Falcons Over Commanders

I would ordinarily pick the Commanders in every game. I'm a Washington fan and I want them to win. Every time. This game with the Atlanta Falcons is no exception.

But a lot has to happen. I'm having a crisis of faith that it will happen. 

This particular Washington Coaching Staff, which I love to death, has a penchant for rock slides that spoil seasons that at first blush had potential. They seemed to get past the slides last year, starting 7-5. But they helped themselves to a slide that didn't end until they beat Dallas in a meaningless game in the season finale.

This staff has up and down years. The Defense is good one year, bad the next. This 2023 Team has been a yo-yo so far this year. 

They lost horribly last week. The Yo-Yo Predilection dictates a return to glory against the Falcons. But this team is reminding me of the 2021 Washington squad that started 2-6. I think they will duplicate that start this year. 

Why? I don't see them winning in Atlanta, although they'll play better. I don't see them beating a New York Giants team they haven't figured out how to beat yet, in the Big Apple no less. That's a rout for the Giants. They'll play better against the Eagles, but the Eagles will win. That's 2-6

New England will blow them out. Seattle will win in OT. The Giants will blow them out. The Cowboys will beat them on a Hail Mary. Tua and the Dolphins will desecrate them. They will be 2-11 by the bye week.

The rest of the season is 2-2. They play better against the Rams. They get blown out by the Jets. They beat the 49ers second string. They beat Dallas in another meaningless season ender.

That's 4-13. That's where this slide is going. Unless something happens. We're not talking minor changes. There has to be a shift. They have to do something they haven't done in the Rivera era. Win consistently. This doesn't look like a different team than we've seen the past four years. This looks like a typical slide infested Washington team. 

The coaching staff looks defeated. Washington has beaten them. They look too hang dog to me to be capable of inspiring guys. I hope they prove me wrong. But we're not half way through a long season and they're still having first year coaching issues. They've erased the blackboard too many times. 

Atlanta wins 44-40. The Commanders lose the game outright and fail to beat the spread. 

I'm hoping the reverse happens. But I don't like the trends.