“Just my feeling, I think what the league would like is for Snyder to sell the team,” said the legendary Michaels, who is as into the NFL as any broadcaster, as cameras showed Snyder with team president Jason Wright in a suite. at Soldier Field. “No need to go to vote, just sell the team. Because it has become a major problem in the league, obviously. And we will see what happens. I think there is still a long way to go. do, and Dan is very well known for digging his heels into the ground.
On the pregame show, reporter Michael Smith said he spoke to a senior league official who told him it was “50-50 that Snyder survives these scandals.” Chants of “Sell the Team!” could be heard during Amazon Prime’s on-court post-game show.
Three times the Bears advanced at least to Washington’s 5-yard line, and three times the home team came away scoreless. That’s how the Commanders managed to end their four-game losing streak despite losing 178 yards to one of the worst offensive teams in the league. In the first half, Washington intercepted Justin Fields on a pass headed into the end zone and stopped running back Khalil Herbert with no gain on a fourth and a 1-goal. With Chicago driving for the potentially game-winning score in the last minute, the Commanders kept the Bears out of the end zone on four consecutive games from inside the 5, and they sealed the victory when cornerback Benjamin St-Juste tackled wide receiver Darnell Mooney inches from the goal line on a fourth down.
Wide receiver Curtis Samuel had 22 catches and two touchdowns in Washington’s first three games. He has 12 catches and hasn’t scored in three games since, including two catches for six yards against the Bears. On the Commanders’ last pass in the first half, Samuel dropped what should have been a 40-yard touchdown and another pass that should have been a first down in the span of four plays.
Hi: Carson Wentz, bulldozer
With little time to throw and his receivers letting him down when he did, Wentz failed to eclipse 100 yards with the pass only for the third time in his career. He also played his first game without a turnover with Washington, improving to 7-0 on “Thursday Night Football” and throwing a vicious block on a Brian Robinson Jr. run for the second straight week. On the first play after the Bears missed a punt midway through the fourth quarter, Wentz tied all-pro linebacker Roquan Smith, blasting Robinson for a five-yard gain. The rookie running back scored the game-winning touchdown on the next play.
“It’s by no means planned, but especially when you’re there near the goal line, and it was a lousy game, I’m going to do everything I can to help this team get into the end zone,” Wentz said. , who was hampered by a hand injury he suffered in the second quarter in addition to the bicep tendon strain he suffered on Sunday. “It was fun, I guess. I hope I don’t make a living doing this.
Failure: the wrong number of men
It’s Week 6. Washington has an experienced defensive coordinator in Jack Del Rio. At the very least, Commanders should have the correct number of players on the pitch when they miss tackles, miss missions, and give up explosive plays. Twice Thursday, Washington was penalized for having 12 men on the field, which is one too many. Embarrassingly, one such instance led to COs awarding a 40-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. Equally inexcusable, Washington had just 10 men on the court in a single play during Chicago’s last practice.
Failure: First-year teams
Despite the two-touchdown combination, Chicago and Washington managed to play a lower scoring game and less appealing brand of football than viewers were subjected to last Thursday when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Denver Broncos, 12-9 in overtime, in a contest that featured only field goals.
“I’ve been on those types of teams,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez said on the pregame show. “These are the JV teams of the NFL. But there’s a silver lining to that, folks. I think we are going to have a good game of football.
Gonzalez, who was the leading receiver on the Kansas City Chiefs team in 2008 which finished 2-14, changed his view at halftime with Washington leading 3-0.
“Maybe it’s the first-year student team,” he said. “It’s not good football.”
Washington entered the game with a takeout in five weeks and the second-worst turnover differential in the league. Jonathan Allen ended Chicago’s second possession inside Washington’s 10-yard line when he intercepted a pass that deflected the helmet of fellow defensive end Efe Obada. Commanders rookie Christian Holmes pounced on a missed punt from Chicago’s Velus Jones Jr. with eight minutes left, setting up Robinson’s touchdown that proved to be the game-changer.
Failed: Using Ron Rivera’s Challenge Flag
It’s been a tough season for the third-year Commanders coach in the replay challenges department. In last month’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he didn’t throw his challenge flag fast enough to challenge a hold that seemed incomplete. In last week’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, he sacrificed a timeout on Washington’s final drive contesting a play that had little chance of being overturned. On Thursday, Rivera may have blundered again when he decided not to challenge a third-quarter catch by Mooney that appeared to hit the ground. Rather than face third and long, Mooney’s hold settled third and short. David Montgomery ran for a first down on the next play, and the drive resulted in a touchdown.