Who is the Washington Football Team?
At this point in the year, the results have shown them to be better than Pittsburgh, the NFL’s last undefeated team. Head-to-head, they are worse than the New York Giants, who swept the season series vs. D.C. this year.
The truth is, on any given Sunday, they’re somewhere in the middle. They have become must-see TV because any outcome seems possible.
Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks was the perfect microcosm of their season. They fell behind early, showing a lack of execution and/or preparation, punting three times and throwing an interception in the first four drives of the game. If not for a 48-yard field goal with seconds remaining, they would have been shut out in the first half.
Just when you think it’s time to go sort your sock drawer, Washington comes to life. Averaging 18 second-half points over the last three games (second-most in the NFL), the Football Team does their best scheming in the 12 minutes between halves.
Related
D.C. dominated Seattle in time of possession, holding the rock for nearly 19 of the final 30 minutes and scoring two touchdowns to pull within five points. Washington’s defense blanked Russell Wilson’s high-flying offense for the final 28 minutes of the game and limited him to fewer than 200 total yards.
Dwayne Haskins and the offense got the ball back with 5:34 remaining and the game on the line. This is the moment when legends are born, and players like Haskins seize the starting job.
It’s also the moment when mediocrity gets exposed.
After driving to the Seattle 23-yard line, Haskins threw incomplete to Logan Thomas, was sacked on consecutive plays, then threw incomplete to the end zone. Turnover on downs, game over.
Public sentiment after the game seems to be happy that the Seahawks (10-4) are going to the playoffs and that Washington (6-8) played them well. But did they?
Keep in mind that Seattle has the worst passing defense in football, allowing more than 300 yards per game. Haskins threw for 295 yards, which is OK for him but below average against this opponent. He also threw two interceptions to a unit that was averaging less than one per game.
Related
It’s not all Haskins, as the offense isn’t loaded with playmakers. If not for an injury to Alex Smith, Haskins would not have played today and the results may have been different.
But that is always the case with mediocre teams: they win games that they shouldn’t and lose games that they could win. They play well enough to miss out on top draft picks and lose too often to control their path to the playoffs.
After Sunday’s loss, no team in the NFC East can finish the season with a winning record. If the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, the Football Team will fall to second in the standings, needing help to win the division.
With frontrunners for the NFL Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year, there’s no question that there is buzz around Washington.
But until they can consistently turn individual performance into team success, mediocrity will be as good as it gets.
Brian Tinsman has covered D.C. sports since 2011, both from the team marketing and skeptical fan perspectives. Tweet your criticisms @Brian_Tinsman.
Related
