5:23 PM ET
John KeimESPN Staff Writer
- Covered the Redskins for the Washington Examiner and different media outlets since 1994
- Authored oregon co-authored 3 books connected the Redskins and 1 connected the Cleveland Browns
ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders manager Ron Rivera said helium had nary regrets astir trading for backmost Carson Wentz, adding that present they request to support gathering astir him.
Rivera said the quality betwixt his 1-4 Commanders and the remainder of the NFC East teams, who are each 4-1 oregon better, comes down to the backmost position.
"The information is that this is simply a quarterback-driven league," Rivera said. "And if you look astatine the teams that person been capable to prolong success, they've been capable to physique it astir a circumstantial quarterback."
Washington traded 2 draught picks successful the offseason to get Wentz, giving up a second-round enactment successful this past draught and a conditional prime successful 2023 that could go a 2nd based connected play time.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles (Jalen Hurts), New York Giants (Daniel Jones) and Dallas Cowboys (Dak Prescott) each entered the play with the aforesaid starting backmost arsenic 2021. Washington has started six quarterbacks successful two-plus seasons nether Rivera, who is 15-21.
Rivera said his constituent is that the different teams successful the part each person built astir their quarterbacks.
Dallas, though, has won 4 successful a enactment with Cooper Rush starting for the injured Prescott. Rivera said Rush, who has been with Dallas since 2020, plays good wrong what the Cowboys privation to tally offensively.
The Giants, who went a combined 10-23 the past 2 years, person a caller manager successful Brian Daboll, and they declined to prime up Jones' fifth-year option. They besides were wide considered the worst squad successful the part entering the play -- and rallied to bushed Green Bay connected Sunday contempt missing their apical receivers.
The Eagles went from 6-10 successful 2020 to 9-8 past season, and they are 5-0 this year. Hurts has been the full-time starter the past 2 seasons.
Wentz hasn't been the superior crushed Washington has struggled. He threw 4 touchdown passes successful a season-opening triumph versus the Jacksonville Jaguars and tossed 3 much successful the 2nd fractional the pursuing week during a comeback that fell abbreviated astatine the Detroit Lions.
Wentz is tied for 5th successful the NFL with 10 touchdown passes but besides is tied for 3rd with six interceptions. He ranks 24th successful full QBR astatine 38.0 -- 2 spots up of the Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson and 3 successful beforehand of the Indianapolis Colts' Matt Ryan, 2 different veterans who changed teams this offseason.
"I've got nary regrets astir our quarterback," Rivera said. "I deliberation our backmost has done immoderate bully things. There's been a mates games that he's struggled, but the mode helium performed [Sunday], it conscionable shows you what he's susceptible of. We chose him due to the fact that we judge successful him. We chose him due to the fact that we looked astatine what we felt were things that pointed toward him."
Wentz threw for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns successful Sunday's 21-17 location nonaccomplishment to the Tennessee Titans. He besides threw an interception connected third-and-goal from the 2-yard enactment with six seconds remaining.
"We've got a feline that we deliberation we person a accidental to physique around," Rivera said. "We person a feline that is truly increasing successful what we're doing. I thought yesterday was a bully indicator of his imaginable for america successful this, and we'll proceed to enactment with it."
Washington's violative enactment has been banged up. The Commanders person started 3 centers, and they were missing 60% of their archetypal starters against Tennessee. They did not adequately regenerate departed guards Ereck Flowers (cut) and Brandon Scherff (free agent).
But the Commanders bash person a coagulated receiving corps with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson.
"We person immoderate beauteous bully pieces successful place," Rivera said. "I'd similar to person them each connected the tract astatine the aforesaid time. We don't, we can't, truthful this is the batch we have, truthful we person to spell retired and play."
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