“Stand up. Get your air. Use your God-given abilities. Go win us the game.” Those sound like words from a football coach. But, that was the coaching coming from veteran backup QB Marcus Mariota to a gassed Jayden Daniels. One play later…Touchdown, Playoffs, and bedlam. If you wrote this for a play or movie it would be dismissed as predictable and corny. It was neither. It was just simply glorious.
Hell on Wheels
One of the NFL’s more memorable moments this season came on Monday November 4. Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had played to a tie in regulation. When the Referee flipped the coin the Kansas City Chiefs won the right to have the ball first. Baker’s head went back involuntarily. “Arrrrgh” or something close to it was the reaction. He KNEW in that instant that Patrick Mahomes was going to drive the ball for a touchdown, win the game, and never give him a chance. Atlanta players didn’t react that way when Washington won the toss last Sunday night. But, they should have. Jayden Daniels was not taking prisoners.
The Overtime drive was simply a case of the young Quarterback taking the team and putting them on his back. It lasted 12 plays taking 7 minutes and 12 seconds off of the 10-minute OT clock. Daniels ran for 42 of the drive’s 70-yards. Of the remaining 38-yards, JD threw for 37 of them including the fateful last 2-yards to ice the win. All of this being done behind an Offensive Line that was down to a backup Center and a backup to the backup at Right Tackle. It wasn’t “Mahomes like.” It was just Daniels being Daniels.
Raheem Morris is one of the more straightforward interviews in the League. His post-game comments didn’t pull any punches.
Road Game
They’re all road games from here on out. Washington closed out the home season going 7-2. Should you like playing “Shoulda’ Coulda’ Woulda'” the case can be made for anything from 9-0 to 4-5. Three games were won by three points each. The Sunday win was in Overtime. Not surprisingly the road record is not as good at four up and three down with this last game to play.
Who’d have thought that the former “Fed Ex Field” also dubbed “Ghost Town Field” by sports journalist Thom Loverro would actually have a home-field advantage? Is such a thing possible? Who knew? One look at that stadium on Sunday told all that one needs to know: This franchise has returned to relevance.
Meaningful Games
For a fanbase that endured years of not having meaningful games they are now in abundant, and continuous supply. Football is the opposite of baseball in one regard. The peak of baseball season is Opening Day where even the most oven-baked of cynics can rejoice to the world waking up from winter. It winnows down from there to a much-too-delayed ending long after summer has left the premises. By the time the playoffs are over only the hardcore seamheads and a couple of fanbases are paying attention. Opening Day of football is no big deal. It’s still too hot for the game; the players aren’t ready for real football, and the quality of play reflects it. Excitement, interest, and quality of play all increase on the way to the peak of the season at the Super Bowl. The void it leaves in the midst of winter’s cruelest month, February is immense.
So we arrive at yet another game that has impacts. Here they are in, hopefully a digestible format:
| Washington Week 18 Ramifications: | |
| If Washington Wins | Will be NFC #6 Seed |
| If Washington Loses | Will fall to #7 Seed IF Green Bay beats Chicago. Will stay at #6 if GB loses |
| If Washington is #6 | Will play LA Rams in LA if the Rams win Will play Tampa Bay in TB if the Rams lose and TB wins |
| If Washington is #7 | Will play Philadelphia in Philly |
There’s a certain deliciousness to be had in scoreboard watching.
Off to Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys franchise has played the part of Crown Jewel for the League for many years. At this juncture, though the bloom is long gone off the rose. Jerry Jones is doing his best Norma Desmond Sunset Boulevard impersonation; locked in a faded, empty mansion convinced against all evidence that the magic is still in-hand. It’s not that the team is completely deficient in talent. Rather it simply lacks a soul.
The most telling part of the season for Dallas was when Micah Parsons returned from injury. Dallas played better immediately (Unfortunately for Washington). They played better than when their $60-Million Quarterback was on his feet. The Edge Rusher was the straw that stirred the drink. Not the coach. Not the tinsel-clad QB. Not even Jerry. An Edge Rusher could do what none of them could; wake the Cowboys up from slumber. Of course, when they did finally shake their cobwebs the image in the mirror was one of a badly formulated team. Were they to get a new General Manager he might be able to fix it in a few years given that he would inherit a salary cap situation created by Dr. Nefario of “Despicable Me” fame. Scratch that thought. Jerry isn’t going to fire Jerry.
The Head Coaching situation is, to be charitable, a hot mess. Mike McCarthy is a bit of an enigma. Although highly regarded as an X’s and O’s man his clock-management skills were learned studying sundials at noon. Situational Awareness is, shall we say a bit lacking. Cowboys’ Nation wants him fired. But, the larger question is; does he want to stay? Next year the team will pay Parsons. At that point 50% or more of the cap will be distributed between 3 players; Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah. Dickens’ character Marley didn’t drag around chains and boxes that were any smaller. Mike may want to get out of Dodge while the getting is good. His contract expires on January 15. Jerry could have fleshed out Mike’s intentions with an extension offer a few weeks ago. He didn’t.
Win the Game
Al Davis used to say, “Just Win, Baby.” Just go win it no matter how ugly it looks. Just go win it. Washington’s injured list is long. It’s not as long as Detroit’s. But, it’s not trifling by any means. The Offensive Line is plenty banged up. Both Right Tackles are hurt as is the Center. Parsons lines up on the outside of the Right Tackle. Look for John Bates to line up next to the RT.
The key to this game is to get up early. Dallas plainly quit last week after an early drive ended with a Pick-6 by Philly. Cowboys’ players have their bags packed and their tickets for island vacations in-hand. Give them the first excuse to fold and they will. Leave them around and a dog fight may break out. Washington is laying 6.5 points to the home dog ‘Boys. Starting next week and for as long as the playoff run lasts the WFT will be back to familiar territory as underdogs.
A win would give Washington a 4-win Division record. To get four wins in the Division one has to all the way back to Week#2 of 2021. For the previous three seasons combined the Division record is 4-14. What a difference a year makes. Whatever happens in 2025 the fate of the franchise turned to the positive on a dime this past year.
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys: Jan. 5, FOX, 1 p.m.
Announcers: Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez, Kristina Pink
