The Washington Commanders' 2023 campaign has gone from bad to worse over the past couple months. Washington has now lost seven straight games while allowing at least 27 points in each contest, and the early promise quarterback Sam Howell showed has faded.
The Commanders fell to 4-12 on Sunday, as they allowed their former No. 2 overall pick, Chase Young, and the San Francisco 49ers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference with a 27-10 victory. These two clubs are clearly on the opposite sides of the spectrum in the NFL, and it's something Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin lamented after the game.
When asked how difficult it was to see players he knows competing for a Super Bowl while his Commanders are out of playoff contention, McLaurin offered a rather sad response (via The Washington Post).
"It's definitely tough. I mean, you want to be a part of something that sustainable and you're winning and competing at a high level. You know, they've got a great staff over there. They've got great players. You can tell that they love playing together. They do a great job of getting everybody involved. Defense is flying around. They have fun. You know, I got to spend some time with a lot of those guys, like six or seven of them made the Pro Bowl last year. I really got to be around them and it kind of reminds me a little bit at Ohio State. You know what I mean, the kind of culture that they have and everything. You see why they have the success that they do.
When you're going against teams like that, you got to play, not perfect, but you got to make the most of every opportunity. You can't turn over the ball. You got to extend drives and score in the red zone. I think, top to bottom, they have All-Pro players at every level. You got to give them credit for building that team and for the players going out there and executing. Hopefully, I can be a part of something like that, but I'm just focused on myself, my world and my journey and I'm going to keep working to be the best player I can be."
McLaurin has been one of the few bright spots for the Commanders ever since he was drafted in the third round back in 2019. He's recorded three straight 1,000-yard campaigns, but is averaging a career-low 59.1 receiving yards per game in 2023. In his jump to the NFL, McLaurin went from a college football champion that lost a total of six games in four years to a franchise that hasn't had a winning record in seven seasons.
Washington finally got the ownership change the fan base craved this offseason, but that has not led to more success on the field. This offseason, Josh Harris will have some decisions to make regarding general manager Martin Mayhew, head coach Ron Rivera and his quarterback, Howell.
