning. Yes, the Commanders needed to catch a lot of breaks to beat the Bears, but it was good for them to compete in those conditions to earn those breaks. A Hail Mary may be volatile, but commanders did everything right to stay in execution mode. An offensive lineman should not take handoffs at the goal line, but Commander was cautious enough to attack the ball. And Caleb Williams has been playing very well lately, but Dan Quinn’s defense made him struggle a lot that game. Most results can be traced back to a few plays. Although these plays were more dramatic than others, I still give credit to the commanders for that victory.
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NFL Week 8 highlights: Are the Commanders good, lucky or both? Are the Eagles back?