PAINFUL DEPARTURE: The Commanders Star Player Has Just Gone…….
Commanders top wide receiver responds melancholy when questioned about 49ers culture following Washington’s eighth consecutive defeat
Commanders top wide receiver responds melancholy when questioned about 49ers culture following Washington’s eighth consecutive defeat
Over the past few months, the Washington Commanders’ 2023 campaign has become worse before becoming better. Sam Howell’s early potential has diminished as Washington has now dropped seven straight games while giving up at least 27 points per game.
The Commanders’ record dropped to 4-12 on Sunday when they gave up a 27-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, who were led by former No. 2 overall choice Chase Young, to secure the conference’s top seed. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin of the Commanders bemoaned this after the game, saying that these two teams are obviously on different ends of the NFL spectrum.
McLaurin gave a somewhat depressing response when asked how hard it was to watch players he knew fighting for a Super Bowl while his Commanders are out of the playoff picture (via The Washington Post).
It’s undoubtedly difficult. You want to be a part of something, after all, that is sustainable and involves high-level competition and victory. You know, that crew over there is excellent. They have excellent players. It is evident that they enjoy playing together. They are excellent at including everyone. Defense is being deployed widely. They enjoy themselves. I got to hang out with a number of those guys; I think six or seven of them were selected to the Pro Bowl the previous season. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them, and that made me think of Ohio State. You understand what I mean when I talk about their culture as a whole. You can see why they enjoy the level of success they do.
When facing such teams, you have to play—not flawlessly, but you have to take advantage of every chance you get. The ball cannot be turned over. You must score in the red zone and prolong drives. They have All-Pro players, in my opinion, at every level. You have to give them credit for assembling that squad and for the players’ on-field performance. I’m just focusing on me, my world, and my journey, and I’m going to keep pushing to be the best player I can be. Hopefully, I can be a part of something like that.”
Since being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, McLaurin has been one of the Commanders’ few shining lights. Despite having three consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards, his 2023 average of 59.1 receiving yards per game is a career low. When McLaurin entered the NFL, he went from being a college football champion who had only lost six games in four years to a team that had not finished with a winning record in seven seasons.
This offseason, Washington finally received the ownership shift that the supporters have long been waiting for, but the result has not been increased on the field. Josh Harris will have to make some choices this offseason about his quarterback, Howell, general manager Martin Mayhew, and head coach Ron Rivera.
