3 Takeaways from Commanders' Week 16 Loss vs. Jets

The Washington Commanders fell 30-28 to the New York Jets on Sunday in a largely meaningless but utterly entertaining matchup between non-playoff teams.

The Commanders appeared to have given up on the season early and found themselves down 27-7 at halftime. However, Quarterback Sam Howell was pulled for Jacoby Brissett, and a near-comeback ensued.

Brissett led Washington all the way back to take a one-point lead late in the fourth quarter. However, the Jets eventually responded with a go-ahead field-goal drive that dropped the Commanders to 4-11 on the season.

Though it was a fantastic finish, and Washington still has two games remaining, the Commanders should have at least one eye on the upcoming offseason.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the Commanders' Week 16 loss to the Jets.

Sam Howell's Future Suddenly Looks Very Murky

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Commanders QB Sam Howell

Howell has shown plenty of promise during his first full year as Washington's starter. He came into Week 16 with 3,568 passing yards and 19 touchdowns on a league-high 535 passing attempts, and he's shown a great combination of arm strength and mobility.

However, Howell has also been mistake-prone and came in with a league-high 15 interceptions.

Howell threw two more picks against the Jets, and for the second straight week, he was pulled for the journeyman, Brissett. The the second consecutive game, Brissett came in and immediately led the Commanders to points.

While Rivera's future is very much up in the air, it's fair to wonder how solid Howell's standing is with the organization.

New regimes often want "their guy" under center. With Washington set to potentially earn a top-five draft selection, the Commanders may be eager to replace Howell even if Rivera somehow remains the coach in 2024.

Being benched for, and then outplayed by, Brissett in back-to-back weeks certainly doesn't help Howell's stock.

Ron Rivera Waited Too Long to Go to Brissett

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Commanders head coach Ron Rivara

Rivera's Washington future is in jeopardy for a few reasons. For one, the Commanders' new ownership group is likely eager for a reset, and Rivera is a product of the previous era. Secondly, the results simply haven't been good enough.

Rivera must bear some of the blame for Washington's lost season because he's made some of the most critical decisions. Over the past two weeks, and especially on Sunday, it has become clear that Rivera should have turned to Brissett earlier.

Not only has Brissett played a better brand of ball than Howell—he went 10-of-13 for 100 yards and a touchdown on Sunday—but he has also sparked his teammates. The Commanders looked and played like a dejected team in the first half against New York, but they rallied behind Brissett's veteran leadership in the second.

Had Brissett started on Sunday, the Commanders may well have won. And while a fifth win ultimately wouldn't mean anything, it's fair to wonder how the season would have unfolded if Brissett had gotten the job weeks ago.

While there's value in learning what the Commanders have in Howell, there's also value in learning how the rest of the team can perform with consistent quarterback play. With Rivera likely coaching for his job, waiting this long to give Brissett the reins was a mistake.

The Secondary Must Be an Offseason Priority

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Jets WR Garrett Wilson is pushed out of bounds by Commanders S Percy Butler

The Commanders will have some tough decisions to make at quarterback in the offseason. However, Sunday's loss serves as the latest example of how the position isn't Washington's only major question mark.

The secondary has been a significant liability this season, and things got even worse when pass-rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young were dealt at the trade deadline.

The Commanders came into Week 16 ranked 32nd in net yards per pass attempt allowed, 32nd in passing yards allowed, 32nd in total yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed. On Sunday, they allowed Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian (217, 1 TD, 1 INT) to lead an eight-play 31-yard field goal drive at the end to win it.

Washington used a first-round pick on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. back in April, and yet their pass defense is dramatically worse than it was a year ago. If the Commanders hope to see a quick turnaround in 2024, they need to spend a chunk of their drat capital and $89 million in projected cap space on fixing the secondary.

The defense's inability to stop opposing passers in key situations is one problem that a new quarterback can't solve.

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*Cap information from Spotrac.