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A 20-17 win over the New England Patriots has revived the Washington Commanders season, at least temporarily.
Now 4-5, the Commanders trail the Minnesota Vikings by a game for the final NFC playoff spot. A win this weekend in Seattle could provide a major boost to any postseason hopes the team may harbor but that’s a story for another day.
How Washington won in New England for the first time since 1996 came down to the following four things.
1. QB Sam Howell Took Another Step Forward
The Pats might be a shell of their former selves but Howell still went into Foxboro, looked Bill Belichick in the eyes, and torched his defense for 308 yards and a touchdown. He threw a bad interception at the end of the first half that kept the game closer than it might have been but that was the only mistake Howell made.
He showed a great understanding of the quick passing game and was able to burn the Pats with a touchdown pass to Jahon Dotson on one of New England’s cover-zero blitzes.
Is Howell the long-term answer at quarterback?
The jury may still be out, but the answer is quickly coming into focus.
2. The 2023 Draft Class Finally Showed Up
Before last Sunday, and excluding Emmanuel Forbes Jr, you could have counted the number of rookie snaps on both hands. That changed in a big way.
Forbes was back in the lineup after getting benched and put in an all-pro performance, according to PFF. While the Patriots’ offense won’t remind anyone of ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’, Forbes did what a first-round draft pick is supposed to do in that situation, he dominated his position.
KJ Henry should have recorded the first sack of his career but was robbed of it thanks to a blown call by the officials.
Q’uan Martin sealed the win with an interception of Mac Jones with 52 seconds left in the game. Running back Chris Rodriguez had a big tackle on special teams. Head Coach Ron Rivera said the rookies would eventually contribute in meaningful ways, Sunday, they made him look good.
3. Chase Young and Montez Sweat Weren’t Missed Too Much
The Commanders’ defense probably couldn’t have asked for a better match-up in the first game of the post-Chase/Montez era. New England was barely averaging 11 points per game and aside from a 64-yard touchdown run, didn’t give up much of anything.
Casey Toohill, James Smith-Williams, the aforementioned Henry, and Andre Jones Jr. were steady if unspectacular. The quartet helped the defense hold the Pats to just 107 yards on the ground and less than 320 yards of total offense. More importantly, the unit only gave up three points in the second half.
4. A Confidence Boost
The entire season was in danger of going off the rails. Two weeks ago, the frustration in the locker room was palpable (after the Giants loss). Last
week, the only topic on anyone’s mind was the trade deadline.
For all of head coach Ron Rivera’s shortcomings, his teams continue to show resiliency when the season is on the line. That challenge will become even harder this weekend against Seattle.
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