Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett nearly pulled off a stunning comeback victory for the Washington Commanders against the New York Jets, who came back with a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds after blowing a sizable lead.
But Brissett did enough to possibly take the starting quarterback job from Sam Howell. That was also the case last week, but coach Ron Rivera decided to stick with Howell for Sunday’s game.
Pete Carroll went back to Geno Smith six days after Drew Lock completed a comeback victory for the Seattle Seahawks against the Philadelphia Eagles. The move paid off, with the Seahawks defeating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
We’ll examine the quarterback situations in Washington and Seattle for this week’s “Fact or Fiction.”
Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Manzano’s view: Fact
The Commanders benched Howell for the second consecutive game during the 30–28 loss to the Jets. It’s time for Washington to officially pull the plug on the Howell experience and make Brissett the starting quarterback for the final two games of the regular season. Similar to last week against the Rams, Brissett gave Washington a spark to erase a 20–0 deficit against the Jets. Howell had his flashes earlier in the season, but they usually occurred when the team was trailing by double digits. The second-year quarterback is a competitor, but makes too many costly mistakes, including turnovers and taking bad sacks. Washington (4–11) needs to give offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy an opportunity to game plan with a different quarterback under center. Bieniemy bet on himself by leaving the shadows of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. It hasn’t worked out in Washington, but maybe Bieniemy can end the season on a high note with Brissett at quarterback vs. the 49ers and Cowboys.
Manzano’s view: Fact
Lock kept the Seahawks’ season alive in Week 15, and Smith responded by putting them in the playoff picture in Week 16. Smith produced a game-winning drive to help the Seahawks defeat the Titans, 20–17. Lock snapped the Seahawks’ four-game losing streak by defeating the Eagles on Monday Night Football. After an eventful week, the Seahawks (8–7) now control the seventh and final seed in the NFC. Expect them to hold on, but they have a tough home matchup next week against the Steelers. Seattle will end the regular season in Arizona. It’s wild how identical of a performance the Seahawks received from Lock and Smith in the two victories, but Carroll made the right call by going back to Smith after a two-week absence because of injury. If Smith continues to protect the football, the Seahawks could make some noise in the coming weeks with a talented roster.
Manzano’s view: Fiction
Many have referred to the Buffalo Bills as dangerous if they find a way into the postseason. They didn’t look dangerous in the 24–22 win against Easton Stick’s Chargers, but they’re on track to make the postseason because of their three-game winning streak. The Bills (9–6) certainly could represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, but they continue to be an inconsistent team, especially offensively. Buffalo had three costly turnovers in Los Angeles, and Josh Allen again struggled to get on the same page with Stefon Diggs, who hasn’t reached 100 yards in a game since Week 6. Also, the Bills haven’t figured out how to be a balanced team. They’re either run-heavy with James Cook or Allen pushes the ball downfield to playmakers such as Gabe Davis. Sean McDermott’s defense, however, has stepped up, despite injuries to key starters. The Bills are dangerous, but they’re not as complete as the Baltimore Ravens and don’t have the postseason résumé of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Manzano’s view: Fact
Speaking of contenders, I would rank the Cleveland Browns ahead of the Bills and put them on the same level as the Ravens and Chiefs for teams with best odds to win the AFC. Kevin Stefanski’s odds also increased for Coach of the Year after the Browns cruised against the Texans for their 10th win of the season. But here’s my case for why Stefanski should be the front-runner ahead of the Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell, Indianapolis Colts’ Shane Steichen and Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, to name a few. Stefanski might have the best defense in the league and the offense took off after the team made Joe Flacco the starting quarterback. It’s a complete team, despite having several key injuries. Also, credit to Stefanski for allowing Flacco to play freely and designing productive plays for wide receiver Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku. And don’t count out the Browns as potential AFC North champions. The Ravens (11–3) still have to play the 49ers, Dolphins and Steelers. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Browns (10–4) win out against the Jets and Bengals to push the Ravens for the division title.
Manzano’s view: Fiction
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua said Thursday night that he never expected to have a historic rookie season. Nacua was just aiming to improve as a blocker and contribute on special teams, he mentioned after recording nine catches for 164 yards and a touchdown vs. the Saints (he said similar to SI’s Greg Bishop earlier in the season). In most seasons, Nacua would be the clear front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but it’s hard to overlook what quarterback C.J. Stroud has done for the Texans. The race for the award, however, has gotten closer because Stroud hasn’t played the past two games because of a concussion. Nacua, who has 96 catches and 1,327 receiving yards, could help his case by setting the single-season record for most receiving yards (1,473) during the final two games of the regular season. But if Stroud returns to the field, and continues to do what he’s done as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he’ll likely earn the prestigious award.
