The Washington Commanders just barely survived a furious New Orleans comeback, tipping away a would-be game-winning two-point conversion with no time left on the clock. The Commanders claimed a 20-19 victory that keeps Washington in the playoff hunt … but with some deep concerns about their ability to close out games.
For most of the afternoon, this seemed headed for an easy Washington win, largely because of Jayden Daniels. By this point, you’d think we’d be accustomed to his game. It’s been 14 weeks, and we’ve seen him torment opposing defenses with his arms, his legs and his head. And then he goes and pulls off something like this:
… and we all have to recalibrate what we can expect out of an NFL rookie quarterback.
Although the atmosphere in the Superdome was tepid at best, a post-bye road game is a challenge by any measure. For the first 58 or so minutes, Washington put forth a complete game, with Daniels throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Daniels and Brian Robinson topped 65 yards apiece on the ground, and Terry McLaurin had 73 yards receiving, including that gem above. The defense largely shut down both Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, the Saints QBs pressed into duty with Derek Carr sidelined with injury.
Right up until the final drive, that is.
This ended up being the kind of survive-and-advance game that still ought to give the Commanders a measure of hope for the team’s near-term future. Washington was one of the early season’s best stories, a rookie quarterback and a new head coach remaking the image and vibe of an entire franchise en route to a 7-2 record to start the year.
Reality set in with a three-game losing streak at the hands of the Steelers, Eagles and Cowboys, and the Commanders slipped to the edge of the playoff bubble. But Washington regained its footing with a get-right game against the Titans heading into the bye.
That said, there are reasons for concern. To begin, the Commanders ended their game still chasing the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the most complete teams in the NFL, and Philadelphia also has an easy schedule the final three games of the season.
Of greater concern, though, is the fact that the Commanders couldn’t put away the Saints with a three-possession, third-quarter lead. A combination of defensive indifference, poorly timed Commanders penalties and a surprisingly anemic Washington offense allowed New Orleans to close to within seven points with just under seven minutes remaining in the game.
Some dubious Washington play-calling late in the game, plus two different massive Daniels passes to McLaurin that just missed, and an errant field-goal attempt with two minutes left in the game, kept New Orleans in the hunt.
Rattler then marched the Saints all the way down into the end zone, and a gutsy call to go for two and the win ended up falling just short.
Going forward, Washington faces Philadelphia in a matchup that will determine if the Commanders have a shot at clawing back in the NFC East. The Commanders have the ability to create some of the most electrifying plays in the NFL, but as Sunday showed, they need to make sure to play a complete 60-minute game.
