What a day for the Washington Football Team, made doubly sweet by how terrible it was for every other team in the NFC East.
Remember the days when rumor and speculation were more interesting than the team on the field? Those days seem to be in the rear-view mirror, as head coach Ron Rivera delivered an unorthodox playoff berth in his first season.
Monday morning is widely known as Black Monday around the NFL, the day in which coaches are fired and lockers are cleared out into trash bags, while players try to avoid the media. For teams that don’t make the playoffs, it’s a ceremony with all of the charm of a funeral.
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Here is how each team around the NFC East wakes up on Black Monday morning:
In Washington: Back to work! After a season in which so much negativity was alleged about the culture of the organization, the team name was repealed but not replaced, the head coach and quarterback each overcame life-altering health conditions, and the team finished with a losing record, it seems like the outcome of the season should be a mixed bag at best.
Instead, Washington won the NFC East title and will host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs in the playoffs next week. Throw out the records, throw out the baggage--anything can happen in the postseason, and Washington’s name is on the list.
Everything Rivera has done so far has worked in his favor. While there was some drama around Dwayne Haskins, Rivera has largely kept his team focused down the stretch and put them in a very nice position to succeed. If he can keep that up, this team could have fun in the playoffs and take big steps forward next year.
In Philadelphia: Hey, are you guys OK? Because whatever happened tonight between your head coach and quarterbacks was the kind of drama that we’ve grown accustomed to in D.C. It was as awkward as watching a divorce unfold at your friend’s backyard BBQ, while the whole neighborhood talks about it.
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Doug Pederson told the Philly media after the game that he legitimately tried to win by benching Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld. Really. When pressed on why he did it, his reason was that Sudfeld had been on the team for four years. Nothing more, just that he was a familiar face around the team facility.
The speculation on Twitter is red hot, with everything from allegations of tanking for draft picks, to Pederson wanting to get fired, to Pederson trying to screw over the New York Giants.
Whatever the reason(s), Washington fans know exactly what you’re going through. Now it’s our turn to laugh.
For New York: You did everything right today, but you still needed help from Philly. That’s the hard part about not controlling your playoff destiny in the final week of the season. It had to be really hard to watch Philly extinguish your playoff hopes by benching Hurts while trailing by three points in the fourth quarter. It’s almost like meddling with another team’s business in a blatant way.
But hey, you guys know all about meddling with other teams.
Remember, in 2012, when your owner, John Mara, championed $46 million in salary cap fines against Washington and Dallas, for allegedly breaking the unspoken rules (collusion) of the uncapped 2011 season? Then, when he was asked about the fines, his response is that the two teams were lucky they didn’t also lose draft pick?
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Yeah, we remember that. Have a fun offseason. I hear New Jersey is beautiful in January.
For Dallas: How ‘bout them Cowboys? For all of the craziness in Washington this year, Dallas had drama from the start, as a devastating injury to Dak Prescott revealed how flawed this big-money roster could be.
If head coach Mike McCarthy had not signed a long-term deal, he would likely be fired tomorrow, especially after a non-challenge on Sunday that cost his team the win. But owner Jerry Jones would rather hold a coach too long than pay him to do nothing, so McCarthy will likely be back for fresh speculation and rumors in 2021.
For once, it seems like Washington has found the right mix of talent, leadership, and focus. No longer incapable of winning, or so petty that personal conflict turns into headlines, Washington seems to be headed for a bright future.
Whether that bright future is instantaneous in the playoffs or a year away, remains to be seen, but Rivera finally has them in a place where that turnaround is even possible.
Brian Tinsman has covered D.C. sports since 2011, both from the team marketing and skeptical fan perspectives. Tweet your criticisms @Brian_Tinsman.
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