Tag: Reactions

Good news for the Commanders: RFK Stadium bill passes in shocking turn of events

Some good news for Washington, D.C. and the Commanders.

Don’t count out the Washington Commanders returning to the nation’s capital just yet. The roller-coaster of whether the federal government would give Washington, D.C., control over the RFK Stadium site continued late Friday night into Saturday morning. But this time, it was good news for the Commanders.

After 1 a.m. on Saturday, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer (R-Ky.), sent shockwaves across X โ€” formerly Twitter โ€” with the following post.

All sides have worked hard to make a deal happen for everyone, including Maryland, where the Commanders currently play. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has been outspoken about wanting the NFL franchise to return home to the District, especially since former owner Daniel Snyder sold the team.

However, multiple issues have made it look like a deal would never happen. Earlier this week, for example, the provision to transfer the RFK site to the city was suddenly not included in the government’s latest spending bill.

It was a setback, and many were angry as it looked all but dead.

The RFK Stadium deal was unanimously approved, which rarely happens today, as all 100 U.S. Senators agreed to pass the legislation. Washington, D.C., will now have control of over 170 acres of federal property for 99 years.

The Commanders, then known as the Redskins, played at RFK Stadium from 1961-96, where they enjoyed their greatest successes. In 1997, Washington moved into a new stadium in Prince George’s County, Maryland, built by former owner Jack Kent Cooke. It was later renamed FedEx Field until earlier this year when the stadium reached a new licensing deal, making it Northwest Stadium.

One of Washington’s minority owners, Mark Ein, reacted on X.

The Commanders’ lease at Northwest Stadium runs through the 2027 season.

Commanders’ Dan Quinn taking the ‘high road’ in NFL officiating mess

Dan Quinn takes the high road.

What did Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn think of the egregious NFL officiating mistake at the end of Sunday’s game between his team and the New Orleans Saints?

Quinn took the podium after the Commanders’ 20-19 win, which moved them to 9-5 on the season and increased their playoff odds. While Quinn was relieved to discuss the win, reporters wanted his take on how the officials incorrectly stopped the clock with nine seconds remaining, giving the Saints an extra almost four seconds to score a touchdown and go for the win.

Quinn said he’s taking the high road.

“I don’t, and I am going to absolutely take the high road right now about that,” Quinn said. “I saw a quick video of that and, so I will wait for the response from New York, but those three seconds are critical, I’ll say that.”

After a brief pause, Quinn laughed and said, “We’re onto Philadelphia.”

We have a feeling Quinn wouldn’t have been so nice about this had the Saints converted on the two-point play, which would have cost Washington the game.

The Commanders won the game, which was full of terrible officiating, so those controversial calls do not sting as much. Regardless, even if Quinn expressed his outrage publicly, what would come out of it? He’d be fined. That’s how the NFL works.

Fortunately for Washington, the NFL will send a worthless apology letter this week. At some point this season, unless you’re in Kansas City, you’ve likely received one or more of those letters.

What did the NFL say about latest officiating blunder?

The NFL admits the clock should not have stopped.

The Washington Commanders defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-19 on Sunday, improving to 9-5 on the season. The win kept Washington in the No. 7 spot in the NFC playoff picture.

However, the game could have ended much differently, thanks to one of the worst officiating errors you’ve seen in years โ€” and that’s saying something.

The game was on the line late in the fourth quarter when New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler, with his team trailing 20-13 and the clock ticking, faced a fourth-and-3 from the Washington eight-yard line. Rattler found tight end Foster Moreau for a seven-yard gain before several Commanders brought him down at the one-yard line.

With no timeouts, this is exactly what Washington wanted. Moreau was tackled in the field of play, so the clock should have kept moving, but it didn’t.

Check it out.

The official stopped the clock, giving the Saints a free four seconds. This allowed Rattler to get to the line of scrimmage, set his teammates up, and spike the ball. Three seconds were remaining, giving New Orleans time for one more play.

Sure enough, Rattler found Moreau for a touchdown on the next play. The Saints went for two and the win, but the pass fell incomplete, allowing the Commanders to escape with the win.

This should never have happened. The “free” four seconds given to New Orleans would never have occurred had the clock continued to roll.

Everyone watching the game witnessed the mistake, which was not addressed. However, after the game, Referee Shawn Hochuli answered questions from a pool reporter and acknowledged that the clock should have never stopped.

“The covering official mistakenly stopped the clock in that situation,” he said. “The clock should not have stopped.”

OK, what would have happened if this cost the Commanders the game? Tough luck.

Hochuli said the situation was not reviewable.

“No, it’s not a situation that is reviewable.”

When asked when the crew noticed the mistake, Hochuli was done answering questions.

Pathetic. And you wonder why the confidence in NFL officiating is at an all-time low? Yet, if a player comes to the podium and slightly criticizes the officials, he is subject to a fine.

This wasn’t the game’s only controversial call. This game was chock full of them. Makes you wonder, eh?

