Hallmark Moments

December 20, 2019

by Jay Evans

As Carson Wentz’s pass fell from the sky into the outstretched arms of Greg Ward, Jr., the former University of Houston quarterback, the Redskins were just 26 short seconds away from their 4^th win of the season.

Instead, the Redskins notched their 11^th loss of the season and have a looming battle for the second overall draft pick upcoming against the New York Giants.

The game was not over, yet some would say the game had been lost nearly five minutes prior due to a youthful error (which we will get to later).  After Dustin Hopkins’ 43-yard field goal gave the Redskins the lead with 4:52 remaining on the clock there was a typical feeling stirring in the stomachs of Redskins fans.

If you have followed the Redskins to this blog then you are all too familiar with these gut-wrenching pits. An opponent’s final drive in the waning minutes is a communal kidney stone Redskins fans get to pass together. It is frequently long and intensely painful. It was our very own Hallmark moment, just in time for the holidays.

It was even money the Eagles were going to retake the lead for good, but the final play of the game was a backdoor cover for the ages. Dwayne Haskins drove the Redskins to the Eagles’ 42-yard line with six seconds remaining on the clock. What ensued was a pressure induced sack and, in the chaos, Haskins attempted to find his nearest ally by winging the ball to the flat.

Nigel Bradham returned the 48-yard fumble for a diving touchdown with zero time remaining on the clock and a cover of most bets that favored the Eagles between 4.5 to 6.

The loss was the second to the Eagles this season and eighth consecutive loss to NFC East teams. Alas, the defeat was the best game of the 2019 season for the Redskins and the most impressive football Washington has produced in over a calendar year.

Few games have given the Redskins hope in the past 16 months. Some can look at the optimism of the 6-3 start to the 2018 season and point to the 16-3 dismantling of the Buccaneers on November 11, 2018. The Josh Johnson game in Jacksonville was a feel-good story, but was hardly impressive.

None of the victories from this season were monumental triumphs, but in a loss where the Redskins blew two fourth quarter leads they can take the consolation prize of a moral conquest.

In an era of participation trophies, fruitless medals are dangerous commodities, but the Redskins left FedEx Field with a piping of scorn. Not a breath of modest accomplishment or some crowning arrival was murmured; instead, it emboldened the new young core of players.

The team was close and failed. The comments made by the Redskins players and coaches were terse and hacked. The players and coaches were visibly distraught when leaving the game, unlike teams of the past or even adversaries from across the field.

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz said, “I feel like we’re hitting our stride at the right time.”

Imagine feeling this way after beating a three-win team to get your record to .500. The Eagles are in a position to make the playoffs because the NFC East division is currently in a draw at the top between two middle of the road teams.

The Redskins came away from the Eagles game with more stock and that is a major positive. Washington mounted an offense that bordered on innovation by running quick passing routes and option runs. The defense played inspired football even without top corner Quinton Dunbar sidelined before the game and with unheralded rookies in prominent roles.

“As a young team, we see it still [the season] as game in and game out, no matter the situation, as an opportunity to improve and get better, work on your craft,” Matt Ioannidis said this week in front of reporters. “We’ve been in a good mindset this year cohesively as a team that no one has gotten down on the fact, no one has been into the whole ‘Oh, it’s over, Let’s call it a day.’ ”

These weeks are vital to the growth of the youngest and brightest players on the roster. Terry McLaurin is quickly approaching Gary Clark’s franchise record for receiving yards for a rookie. After torching the Eagles for 130 receiving yards, McLaurin is 94 yards away from passing Clark’s record and 167 yards shy of 1000-yard season with two games remaining.

Dwayne Haskins had by far his best game of his young career, passing for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He found McLaurin on a quick, on timing slant over the middle of the field, propelling the wide receiver to a 75-yard score and methodically navigated the offense throughout the game.

Carson Wentz looked to be a far cry from the MVP caliber quarterback the Eagles had back in 2016 and was often under duress. The Redskins currently have the highest-pressure rate per drop back in the NFL at 30.9%, are second in quarterback hurries, and tied for seventh in sacks.

Pittsburgh (30.7), Los Angeles Rams (29.3), and the San Francisco 49ers (28.5) are the teams immediately behind the Redskins. Those three teams have 27 combined wins.

Steven Sims, Jr. had a team-high 11 targets, easily the most involved Sims, Jr. has been in any game this season. The shifty receiver continues to look electric as a returner and averaged nearly 30 yards a kick return including a 41 yarder that jump started the offense late in the game.

The game wasn’t all roses for the rookie from Kansas, as Sims had at least two drops and a potentially game altering decision was made when he failed to secure a first down on a third down catch in the fourth quarter. The decision forced the Redskins to settle for a field goal.

Had Sims, Jr. been able to convert the first down it could’ve produced more points and certainly would have limited the amount of time the Eagles had to finish the game.

Wes Martin admirably filled in for Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff. The fourth-round pick played well in the spot start and will remain in the lineup for the remainder of the season with Scherff now on injured reserve. Annual Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox bested the rookie Martin on a few occasions, but the game was a good step for an intriguing player, especially given Scherff’s upcoming contract issue.

Teaching points can be found throughout the game and extend off the field. Josh Norman, who was beaten on the go-ahead touchdown by Ward, has been benched in favor of the young players and only saw action after the defensive backfield had been depleted of healthier options.

Applaud Norman’s professionalism. He hasn’t been a disruption to the team and other competitors placed into a similar situation might have been detrimentally bombastic to their surrounding counterparts.

Be encouraged by the growth of the play calling. The Redskins coaches put Haskins in much better situations throughout the game than they have in the past. Haskins got rid of the ball much quicker than in previous weeks, and after calling a running play on first down at more than a 70% clip the Redskins were much more balanced.

On six of the eleven drives, the Redskins began a drive with a passing play and had zero three and out series. In the five series the Redskins began with a run on first down, each second down was of six yards or greater and three series ended without completing a first down.

The Redskins have been blitzed by the Giants in the past two matchups to a tune of 64-19. The upcoming opponent is coming off their first win since the week 4 victory against the Redskins, but needed Eli Manning under center to beat the lowly Dolphins because their rookie quarterback has battled injuries in recent weeks.

Haskins spoke on the previous matchup with the Giants, “I throw up watching that film.” Expanding upon the nausea-induced footage, he further stated, “I’m a whole different player than I was back then.”

Were throws missed and passes dropped? No doubt, but this was a game the team can unapologetically rally around. Look no further than the growth of the rookie quarterback. “I’m nowhere close to where I want to be,” Haskins said. “That should be an average game for me. I’m going to continue to work on it and get better.”

A victory alluded the Redskins again, but that will occur with far less frequency if the team continues to play as they did last week against the Eagles.  Then, the ensuing conversations will revolve around proper victories instead of “moral” ones.