Commanders Embracing 'Underdog' Mentality, Building Momentum

The Washington Commanders started 1-4, but are now 6-5 after winning five of their last six games.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 22, 2022

There aren't many, if any, teams hotter in the NFL at the moment than the Washington Commanders.

As winners of five of the last six games, the Commanders have gone from bottom-of-the-barrel team with no direction to potential playoff contender.

When the team went 1-4 in the first five games, there was a sense of mystery surrounding the Commanders around who they were. But now, they know exactly who they are.

"There’s a solid young football team that's kind of finding their way," head coach Ron Rivera said. "They're scrappy, they're tough, they're underdogs. They're guys that are striving to be the best. And again, this is all about the messaging, just so these guys understand that they have the ability to ascend to another level."

The team's turnaround began when Taylor Heinicke took over for Carson Wentz as Washington's starting quarterback in Week 7 after the latter injured his finger. In a way, Heinicke, an undrafted career backup recently elevated to the starting lineup, represents the team as a whole. And the team is responding.

Heinicke has been the biggest bowling ball behind the momentum brewing in Washington, and Rivera is figuring out which buttons are the right ones to push to make the team go.

"You have a guy that's hot and that's playing really well and confident and his teammates have bought it," Rivera said. "I've gotta respond appropriately."

The Commanders will look to keep the momentum going and respond once again when the team plays the Atlanta Falcons at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Nov 22, 2022

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.