 

Social media is furious with NFL officiating in Commanders-Saints game

It’s unanimous: the NFL almost screwed the Commanders.

If you watched Sunday’s game between the Washington Commanders and New Orleans, you likely saw arguably the most egregious NFL officiating error of the 2024 season. We say it’s arguable because there are far too many to count across the league.

New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler completed a pass to tight end Foster Moreau at the Washington one-yard line with nine seconds remaining. The clock should’ve kept rolling as Moreau was down in the field of play, and the Saints had no timeouts remaining.

It didn’t, and almost four seconds went off the clock. This allowed Rattler time to get to the line of scrimmage and set his teammates before spiking the ball with three seconds remaining. On the next play, Rattler threw a touchdown pass to Moreau, and the Saints went for the two-point conversion โ€” and win โ€” but missed, preserving a 20-19 win for the Commanders.

During the game and after, social media was angry about the error.

Here are some of those reactions via X.

 

It’s becoming more difficult for the NFL to beat these types of allegations.

X reacts to Commanders’ 20-19 win over the Saints

Social media wasn’t impressed with the Commanders’ latest win.

The Washington Commanders were in cruise control at halftime of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. The Commanders led 14-0 after quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for two touchdowns to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

Things began to shift in New Orleans’ favor in the second half when it turned to rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler. While Rattler didn’t do anything special, a trick play touchdown pass from wide receiver Cedrick Wilson to running back Alvin Kamara completely shifted momentum toward the Saints.

Washington’s offense stalled in the second half, and the team often relied on Daniels to bail the unit out with a big pass or run on third down. Daniels sometimes did that, but the Commanders couldn’t get out of their own way. Penalties, curious coaching decisions, and special teams mishaps kept the Saints alive as they slowly chipped away.

Finally, the Saints drove down the field with under two minutes remaining, with a chance to tie the game. Well, the Saints scored a touchdown, but they weren’t interested in a tie. Interim coach Darren Rizzi went for the two-point conversion and the win. Fortunately for the Commanders, New Orleans came up short, and Washington prevailed, 20-19.

The Commanders are now 9-5, but X wasn’t happy with their latest performance. Here’s how social media reacted to Sunday’s game between Washington and New Orleans.

Chris is always positive:

EB from “The Junkies:”

X reacts to Saints QB Jake Haener’s viral photos ahead of first start vs. Commanders

What social media said about Jake Haener’s 2023 NFLPA photo shoot.

The Washington Commanders will face a quarterback making his first NFL start on Sunday. Jake Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick from Fresno State, has appeared in seven games this season for the New Orleans Saints, completing 14 of 29 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown.

As Haener prepared for his first start this week, some photos from a rookie photo shoot for the NFLPA in 2023 resurfaced. Nothing was controversial in the photos, but they garnered quite the reaction across social media over the past year.

For some, especially Commanders’ fans, it was their first exposure to Haener. The young quarterback is taking it in stride.

โ€œThat is just such the opposite representation of who I actually am,โ€ Haener said via Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate. โ€œAnd I hate it so much. I canโ€™t stand it. I would think I was a clown if I saw that, too.โ€

So, over the past few days, social media has had some interesting reactions. We went to X to see some of those reactions, including those of Washington fans.

Commanders WR not so sure about Bill Belichick and North Carolina

What does one former UNC star think about Tar Heels hiring Bill Belichick?

On Wednesday, the NFL and college football world was shocked when the legendary Bill Belichick agreed to become the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

You read that correctly. The 72-year-old Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach of the New England Patriots, surprised everyone by accepting a college head coaching job.

It seems like a strange mix on paper. Belichick began his coaching career in the NFL in 1975. He’s never coached in the college game. And, as you know, college sports are rapidly changing with NIL and the transfer portal. Not only do you recruit high school players, but you recruit transfers and, at the end of each year, must recruit your own players to return, or they’ll leave for more money elsewhere.

Also, North Carolina isn’t necessarily a football powerhouse. And they just fired a 73-year-old coach. UNC is more known for its basketball program. However, some view the Tar Heels as a potential sleeping giant on the gridiron.

Perhaps it’s the greatest coach in football history who can help Carolina reach its ceiling.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown is not so sure. Why is Brown commenting on Belichick and the Tar Heels? He’s a former star wideout for the Heels, becoming the first player in school history with 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back seasons.

The fourth-year receiver was asked how he thought Belichick would do in the college game.

“I don’t know, I don’t know how that will work,” Brown said with a smile. “It’s a different ballgame out there now. However it happens, I hope he can recruit.”

Then JP Finlay of NBC Washington and 106.7 The Fan asked Brown how Belichick would respond if a 17-year-old told him he wasn’t making enough money.

“I don’t know; I guess he’s just going to tell him no. Tell him, ‘You don’t deserve that right now.'”

One former UNC star who once played for Belichick in the NFL, Lawrence Taylor, was thrilled with the hire.

It will be interesting to see how Belichick fills out his coaching staff, and you can bet the NFL world will be watching.

