“The only way to learn to win is to play to win.” Those were some of Ron Rivera’s first words to reporters after Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.
Washington fell behind 20-13 late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Kyle Allen was sacked and fumbled on what looked to be a potentially game winning drive for the Football Team. Kyler Fackrell sacked Allen and forced the fumble. Rookie linebacker Tae Crowder picked up the loose ball and ran 43 yards for the touchdown to give the Giants a 20-13 lead.
Allen regrouped, however, and led the offense on a 10 play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Cam Sims. That led to the choice, kick the point after and head to overtime or go for two and win the game in regulation.
“I told them in the locker room, I play to win… that’s the mentality,” Rivera said after the game. “I’m going for it.. the intent is to learn to win football games.”
Kyle Allen’s numbers look good on the stat sheet, 31 of 42 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. However, he made several key mistakes. In addition to the sack/fumble/touchdown late, he threw an interception and was not able to make any big throws over the middle of the field.
If the players felt the decision to go for two was wrong, they didn’t show it during the postgame zoom calls with reporters.
“It’s tough man. You want to give our guys a chance to make a play on that play,” Allen said. “I’m glad we went for it on two. That’s our mentality, I just wished we would have gotten it.”
“I fully expected it,” said tight end Logan Thomas. “At the beginning of the drive I told the offense let’s go score and let’s go for two.”
Thomas had one of the best games of his career with four catches, one of them being the touchdown right before halftime.
The loss drops Washington to 1-5 on the season and last in the NFC East. A Dallas win on Monday night would put Washington two games out of first place. Should the Cowboys lose, the possibility exists that three teams could be tied for first place at 2-5 by the end of week 7.