Washington has put themselves in a position to control their destiny

Washington is just three days away from one of their most important divisional matchups in recent history. The Dallas Cowboys are 8-4 and two games ahead of the Washington Football Team, and while the playoff hopes for Washington will still be in place if they lose, the division title may be out of reach, making this game all the more important for one team. Head Coach Ron Rivera spoke with the media yesterday and seems very appreciative of the position that they’re in, as they can control their own destiny so long as they continue to win games.

“This is what we wanted to do. Without saying it, we wanted to win, put ourselves because at this point, now we control our own destiny. I mean how we go out and play, the things that we do gives us a chance. And that’s again, like I’ve told you guys, that’s all I want is that chance.” – Rivera on how his thinking has evolved with the divisional games approaching.

Rivera and the fanbase’s four-game losing streak was a low point; the fans, whose excitement seeped through their pores before the season started, became disinterested again. Additionally, Rivera’s message to the media grew stale and repetitive, especially when the results did not show any signs of growth. Yet, through it all, the team gathered themselves during the bye week and stacked wins together with a balanced offensive attack, controlling the time of possession and getting off the field defensively. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who also spoke with the media yesterday, says that Ron’s messaging to the team has been about trust and effort:

“He’s one of those guys that you don’t really know if you’re in the four-game losing streak or four-game winning streak. He’s kind of the same throughout it all. And his message is the same, you know, it’s just keep working, trust the process. And if you keep playing good team football, good things will happen and that’s where we are right now.” – Heinicke on how Coach Rivera handles the four-game losing streak earlier in the season.

As Heinicke says, good things will happen if you play good football, which is precisely the case with the team. Heinicke’s drastic improvement has contributed to the turnaround, and Rivera has acknowledged how that has come about:

“Well, I think the thing that’s helped us and I’ve said this, I think because we’ve fallen in love with the three and four-yard runs. We’ve put ourselves in a better position on third downs. Somebody wrote real nice piece about that. I think you wrote it, talking about that. We’ve put ourselves in these third and short situations and because of that, we’re converting more often and that helps us keep the ball. It helps us keep the clock going. And again, we just gotta continue to be good on first and second down and really appreciate what a three-yard run means to us.” – Rivera on QB Taylor Heinicke’s improved game management.

Washington’s work is not done yet, and their toughest stretch is right in front of them. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 7-1 all-time against the Washington Football Team and has played a significant role in their wins. He’s completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,866 yards, 17 total touchdowns (13 passing), and four turnovers (one interception).