The NFL season is keeping everyone on their toes, but there’s one team that stays close. To Magic Johnson, the Washington Commanders. Johnson is in his third season as an NFL team owner, and some radical changes were made to the team, yet the problems persist. Because a team that suffered a shocking 30-0 loss just bounced back and beat the Washington Commanders. The team stands at 2-2, not so good, but there’s a bigger picture.

Yes, like the Lakers in the NBA, the Commanders have their own defense problems in the NFL. Fans and analysts peeked between their fingers as the Atlanta Falcons dismantled the Commanders’ defense tonight. As the owner, it was (maybe) not a happy sight for Magic Johnson, but he refocused his energies on something positive: friendships.

“My Washington @Commanders lost to the Atlanta Falcons 34-27, but I had the privilege of hosting my friends in a suite at the game – Mike Triplett and his daughter Alysa, John and Vicki Palmer, and Atlanta Falcons minority owner Rosalind Brewer came by to say hello!” Magic wrote on all his official social media pages with a picture from his box with his friends.

We’ve seen John and Vicki Palmer in Magic and Cookie Johnson’s yacht vacation pictures more often than at their events in Atlanta. Although they’re movers and shakers within the Atlanta society, they hung out with their friend on the Commanders’ side of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And then, Mike Triplett is a prominent football journalist who’s probably getting the best view for the next day’s analysis of the Commanders’ loss. Or maybe even to give Magic some pointers.

Rosalind Brewer, whose resume included managing Sam’s Club and Starbucks, and is one of the few women in the NFL team ownership ranks, graciously stopped by not to gloat (or who knows, there could’ve been some joke trash talk) but for a how do you do. It is no secret that the Lakers legend adores his friends. So, despite the loss, he didn’t let the situation take charge of his emotions. But even in that messaging, there was a tiny little warning to the team.

It’s, of course, never a good sign when the team’s co-owner starts with the team’s loss. He abruptly ends it there, like he either had too many notes to give the staff or he had nothing to say at all. It’s especially stark after the profound messages he typed out on X.com for the last three games.

Yes, Johnson was more grateful for the company than dwelling on the Commanders’ loss, but that doesn’t mean that some glaring mistakes were made. Especially after the expensive changes that were made.

Magic Johnson’s Commanders face familiar road struggles despite early-season highlights

Usually, when the Lakers, Dodgers, Sparks, Spirit, and Commanders do well, Magic Johnson gives the key players their shoutouts. When they lose, the team as a whole gets called out. Today, they barely got a line.

The Commanders had solid games during Week 1 and Week 3. The 5x NBA champion also tweeted, “Marcus Mariota had a solid game and we looked good on both sides of the ball in my @Commanders 41-24 victory over the Raiders today!” and lauded the defense. But once again, it’s proven that the Commanders have a tough time on the road.

Their defensive line’s miscues gave the win to the Packers in Week 2, and it was near deja vu this time. According to The Athletic writer Nicki Jhabvala, the Falcons converted 50% of their third-down attempts, made it to Washington’s red zone six times, and converted four of them to touchdowns. They also reduced Washington’s offense to 20%. How did this team not make a single touchdown last week?

It could be that the Falcons came with retribution on their minds, yet the Commanders facilitated it. Magic’s team also missed 12 tackles, had a very slow start (which has been a consistent problem even when they won), and made more mistakes than Magic can put into one tweet.

The team is lucky that Johnson rarely gives out public notes this early in the season. The problem would be if the mistakes continue further into the season. Then the mega-watt smiling team boss won’t be this gracious.