Commanders QB Carson Wentz Throws Away Redemption Opportunity in Loss vs. Browns

The Washington Commanders had the door open to the playoffs, but Carson Wentz's interceptions against the Cleveland Browns have slowly began to close it.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 1, 2023

The Washington Commanders (7-8-1) are no longer in control of their playoff destiny after a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns (7-9) Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field.

Coming into the game, the biggest storyline revolved around Carson Wentz's return to the starting lineup after Taylor Heinicke was benched in last week's loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Wentz got off to a slow start, throwing two first-half interceptions that proved to be costly in the end.

While the Browns also struggled in the first half, Cleveland's offense woke up in the second half thanks to three second-half touchdowns from Deshaun Watson.

The Commanders tried playing catch-up in the fourth quarter, but a third Wentz interception all but sealed the loss for Washington.

With the Detroit Lions' (8-8) win against the Chicago Bears, they leapfrog the Commanders in the standings and hold a spot in the playoff picture. Should the Green Bay Packers (7-8) beat the Minnesota Vikings (12-3) in the late window, the Commanders will be eliminated from playoff contention as the two teams meet in Week 18, for what will likely result in the winner clinching a spot in the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Commanders need some help, but it all starts with a win in next Sunday's season finale at home against the well-rested Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Jan 1, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.