Proper Reaction Monday NFL Week 5: Pump The Brakes On Washington Commanders

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Admittedly, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve had time to do my “Proper Reaction Monday” column following a wild NFL Sunday. 

But now that we’re one month into the season, it felt like the right time to get back on the horse and remind everyone that there’s a lot of football left to play.

The hot takes continue to fly, so let’s take a level-headed approach to what we saw in Week 5. 

The Washington Commanders are fun and decent, but not a true NFC contender

For years, the Commanders have been a laughingstock in the NFL. Not only has the team been bad, but they generally weren’t any fun to watch. 

Now, they are. The offense is legit, and Jayden Daniels appears to be the real deal. But let’s chill with the notion that they are a legitimate threat to win the NFC or even make a deep playoff run. 

Their defense is still not good, and they have four wins against teams that are a combined 6-14. They beat the New York Giants, who aren’t good. Then, they beat the Bengals, who are playing brutal football right now. 

The Commanders did defeat the Cardinals, who shocked the 49ers on Sunday, and that’s a solid win. On Sunday, they boat-raced the Cleveland Browns, who were in complete disarray. 

That all being said, Washington still had to go out and win those games. And they did. 

Still, Daniels is a rookie and there are bound to be bumps in the road. The Commanders have a good chance to make the playoffs and that’s a big step forward for this franchise under new ownership. 

However, that should be where the expectations stop. The Commanders benefit from a weak schedule, which doesn’t get that much tougher. They have to face the Ravens in Week 6 before contests against Carolina, Chicago and a rematch against the New York Giants. 

Washington is fun to watch, and I never thought I’d say that. But we should temper our expectations moving forward. 

The San Francisco 49ers are in trouble

I’m not worried about the 49ers. There, I said it. 

Although, this should show people just how valuable Christian McCaffrey is to the team. He adds a dimension to the offense that isn’t replicable and frees up the other players on that side of the ball. 

Brandon Aiyuk finally had a big game, but it’s clear that he – along with the other receivers who missed time in training camp while demanding new contracts – has suffered from lost time. 

But it will come together when McCaffrey comes back, and I do expect him to come back. That frees up Deebo Samuel to not have to try and play the McCaffrey role but just be Deebo Samuel. 

And the 49ers have three losses by a combined 10 points and both of their wins came by multiple scores. 

Their luck in one-score games should turn around and they will be fine. 

Sean Payton is a genius and the Denver Broncos are actually pretty good

No, he isn’t and no, they aren’t. 

I’m going to keep banging on this drum until people wise up and understand that Payton is a dinosaur and the game has passed him by, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. 

Bo Nix isn’t good, and Payton hand-picked him to lead the team. 

They’ve beaten the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are OK, the New York Jets, who stink, and the Las Vegas Raiders, who are a complete disaster. Five of their next six games are against teams that are at or above .500, so everyone should soon see what I’ve been saying forever. 

Denver isn’t good and the Broncos wildly overpaid Sean Payton, who is still living off of the glory of having a Hall of Fame quarterback (Drew Brees) who helped him win one Super Bowl. 

Quick hitters and NFL Monday reactions that are probably right…

The New York Jets are not good

I guess we should have known that a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a devastating injury might be a problem, especially when that quarterback relied so highly on his athleticism throughout his career. 

The bigger questions surround why Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall aren’t playing up to their capabilities. Although both probably have something to do with the previously mentioned quarterback. 

But against which AFC teams would the Jets be favored right now? Certainly not the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs. 

What about the Cincinnati Bengals or Houston Texans? This is a team that was expected to contend for a Super Bowl and probably isn’t a Top 5 team in its conference. 

That’s a problem, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change, even if they add Davante Adams. 

The NFL is the best league in terms of parity

No league creates hope for all franchises quite like the NFL and this year is a perfect example. The Commanders have gone from a joke to leading the NFC East. 

The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 with Sam Darnold. The Houston Texans went from picking in the Top 3 in the NFL Draft back-to-back years to suddenly a top team in the league. Even the Chicago Bears are above .500. 

On the other side, some of the teams most people thought would dominate this season are struggling early. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles all have at least two losses already this year. 

The league is pretty wide-open, which is what makes it so compelling.