Style points don’t matter in the NFL. Not even two-pointers.
The Washington Commanders sighed heavily in relief after escaping the New Orleans Saints 20-19 on Sunday, when the latter’s game-winning conversion was stopped with no time remaining.
One play – it was a season maker.
The defensive stop meant more than the victory. It might have meant the playoffs. Losing after a 14-0 lead would have been the fourth defeat in five games for Washington, with NFC East leader Philadelphia Eagles (and eventual Sunday winner) coming this weekend. A potential 1-5 late-season collapse may have ended playoff hopes. Fan happiness over reversing last year’s 4-13 would have vanished after a teasing 7-2 start.
But the game-deciding throw from Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was incomplete and Washington exited with glum satisfaction. A lackluster effort following their bye week taught the Commanders one thing – get better or go home soon.
Coach Dan Quinn was right that three straight losses would toughen the team in steely moments. Past Washington teams over 25 years would have lost to the Saints. Instead, the Commanders rose to one final challenge after pushed to the brink.
It wasn’t pretty, but after a generation of ugly losses like this would have been, beating New Orleans is just a frustrating win. And that’s a universe of difference.
Washington, 9-5 for the first time since 1992, needs probably one more win to reach the postseason. But, it needs an adrenaline rush to accomplish more than that. The energy that fueled the early 7-2 start waned in recent weeks. The team is losing playmakers like Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown while Zach Ertz and Jeremy Chinn suffered concussions against New Orleans.
The NFL is a game of survivor over 17 games, and early frontrunners can falter late. Look at Detroit suddenly losing a handful of starters and getting smacked around by Buffalo 48-42. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is limping. Seattle lost quarterback Geno Smith.
Washington’s real goal shouldn’t be reaching the playoffs, but winning a game. And then, it’s all opportunity with the Commanders’ edge having a quarterback not afraid to rally late. Jayden Daniels carried the offense despite the line losing outside lanes and forcing him inside. The running game did little and losing Ertz early hurt, but somehow Daniels managed to find Terry McLaurin enough.
Not that it was a perfect day by the rookie quarterback. He held the ball too long for a handful of his eight sacks and ran several times for little rather than just throwing the ball away.
Daniels has that magic spark in troubled times, though. He basically says, “We got this” and goes out and wins. In the postseason, that can be enough.
Still, Washington needs to replace right tackle Andrew Wylie with Cornelius Lucas and start firing more to its tight ends. Daniels has to find room to scramble outside. This offense is built for eight-yard passes becoming 20-yard gains and Daniels scrambling on the edge.
Beating the Saints showed there’s enough grit left to reach the postseason. The task is finding one more level to advance even more.