Whatever reservations the fanbase may have had about Jaden Daniels last week’s game should have erased them. His touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder in the waning seconds was simply a masterpiece. There have been no shortage of analysts breaking down the play. Basically Daniels read the inside Linebacker’s approach to Crowder. Recognizing a zone type pivot instead of chest-to-chest pivot Daniels cut the ball loose in a millisecond. Had the Linebacker gone to a man pivot then the other receiver crossing towards the middle would have been open. Daniels’ reading speed on that play was other-worldly. As teammate Tress Way said of Daniels, “If he’s on the field you got a chance.” And, that about sums it up.
Who Are These Guys?
The win comes as many wins do in the NFL, with lots of ragged edges and loose threads. Eagles’ Nation was handed a swag bag full of excuses when Jalen Hurts was injured early in the game. It was not a targeting hit by Frankie Luvu, despite protestations to the contrary. Saquon Barkley helps make Hurts more effective and vice versa. Barkley put up gaudy numbers in the first quarter. Then the WFT Defense adjusted. He only gained 41 yards for the rest of the game with 27 coming in the second half. This despite some 29 carries. Hurts’ best weapon is his running ability. With the Offense lacking that QB run threat the game became manageable.
Washington famously had five turnovers…and still won. There were so many key plays in the game it’s hard to pick just one. But, a simple incompletion by DaVonta Smith, on a ball that hit him in the chest was the lynchpin from here. If you looked to someone nearby or a potted plant if alone and said, “We’re going to win this game now” you were not alone.
“If he’s on the field you got a chance.”
Tress Way on Jayden Daniels
What, Me Worry?
Despite the win there was still plenty of handwringing. There were all those turnovers. Despite Marshon Lattimore being on the field the Defense still surrendered 33-points. And, the Run Defense, despite the solid second half was gashed early. It gives Washington a rating as a “Pretty Good Team” by more than one analyst. Not “Good,” or “Very Good,” and definitely not “Elite.” Those summits are out in the future. Right now the team is good enough to be in control of their own playoff destiny. And, that’s plenty good enough for right now.
One favorite comment from the Philly faithful was that “Washington isn’t going anywhere in the playoffs.” It may well be true. But, that’s not the point at all. IF they can get there it just adds pixie dust to the fairy tale season already in hand.
The Falcons
Football started for the Atlanta franchise in 1965. The Georgia city had been wanting an NFL franchise for years. But, segregated facilities was too much of a hurdle for the League to tackle until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. With that on the books the NFL acted quickly giving Atlanta a franchise the very next year. It became the 15th team in the League. Since then the NFL has more than doubled the total number of franchises to 32.
Not surprisingly the Falcons struggled out of the gate as nearly all expansion teams do. It would be some 15-years before the team had a winning season. During that time they went 72-124-4 (.360). The other southern team, New Orleans took longer to get to the positive side of the ledger. Despite an extended winning jag the Saints only went to one Super Bowl, which they won. The Falcons have gone to two, which they lost.
Division Leaders
The Falcons come to town as Division leaders with an 8-7 record. One reason Washington has not sewed up a playoff spot yet is that the Atlanta team managed to beat second-place Tampa Bay twice. Despite that they both have the same record. It says here that Tampa is the superior team. Regardless, if both Tampa and Atlanta win out the WFT would be forced into a must-win game against suddenly hot Dallas in Dallas to close the regular season. This can all be rendered moot if Washington beats the Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
Atlanta changed directions last year. The team had drafted Desmond Ridder in 2022 in the third round. He played some 17 games for the franchise before being benched. Old WFT alum Taylor Heinicke started the last four games going 1-3. At the end of the year the team let loose the entire Quarterback Room and Coaching Staff. Bill Belichick was available. And, the Owner wanted him. But, in the end the team hired Raheem Morris as coach; signed Kirk Cousins to a mega-dollar deal; and maintained the Executive team. This was a team with talent lacking only a trigger-puller at QB. Concerns about Cousins’ age and recovery from an Achilles’ Tendon tear were whisked away much like dandruff on a dark suit.
The Draft
All the other off-season moves were just window dressing for the main event. Come Draft Night the Falcons sat at #8. Chicago, Washington, and New England took QBs. The Giants, for reasons known only to them passed on a QB selecting Malik Nabers, a Wide Receiver. Minnesota took a fourth QB off of the board. Atlanta, just weeks after signing Cousins drafted Michael Penix Jr the standout QB from the University of Washington. The howls of outrage from Falcons’ Nation were deafening. The object of their affection was Outside Linebacker Dallas Turner of Alabama. Minnesota would end up drafting him at #17, some 9 slots later. His rookie season is not much to merit undue excitement with 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 10 tackles. The team traded for New England stalwart Defensive Lineman Gary Judon who is having a solid season. That was the answer for improving the Defense.
The howls from the fanbase slowly turned into low growls. The Penix move was considered madness, incompetence, and foolhardiness all neatly tied with a bow. When the season started Cousins was doing fairly well. The fanbase lamented that Penix would sit out the season. Turner would supposedly have made a big difference. Fast forward a few weeks and the dynamic changed drastically. Father Time smacked Kirk Cousins upside his head. His last win was against Dallas where he threw 3 Touchdowns and 0 Interceptions. In the next five games he threw 1 TD and 9 Picks. NINE! At that point the fanbase clamored for their new savior; Michael Penix Jr. Try as you might, you can’t conjure this stuff up out of thin air.
The New Falcons
Switching QBs in-season while still contending is a dangerous move. In this case it was made out of necessity. Raheem Morris was watching a promising season go down the drain. Putting in Penix Jr before the Giants game was a smart tactical move. The Giants are a complete disaster. Their number one goal should be to get the first pick overall in the next draft. And, they are working hard to make that happen. That organization will look back at this past draft with all the QB talent available with remorse for years to come. Penix Jr had a decent start for his first game. He’s a sharp player with tremendous upside.
Statistics are for Losers
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Head Coach
It’s fortunate for Washington that Penix Jr will still be wet behind the ears. Even so he’s plenty talented. He’s also surrounded by talent. Look for him to have a good game. Perhaps he’ll make a rookie mistake or two. Despite Jayden Daniels’ late heroics he made a couple of those himself last week. It’s the nature of the position.
This is going to be a tough game. Atlanta is playing for their playoff life. Tampa could lose earlier in the day to Carolina giving Washington a rare playoff berth. Don’t bank on it. The advice for the team is to simply go out and earn their playoff ticket. This is the last home game of the season. It is also the last game of a remarkable calendar year. It was one that saw a franchise rise from the sewer system of the League. Such a circumstance calls for a suitable capstone win.
Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders: NBC, Dec. 29, 8:20 p.m.
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark
Universo: Miguel Gurwitz, Rolando Cantú, Ariana Figuera
Westwood One Radio: Tom McCarthy, Mike Mayock
