The Washington Commanders were cruising to their ninth win of the season on Sunday in New Orleans, up 17-0 midway through the third quarter. But then, rather suddenly, the Saints scored a touchdown as time expired and had a two-point conversion attempt for the win. It failed and the visitors clung to a 20-19 victory.
"I just know defensive-wise, we've talked about it, we start off really good, but we just gotta find a way to finish games," Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne told Kevin Sheehan on Sunday. "We gotta find a way to focus up better and just close out games better."
But, he added, "A win in the NFL is cherrished. We'll take 'em how they'll come. We wanna find ways to close out games so it's not hard on us, but we'll take a win. A win is a win."
In the first half, the Commanders held the Saints' starting quarterback Jake Haener to just 49 yards passing on 4-for-10 completions, while adding three sacks for a loss of 29 yards. But in the second half, Spencer Rattler threw for 135 on 10-for-21 with a touchdown, plus a 21-yard TD pass on a trick play from WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. All while Washington had zero sacks in the final two quarters.
"Rattler, he had more poise in the pocket," Payne told Sheehan. "The other guy, he was so focused on the rush, he didn't keep his eyes down the field. But Rattler, he definitely stayed in there and he was trying to find his check-downs and all that.
"Like I said, we just gotta keep focusing up better and closing out games better."
On the two-point conversion play, a roll-out to the quarterback's right side, Payne said it is a play a lot of teams like to do in short-yardage situations and on the goal line. The defensive tackle called it a "big winning time moment" for the defense to have good coverage and get out with a win on the incompletion.
Payne, who had to sit out Friday's practice because of an issue with his back, woke up on Sunday feeling good and added a sack and another QB hit on the afternoon. But talking about his own game wasn't something he was interested in doing.
"I feel like we've been playing the best football since I've been here," he said. "I'm not one to be selfish or be all about my stats. I'm happy we're in the position and there's a lot of ball left."
With the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town next Sunday, Payne said the key for the defense in getting a win is to "handle Saquon [Barkley]. Just handle that run game. If we can put down that run game and try to make them one-dimensional I feel like we have a great shot."