Behind Enemy Lines: Washington Commanders at Houston Texans

The Washington Commanders are coming into Houston the heels of a huge upset over the Philadelphia Eagles. Chase Young is also returning to their lineup to anchor a surprisingly very good defense. We met with Chesapeake Guy of Hogs Haven to ask him some question in advance of tomorrow’s game.

Daniel Snyder has decided to put the team up for sale. As a long-time Commanders fan, how do you feel about this development and do you feel hopeful about the future in general?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that, for many Washington football fans, this is the most important and exciting development in at least a decade, if not longer. In the minds of some fans, myself included, this is right up there with the team’s three Super Bowl wins. With Dan Snyder in power, there was no hope for the future. Football operations couldn’t be structured like traditionally successful operations, with a general manager overtop a head coach, because of Snyder’s meddling ways. Now, we’re on the cusp of potentially landing someone like Jeff Bezos as owner, who has a track record as an ultra-successful businessperson and who can easily modernize the team’s facilities.

Taylor Heinicke has led the Commanders for the past several weeks including an huge upset over the Eagles. How much longer is Carson Wentz out and do you see him getting his job back when he is healthy? Which quarterback doi you prefer and which one has the support of the fanbase?

Heinicke is 3-1 since coming in for Wentz, after he injured his finger. By that point, a number of us had already been calling for Taylor for weeks (https://www.hogshaven.com/2022/10/3/23385036/its-time-for-the-commanders-to-make-a-qb-change). The Carson Wentz Experience (TM) was miserable, frustrating, and not something most of us want to live through again - just like Colts and Eagles fans told us it would be. At this point, I don’t think Ron could start Wentz without both a locker room and fan insurrection. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.

The NFC East is the toughest division in football. Since the Commanders are sitting at 5-5, do you see the playoffs as a realistic possibility for them or do you think the rest of the division is just too tough this season?

The playoffs are definitely a possibility, with three Wild Card spots available. As of this week, Washington is only a half game behind San Francisco, who we still face later this season. At this point, we would need to go at least 4-3, and probably 5-2 in order to secure one of those spots. In either case, a win against the Texans is almost certainly a requirement to stay in the playoff hunt.

Who are some players on offense and defense that you think should become household names before the end of the season? Are there any players you think will be particularly effective against the Texans

On offense, Antonio Gibson continues to be a multi-use weapon who is a threat in both the run and pass game. He’s also been deployed on kick offs since the return of rookie running back Brian Robinson from his gunshot injury. Robinson, who was drafted just before Dameon Pierce, hasn’t been nearly as explosive, but he has been a bruising grinder over the past several weeks. Expect to see a lot of him on Sunday.

On defense, second-year safety Darrick Forrest has been one of the most pleasant surprises on the team. The hard-hitting Forrest has forced several turnovers this year, and has become a vocal presence on its back end. Washington’s defensive line, even without Chase Young this season, has been one of the best in the league, led by Daron Payne and Jon Allen.

The Commanders opened as slight favorites against the Texans (2.5). How do you see the game going on Sunday? Are there any other bets that you would feel comfortable recommending for Sunday?

I think Washington wins this one 28-10, with Washington’s defense putting on a particularly impressive show with Chase Young back in action. I also expect running back Brian Robinson to go over 100 yards. I also think the impressive Dameon Pierce is kept under 80 yards.

We want to thank Chesapeake Guy for joining us this week to answer our questions about the Commanders. We wish the Commanders and Chesapeake Guy the best of luck over the remainder of the year as they try to get the last wild card spot in the NFC. We wish them the best of luck after Sunday of course.