Jayden Daniels leads Pro Bowl voting among NFC QBs: Where’s Terry McLaurin?

Jayden Daniels leads NFC QBs in Pro Bowl voting. Where are some other Commanders ranked?

Despite a recent three-game losing streak, it’s been a dream season for the Washington Commanders. After going 4-13 last season, the Commanders have eight wins on the season โ€” with four games remaining โ€” and are firmly in the NFC playoff picture.

Outside of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the way. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2024 NFL draft has completed almost 70% of his passes for 2,819 yards, with 15 touchdowns, six interceptions, 590 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Daniels has set numerous NFL rookie records this season, even a couple of NFL records, and has won the Rookie of the Week award several times. So, it’s no surprise that Daniels is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the NFC in fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games. Daniels is ranked fourth among NFL quarterbacks.

Who are some of the other Commanders ranked in the fan voting for their various positions?

  • WR Terry McLaurin: 4th among NFL WRs
  • C Tyler Biadasz: 9th among NFL centers
  • LB Bobby Wagner: 4th among NFL ILBs
  • LB Dante Fowler Jr: 5th among NFL OLBs
  • LB Frankie Luvu: 9th among NFL OLBs
  • S Jeremy Chinn: 8th among NFL safeties
  • S Jeremy Reaves: 9th among special teams players

To vote for the Pro Bowl, you can go here: https://www.commanders.com/pro-bowl-games/vote/

Or here: https://www.nfl.com/pro-bowl-games/vote/

You can also vote on social media:

  • Social voting — During the final two weeks of voting (Dec. 9 โ€“ Dec. 23), fans can vote directly on “X” (formerly Twitter) by tweeting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player’s official Twitter handle or creating a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote. During the final two days (Dec. 22 โ€“ Dec. 23), social votes will count as double.

From the NFL:

Player selections will be determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward determining the all-star players who will be selected to this year’s Pro Bowl Games. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its Pro Bowl teams. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, Dec. 27.

The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will be held in Orlando, Fla on Feb. 2, 2025.

X reacts to Joe Buck’s foolish take on Dan Quinn

Social media let Joe Buck have it for his inaccurate take on Dan Quinn.

Late in the Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns, ESPN’s Joe Buck made his case that Sean Payton should be the NFL Coach of the Year before things got awkward.

Buck’s argument: Payton has the Broncos in the middle of the playoff race with a rookie quarterback. Six quarterbacks were drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, four of whom are currently starting, and two have their teams firmly in the playoffs mix: Bo Nix [Broncos] and Jayden Daniels [Washington Commanders].

Did Buck forget that Washington coach Dan Quinn has the Commanders sitting at 8-5, with a rookie quarterback and a completely overhauled roster thanks to years of Ron Rivera’s lousy drafting?

So, was Buck’s exuberance a mere slip? It didn’t take long for him to react, mentioning Quinn’s candidacy for NFL Coach of the Year, but only in passing.

“I’m not slighting Dan Quinn, by the way, who has done a great job in Washington, and he is doing it with Jayden Daniels,” But, you hear it about [Mike] Tomlin and Dan Campbell, who has been amazing, [Kevin] O’Connell in Minnesota, and Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers. But the one guy doing it with a rookie quarterback is Sean Payton.”

Wait, what?

Instead, he had a chance to backtrack but reiterated his inaccurate point about Payton.

X โ€” formerly Twitter โ€” noticed Buck’s foolish take.

Interestingly, Buck said the Broncos were only projected to win four or five games. Almost no one had the Commanders predicted to be better than the Broncos, yet Quinn and Daniels have already doubled Washington’s 2023 win total โ€” with four games remaining.

Twitter reacts to Commanders’ Week 13 win

How did everyone react to the Commanders snapping their three-game losing streak?

On Sunday, the Washington Commanders ended their three-game losing streak by defeating the Tennessee Titans 42-19 at Northwest Stadium.

It was a dominant performance from start to finish, as Washington’s defense immediately shut down the Titans, setting the tone of quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense.

On the Commanders’ first possession, running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran for a 40-yard touchdown, giving them an early 7-0 lead. After another stop, Daniels called his own number for a touchdown run. Then, Washington forced back-to-back turnovers, converting both into Terry McLaurin touchdowns, and it was suddenly 28-0.

While Tennessee had some moderate success moving the ball, the Commanders dominated, scoring over 40 points for the third time this season.

It’s been a rough few weeks for Washington fans, who feared a similar meltdown to the 1996 and 2008 seasons. While there are still four games to be played, the Commanders have something those previous teams didn’t: Jayden Daniels.

Let’s see how X โ€” formerly Twitter โ€” reacted to Washington’s Week 13 performance.

Jeremy Reaves:

Northwest Stadium wasn’t the only place chanting Terry McLaurin’s name:

What a throw:

Daniels adds his to his NFL OROY case

Commanders dominant up front

Ryan Clark

The flags were a hit

It’s always the same things from the same people (Hi, Mike)

Great response here

Remember the Titans?