Less than two weeks ago, the Washington Football Team was on a Hot Mess Express to nowhere. The soft part of the schedule wasn’t so smooth, and it looked like Ron Rivera was about to start planning for the future.
What a difference 10 days make. Two games, two wins. At 4-7, the burgundy and gold sit atop the NFC East with the New York even though the Giants own the head-to-head tie-breaker.
There is plenty to pick apart, but the bottom line remains the same. Washington’s in first place (having a mini bye) with New York, with the Eagles playing on Monday Night Football to regain the division lead by a half-game.
The common thread between the last two games has been young players coming into their own, and while there are plenty to choose from, here are the top three whose stock is trending up.
DT Daron Payne:
The big guy followed a strong outing against Cincinnati with another one against Dallas. Payne terrorized Andy Dalton all afternoon, getting credit for a half a sack and two quarterback hits. Payne is yet another young, talented interior defensive lineman who has leveled up this season with both Jack Del Rio’s 4-3 scheme and the addition of Chase Young on the outside.
S Kamren Curl:
A few weeks ago, Ron Rivera said he wanted Kurl to get a chance to show what he could do, and the rookie has responded. He was second on the team with eight tackles against the Cowboys. Against Cincy in week 11, he had nine tackles, and a QB hit. Curl has been more than an adequate replacement for Landon Collins at strong safety.
LB Cole Holcomb:
The second-year linebacker from North Carolina continues to see more reps than just about anyone on defense. He led the team with ten tackles, one and a half sacks, and a hit on Andy Dalton. His sideline-to-sideline speed makes him one of the building blocks Ron Rivera will count on in the future. Chalk up another mid to late-round find for the scouting department.
Honorable Mention: S Jeremey Reaves, CB Ronald Darby
Reeves split time with Troy Apke at free safety and got most of the second-half snaps. For weeks, Ron Rivera has said that Reeves, like Curl, has earned a chance to get on the field. He rewarded his coach with a solid outing.
There were no threats left open deep with Reeves on the field. He also had one of the biggest tackles of the game. Leading 20-14 in the third quarter and with the ball on the Washington 6 yard line, Dallas ran a reverse designed to have Cee Dee Lamb throw a pass. Jimmy Moreland disrupted the play, and Reeves came flying in to make a textbook solo tackle, Dallas kicked a field goal, and the rest is history.
Yes, Darby was poorly burned by Armari Cooper for a touchdown in the first quarter. After that, Cooper and the rest of the Dallas offense was something of an afterthought. Darby wound up defending four passes and kept the Dallas deep threats from getting close to the goal line again.
Washington gets a much tougher test this week against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Steelers defeat Baltimore on Tuesday night, they will come in on a short rest week against a team with a lot more confidence than it had two weeks ago.