Washington Commanders limited partner Magic Johnson placed no limit on his characterization of the team’s performance in prime time against a winless Bears team.
Magic, who has a reputation for being comically obvious on Twitter, said what needed to be said after the 40-20 home loss: “Tonight the Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime. It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20.”
Via Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press, receiver Terry McLaurin did not take issue with Magic’s message after the game. McLaurin called it “a pretty fair assessment.”
“It doesn’t matter what your intentions are,” McLaurin said. “It’s what you put out there on the field. 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.”
It was the roughest night yet for the new-look Commanders, prompting repeated boos and other displays of disapproval from the paying customers at FedEx Field.
And Magic, in contrast to repeated images of chuckling and schmoozing majority owner Josh Harris, seemed to be genuinely miffed with the mess that the Commanders were making as it was happening. When shown on camera during the game, the always-smiling NBA and business legend was not.
The loss became Washington’s third in a row, after a 2-3 start. And the current barometer points to changes being made when the season ends, unless the wind starts blowing in a much different direction.
Potentially winnable games are coming (at Falcons, at Giants), but tough days are looming, with two games against the Cowboys, another game against the Eagles, and out-of-division dust-ups the Seahawks, 49ers, and Dolphins.
With three losses on the board and 12 games to go, it’s going to be difficult for the Commanders to finish on the right side of .500. And that will surely result in another blunt, candid tweet from Magic.
With potentially consistent action to follow.
