Studs and mostly duds from Commanders’ loss to Cowboys

The Washington Commanders were humiliated by the Dallas Cowboys 45-10 on Thanksgiving Day in front of a national audience. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

Some will point to Washington’s 31-19 loss to the Giants last week as much worse. And there is truth in that, considering the Commanders turned the ball over six times, and the Giants are terrible.

But if the Giants are terrible, what is Washington? New York has three wins — two over Washington.

So, let’s circle back to Thursday and the Commanders’ latest embarrassing effort under head coach Ron Rivera. As difficult as it may be to believe, this was a 10-point game to begin the fourth quarter. Yet, in typical Washington fashion, everything fell apart, and the rout was on.

Here are the studs and mostly duds from Thursday’s loss.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (4) catches a pass in front of Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2). Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

You can’t blame Curtis Samuel for Washington’s losing effort. Samuel caught nine passes for 100 yards and was everywhere for Howell. Samuel caught everything and picked up yards after the catch almost every time he touched the ball. It was his best game of the season and really showed what he’s capable of when featured.

Dud: Offensive lineDallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) sacks Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14). Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Washington’s offensive line was no match for Dallas’ defensive front. Howell was sacked four times but was under duress throughout the game. Charles Leno, who struggled last week, did a solid job against the Cowboys. However, the rest of the unit struggled. There was one play in particular that sums up Washington’s issues on the offensive line. Micah Parsons shoved RT Andrew Wylie into Howell, and right guard Sam Cosmi, instead of putting his hands on Parsons, sort of steps back, and Howell goes down. It looked bizarre.

Stud: 1st half Sam Howell

Sam Howell #14 of the Washington Commanders celebrates after a touchdown in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Sam Howell was outstanding in the first half and had the Commanders firmly in the game despite the chaos in front of him. Howell looked down the barrel and converted on three different third-and-long plays. Howell was terrific on one third-quarter drive until Washington got across midfield, and the Commanders struggled to convert in short-yardage situations. Howell was never the same afterward.

It wasn’t as if Howell was bad on Thursday. His pick-six will be repeated repeatedly because it broke a record, but Howell has made worse decisions. The Commanders didn’t lose because of Howell. Not even close. It was almost as if the pressure finally broke him in this game. He did have a couple of throws that should have been intercepted, which will hurt his grade. Howell, like he often does, had some excellent moments and also some tough ones.

Dud: Coaching staff

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, this staff has been here for four years. Most of these defensive players have been here the entire time. Therefore, why are other team’s wide receivers always running free in the secondary? You can’t tell me there aren’t coaching issues. Who holds these players accountable? It’s tough to hold the players responsible when no one holds the coaches accountable. Once Josh Harris moves on from this staff, some coaches shouldn’t be in the NFL again. The regression in the secondary is embarrassing.

As for Bieniemy, what’s going on with his short-yardage playcalling? The Commanders repeatedly failed to convert on third-and-short and fourth-and-short. It’s why the game turned. Why do you need to get fancy when you need a yard? All of this isn’t on Bieniemy. On fourth down, Howell can’t hold the ball looking for a big play. We aren’t sure what Howell saw, but you need to be decisive there. And the offensive line can’t move anyone.

Dud: Pass rushDak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks to pass in the game against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

I’ll be interested in seeing the pass-rush numbers. It felt like the Commanders never mounted any pressure on Prescott. He had all day to throw. This goes to show you that those nine sacks last week against the Giants were an aberration. No player came close to sacking Prescott or forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly. Pathetic.

Dud: SecondaryDallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a touchdown pass against Washington Commanders safety Jartavius Martin (20). Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

This secondary returned almost everyone last season and added a first-round pick and a second-round pick. And they are much worse. Sure, Emmanuel Forbes missed this game, but let’s be honest, it didn’t matter. He likely would’ve gotten burned had he played. And if he broke up a pass, he’d likely have a meaningless celebration.

Prescott went after Benjamin St-Juste all day. For the most part, it worked out. Whether it was getting beat or missing tackles, it was another tough day at the office for St-Juste.

For the second straight week, safety Percy Butler was the best player from this unit. We aren’t sure that’s a compliment right now. This group badly needs new coaching.

Story originally appeared on Commanders Wire