Before getting into everything else here is a top-line point from Kevin Sheehan about the Washington Commanders defeating the New Orleans Saints: "This was their ninth win of the season and we celebrate that, but it was their first win of the season that didn't leave me feeling super optimistic about what's to come."
Having said that, this "ugly win" doesn't have Sheehan that "worried" as the NFL sometimes tosses up a pretty loss or an unexpectedly close win over a team going nowhere. And they don't always end up being predictors of things to come, either doom and gloom or good things.
"They got the win, 20-19," Sheehan said. "Not all of them are confidence building. Not all of them are impressive. Not all of them you're going away thinking 'Man, we're pretty good. This one certainly didn't feel great, but it would have felt much worse had they lost it."
While prudence and level-headedness are often in short supply in sports – especially so toward the business end of the season, though an argument could be for after Week 1, as well – that is where conversations about Washington's win should be centered around: Not about a mistake from the referees – which they admitted to making after the game – but how did the Commanders play on the field.
"No doubt, they have to play than the way they played," Sheehan said. "They were up 17-0 a team that should have been done mid-way through the third quarter."
The change came about when the Saints switched to Spencer Rattler at quarterback, something Sheehan questions if that should be a change that spurs a team to play better? Washington let them back into the game becuase Rattler led New Orleans to four scores on four drives – of course, with a bit of help from the referees.
Twice Donte Fowler Jr. was penalized for roughing the passer on plays Sheehan did not believe should have merrited the personal foul calls. But, he poited out, neither were on 3rd-down plays that extended the drive, but were helpful to give them 30 free yards.
And then there was the clock stoppage on the third to last play of regulation when the down judge improperly stopped the clock after a 4th down conversion close to the goal line. Referee Shawn Hochuli said after te game that "the covering official mistakenly stopped the clock in that situation. The clock should not have stopped."
The play isn't reviewable, but Sheehan timed the final sequence out himself three times and came to the conclusion there probably would have been one second (or just slightly less) left in the game had the clock not stopped. It would have been very close to getting the spike to stop the clock after the first down, but it was do-able in the circumstances had the "covering official" not made his mistake.
So Washington has a right to feel hard done by the referees, but not that it was an element of cut and dry costing them the game. Because the Saints still would have needed to score on the next play (which they did) and get the two-point conversion to win the game (which they did not).
"But the clock stopping, the bad calls against Fowler Jr.," Sheehan continued. "... I don't think any of that erases the fact that other than Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin they didn't play anywhere near good enough, especially on defense in the second half.
"They gave up too many big plays. The Saints had nine plays in the second half of 12 yards or more. And the Saints had misses, they had three to four balls dropped in that game. But nine plays of 12 or more yards, in a game where they barely had the ball. Washington's time of possession in the game 40:50 to 19:10. The 'Skins had 23 more snaps in the game offensively. And yet, had to hold on for dear life."
That would have been a bad loss, Sheehan concluded: "The defense didn't make plays in the second half until that final two-point conversion."