Who is to blame for Commanders late-season collapse?

But while a bad look in hindsight, the logic behind the decision to start Wentz is justifiable because Heinicke had been struggling. The coaching was a major strength for Washington during its hot streak, and Wentz playing badly is Wentz's fault, not Rivera's.

Injuries have played a role, too. Standout safety Kam Curl has missed the Commanders' past two games. The loss of center Tyler Larsen is a huge blow to the offensive line.

Many will point to the loss at home to New York as the turning point of the season. The officiating during that game, and particularly on Washington's final drive, was horrific.

But the Commanders shouldn't have needed to come from behind in that game. The same can be said about the tie two weeks earlier against New York.

If Washington had won just one of those two games against the Giants, it would probably still have a good playoff chance. But those two games, and the Commanders' back-to-back no-shows since, have tanked their season.

Earlier this season, Washington escaped with close wins against bad Bears, Colts and Falcons teams. So the Commanders probably were due for a regression to the mean.

Everyone deserves a share of the responsibility for the downturn the Commanders' season has taken. But the reality is Washington overachieved. It was not a playoff-caliber team to begin with.