Hogs Haven
Washington fan confidence has hit a new low point this season according to the results of this week’s Hogs Haven Reacts poll.
It seems like a good way to put Washington fan confidence into context is to compare it to that of Dallas fans, who were treated to the spectacle of the Cowboys curb-stomping Washington by a score of 44-22 in Dallas last Sunday.
Washington fan confidence at the start of the season was sky-high, at 97% and 98% in our first two fan surveys. It took some hits, moving down and back up with the team alternating losses and wins from Week 1 to Week 6. The Week 7 embarrassment against the Cowboys seems to have broken the dam open, with confidence, as measured in our survey, plummeting to 27%. It appears as if about a quarter of our survey respondents are focused on the positive aspects of the team’s long-term trend, while three-quarters or so are completely dispirited by back-to-back losses and what those losses seem to indicate about the team’s 2025 outlook.
Cowboys fans began the season with the shocking news of the Micah Parsons trade. By Week 4, they were 1-2-1 and fan confidence measured just 7%. After a bit of a bounceback over the following two weeks, a loss to the Panthers in Week 6 of the season pushed Cowboys fan confidence back down to 11%, with most Dallas fans dreading a home loss to the Commanders in Week 7 would drive a nail into their team’s coffin. The huge Dallas win last Sunday night reversed that trend, pushing confidence back up to 64% — just short of where it had been after Week 2 when the ‘Boys had beaten the Giants a week after giving the Eagles a tough game.
Monday Night Football in Kansas City
It seems certain that Washington fan confidence will either plummet to a new season low approaching single-digits if the Commanders get embarrassed again on Monday night in Kansas City, or rebound sharply — as the Cowboys fan confidence did this week — if the burgundy & gold come out of Arrowhead Stadium with a prime-time upset win.
The lack of confidence in the team’s direction is causing fans to call for something to be done — especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The shouts for the sacrifice of defensive coordinator Joe Whitt have grown louder each week. His unit is ranked 27th in yards per game surrendered and 21st in points given up.
While there isn’t really a designated backup coordinator ready to put on his headset and take over for Whitt, there are backups on the roster for players at every position. Defensively, the two healthy starters who seem to have faced the most criticism for (1) being old, and (2) under-performing are middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Many fans have been vocal in calling for these veterans to be benched in facor of younger players.
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