Washington Commanders’ limited partner Magic Johnson, known for his association with the team and various charitable endeavors, didn’t hold back in his criticism after the Commanders suffered a resounding 40-20 defeat to the previously winless Chicago Bears on Thursday night.
This marked Johnson’s first critical tweet regarding his new team, expressing his disappointment in the team’s lack of intensity and fire, particularly in the first half. He lamented, “The Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half. … It was too big of a hole to climb out of, and that is why we ended up losing.”
The Commanders players didn’t disagree with Johnson’s assessment, given that they found themselves trailing 27-3 at halftime. Receiver Terry McLaurin stated, “I’d probably say that’s pretty fair,” while defensive end Montez Sweat added, “We came out flat.”
The Bears capitalized on their five possessions in the first half, exploiting missed tackles and blown coverages in the secondary. The Commanders’ defense, which entered the game with just two sacks, managed to record four, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. On the offensive side, Washington, which had been averaging 298 yards per game in the first four games, managed 451 yards but struggled to close the gap.
Washington’s defensive tackle, Jonathan Allen, bluntly assessed the situation, saying, “We got our ass kicked.” Head coach Ron Rivera delivered a stern message to the players postgame, emphasizing that the performance was “not good enough.”
While some players agreed with Johnson’s criticism, others pointed out that it was more a matter of execution issues rather than a lack of intensity. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. remarked, “I’m not going to say the guys did not have any intensity or urgency coming into the game. I would definitely say it was a lack of execution early offensively.”
Terry McLaurin emphasized that the team’s intentions were not to start the way they did, but he acknowledged that the ultimate judgment is based on on-field performance. He stated, “I know we don’t have a lazy bunch; I know we don’t have a non-intense group of guys. That showing is not reflective of us, but that’s who we are. We put that on tape. I’d say that’s a pretty fair assessment [by Johnson].”
Both teams were coming off challenging losses, with Chicago having squandered a 21-point lead against Denver and Washington losing in overtime to Philadelphia. However, Washington had the home advantage and a 2-2 record, while Chicago was winless and on a short week.
Sweat summed up the game, saying, “I don’t know if we thought they were about to give us the game, but the guys were hungry. They came out with more fire than us.”
Despite his criticism, Magic Johnson has previously praised the Commanders for their efforts in different games. However, his tweet on this occasion echoed the sentiments in the locker room—a slow start and lack of intensity can lead to unfavorable outcomes regardless of the team’s record.
“When you don’t get off to a fast start,” McLaurin noted, “and a team that’s hungry like that, fighting for every play, every yard, and they’re capitalizing, that’s what can happen. The record didn’t really matter. You don’t come to play. That’s what’s going to happen to you.”
