Analysis | Commanders’ 28-20 loss to Rams exposes more issues in all three phases

The rally from a 28-7 deficit came up short but was impressive enough to raise more questions about the team’s future as it dropped to 4-10 and was eliminated from playoff contention with three games left.

So what now for Howell, the young quarterback Coach Ron Rivera has stood staunchly behind throughout the season? And what about the injuries that cropped up in the loss? Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. (calf), center Tyler Larsen (knee) and running back Jonathan Williams (concussion) were ruled out early, and punter Tress Way was nearly taken out while scrambling to recover a botched snap.

More significant: What is actually salvageable from Sunday’s loss — and for this team after its fifth consecutive defeat? Here are three thoughts:

The defense is still a mess.

Washington’s defense is simply confounding. In the first half, the Commanders held the Rams to one touchdown on three trips to the red zone and forced two fumbles. Yet they let the Rams convert 7 of 9 third-down attempts. So while they stepped up late in drives, they were a mess early, allowing five explosive plays in the first half alone.

It got worse early in the third quarter when Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford capitalized on a busted coverage, which the Commanders seem to have at least one of each game.

Four takeaways from the Commanders’ 28-20 loss to the Rams

Taking a page from the Miami Dolphins, who put Tyreek Hill in motion before sending him outside for a touchdown in Week 13, Stafford went deep to Cooper Kupp, who crossed the formation and ran a go route down the left side for a 62-yard touchdown just 53 seconds into the second half. Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste shifted inside on wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and safety Kam Curl hung back in the box, perhaps thinking he had help over the top — but deep safety Percy Butler had moved inside and was in no position to sprint back to the outside and cover Kupp.

As the Rams (7-7) celebrated, Butler stood at the goal line with his arms raised as if to say, “What just happened?”

Washington’s secondary has been out of sync for much of the season, and despite Rivera’s attempt to simplify the defense after firing coordinator Jack Del Rio, the same issues persist.

But the offense with Howell was worse.

The defense gave Washington a chance, but the offense went three-and-out after both first-half takeaways and was a disaster for most of the first three quarters. It wasn’t until Howell sat in the fourth that the offense moved the ball.

In the first half, the Commanders went 1 for 7 on third down, had just 83 yards (44 passing) compared to the Rams’ 242 and mustered three first downs. The Rams had 14.

Worse: The Commanders had four three-and-outs in the first half and squandered their lone trip to the red zone. Washington made it to L.A.’s 12-yard line late in the first quarter, but Howell’s pass to tight end Logan Thomas on fourth and one was batted away.

Washington finally got on the board in the third quarter, when Howell threw a 19-yard dart to Samuel. But any momentum was fleeting; the Commanders went three-and-out on their subsequent drive, and the Rams padded their lead in the fourth quarter before Howell sat.

The Jets’ playoff hopes are dead. Next up: A decision on Aaron Rodgers.

Rivera said after the game that Howell would remain the starter. The second-year quarterback flashed enough potential to maybe warrant a longer look in 2024, but amid the team’s spiral over the past six weeks, his consistency has taken a hit.

Early against the Rams, he appeared to miss at least two opportunities to connect on deep plays — McLaurin seemed to have his defender beaten on Washington’s opening drive, and Williams was open another time. Howell has thrown at least one interception in four consecutive games; he tossed one Sunday in the fourth quarter when he sailed a pass to McLaurin that the receiver tipped before the ball landed in the arms of safety John Johnson III.

Brissett took over on Washington’s next drive, quickly connected with McLaurin for a score, then found Samuel for another. Joey Slye’s extra-point attempt was blocked, but it was still a one-score game. After an onside kick went awry, the Rams sealed the win by getting a first down.

Howell finished 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) for 102 yards and a 50.5 passer rating. He took one sack (his 59th of the season) and ran for 22 yards. Brissett was 8 for 10 for 124 yards, two touchdowns and a 157.9 passer rating.

Long snapping is a major issue.

The good news is that Way is fine. Or, at least, he was good enough to finish the game after getting clobbered late in the second quarter. Long snapper Camaron Cheeseman, who has been inconsistent since training camp, botched the snap so badly that it rolled to Way. As he scrambled to cover the ball, Rams linebacker Troy Reeder came down hard on him.

Way was evaluated for a concussion and a back injury, prompting kicker (and emergency punter) Slye to begin taking snaps from Cheeseman on the sideline at halftime to prepare for the worst-case scenario. But when the Commanders returned, Washington announced that Way was cleared to play, and to quash any doubt he dropped a punt at the Rams’ 8-yard line minutes later.

Washington averted a crisis but has to decide what to do for the final three games. The botched snap was the second bad one from Cheeseman in the half but not his last on the day. He added a third on the extra-point attempt in the third quarter and a fourth in the final two minutes, leading to Slye’s try being blocked.

The issues that hindered Cheeseman in camp are clearly still there — and now they’re putting one of Washington’s best players at risk. So does Washington bring in long snappers for a workout and a possible signing early this week? Or does it continue with Cheeseman and hope he’s able to fix his issues without getting a teammate seriously hurt? Rivera said after the game that he’ll evaluate the situation before making a decision.