What Have You Done For Me Lately?

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Greetings from The Booth!

Sometimes, you gotta change the wallpaper…

It’s “Coaching Carousel” time in the National Football League, and the firings began on so-called Black Monday, right after the regular season finale. Although Commanders’ Head Coach Dan Quinn was spared the wrath of “The Turk,” the fans were thrown a bone with the dismissal of Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt, Jr., and the surprising exit of Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. In the case of Whitt, the defense had become a sieve, with opposing teams running up and down the field against the burgundy and gold. Late in the season, Quinn took over the defensive play-calling, with minimal results. Yes, injuries were an issue (on both sides of the ball), and that’s why Quinn is probably safe for now.

With Kingsbury, there had apparently been some internal disagreement with GM Adam Peters over offensive philosophy and the handling of franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. That situation came to a head late in the season during a game when Kingsbury called three consecutive pass plays following a second-and-goal at the 2-yard line, when many in the organization and the fan base felt the Commanders should have run the ball. Following the season, Kingsbury and the team mutually agreed to part ways.

Since then, the team has hired from within, promoting QB Coach David Blough to the OC spot. The upside is that there is a comfort level between Daniels and Blough, and the offense will have some continuity instead of starting totally fresh with an outside OC. The downside is that Blough is untested as a coordinator, and with a seat that is getting warmer for Quinn headed into Year 3, he better get this hire right. As of this writing, the DC position has yet to be filled, and interviews are ongoing. The Commanders will surely have to dismantle a defense that needs to get younger and faster, so this is another hire that must be a good one. It will be an interesting and important offseason for this regime.

And, the AFC North will look vastly different in 2026. The Baltimore Ravens fired long-time Head Coach John Harbaugh, while Pittsburgh Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons with the club. Both Tomlin and Harbaugh led their respective teams to Super Bowl titles, and their teams were perennial playoff contenders. However, both the Ravens and Steelers had high bars of expectation, and in recent years, Tomlin and Harbaugh had not reached that bar. Tomlin’s Steelers suffered their 7th playoff loss in a row Monday night when they lost at home to Houston 30-6. And Harbaugh’s fate was sealed when the same Steelers team downed the Ravens in the regular season finale, in a winner-take-all contest. To add insult to injury, Harbaugh was fired by phone as he was headed to his home from the team facility. At least the Pittsburgh organization allowed Tomlin, who probably saw the writing on the wall, to step down.

Neither will be out of work for long, but the exits of Harbaugh and Tomlin point out the “what have you done lately” nature of the NFL coaching profession. Just ask Dan Quinn…

Until next time from The Booth…enjoy the Divisional Round!

RW

 

 

 

 

 

Sports Dogs Podcast: 2026 Kick-Off

Happy New Year from the Dogs!

We’re back from the Holiday Hiatus to talk about the Commanders’ recent Black Monday moves, a look at the College Football Playoff semifinals, and The Duke looks at what’s happening in local high school hoops.

A lot is going on in the sports world this first week of 2026, and we’re barkin’ about it, courtesy of Energy Windows LLC.

Visit Dave at https://energywindowsllc.com or by calling 540-671-9243 and bring your vision to life! 

To listen to the latest Sports Dogs Podcast on The River 95.3 online, Spotify, Amazon or iTunes, click here.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here. 

A Season Off The Rails

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Greetings From The Booth!

I’m BAAACK…and I need some venting therapy.

Did it really happen? The magical 2024 Washington Commanders season is now a distant memory. Last year, we were all basking in the glow of a new ownership, a franchise quarterback, and a trip to the NFC Championship game. Man, we couldn’t wait until 2025 to ride this incredible vibe all the way to The Super Bowl.

It has all turned to a smouldering ruin…

As of this post, the Commanders are 3-7, and all but out of the NFC playoff picture (I can hear Jim Mora saying “Playoffs!? Playoffs? We’re just trying to win a game!” Still one of the best coach’s rants of all time.). What went wrong? As with most seasons that turn sour, it’s not just one thing. This season has been the perfect storm of injuries, underperformance, an aging roster, and a very tough schedule. Let’s address each one of these things:

As for the injuries, the Commanders are one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL, starting with franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has suffered 3, count ’em, 3 injuries this year. The list goes on, to the extent that backups to the backups are now playing for the Burgundy and Gold. It’s a veritable MASH unit out in Ashburn. But, as former NFL great Jonathan Vilma said on the national broadcast of Washington’s blowout loss to the Lions on Sunday, “no one cares.” In truth, all NFL teams have their share of injuries, and in the National Football League it’s “next man up.” No one in the league has any sympathy for the Commanners on game day.

That brings us to underperformance, which is especially true on the defensive side of the ball. Washington’s defensive problems were well-hidden last season by the magic of Daniels. This year, a bad defense has gotten worse. The Commanders “D” can’t tackle, can’t cover, can’t stop the run, and can’t force turnovers (they are one of the NFL’s worst in that department). Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? This week, the team announced that Head Coach Dan Quinn would take over the defensive play-calling duties, while demoting Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt, Jr. Those kind of moves usually have short shelf lives–the players aren’t magically going to get better. As for Whitt, the fans want a scalp, and I’m afraid it will be his, quite possibly after the bye week.

The Commanders have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL, and last year’s experience has given way to this year’s age and lack of speed. You only have to do the “eye test” to see that players like linebacker Bobby Wagner, while a great team leader, cannot keep up with younger, faster backs and receivers on Sunday. The Commanders roster was built last year on bringing in experienced veterans to guide the younger players. But after the surprising playoff run last year, a lot of those players were brought back, and have not been the same. As the old saying goes, better to get rid of a player one year too soon than one year too late.

Finally, we address the schedule, which is loaded with playoff contenders this year. Already this season, Washington has faced Seattle, the Chargers, Lions, and Packers, and is staring down the barrel at the Broncos, Vikings, and Philly (twice). Last year, against a much lighter slate, the Commanders posted a 12-5 regular season. Upon further examination, had just six plays gone the other way, Washington could have very easily been 6-11. So maybe the Commanders weren’t the powerhouse we (or the networks) thought they were. Sometimes, magic just happens.

It’s midnight, Cinderella, at least for 2025. I don’t see Joe Gibbs hanging around, so there will be no 7-game win streak or playoff football this year for the Washington Commanders. However, I swear I see Dan Snyder, Ron Rivera, Bruce Allen, and Jim Zorn lurking around Northwest Stadium…

Until the next visit from The Booth…HTTC/HTTR!

RW