The Washington Commanders defeated the Atlanta Falcons 19-13 Sunday to improve to 7-5 on the season. With Seattle’s loss on Sunday evening, the Commanders hold possession of the NFC’s final playoff spot.
As with most of Washington’s victories, it came down to the wire, when defensive tackle Daron Payne deflected a Marcus Mariota pass and cornerback Kendall Fuller made a terrific interception off the tip in the end zone to wrap up a Commanders’ win.
Here are five takeaways from Washington’s win.
Taylor Heinicke another uneven performance
Enough about the Taylor Heinicke magic. If the Commanders are going to be a serious threat in the playoffs, they need more from the quarterback position. Heinicke was terrific on Washington’s opening drive. Then he struggled a bit as his last pass of the first half cost Washington a chance at points.
Heinicke misses some throws he needs to make. His touchdown pass to tight end John Bates was terrific. However, there are not enough of those. Late in the game, with the Commanders trying to ice the game, offensive coordinator Scott Turner didn’t trust Heinicke enough to try and end the game with a pass. You can’t hope to run out the clock late in games each week. The better teams are going to make you win it.
It was the Brian Robinson Jr. show
Rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran for a career-high 105 yards and caught a touchdown pass. On the TD pass and another second-half run, Robinson’s power was on full display, running over and through Atlanta defenders.
The Commanders love to rotate Antonio Gibson and Robinson. Gibson had 12 touches Sunday and was fine, but Robinson was clearly the more effective back. That’s fine. Sometimes it’s Gibson; other times, it’s Robinson. That’s a good problem to have.
Only one pass target for Samuel and Dotson combined
Wide receiver Curtis Samuel carried the football four times for 13 yards Sunday. However, Samuel was not targeted in the passing game. And rookie Jahan Dotson had just one target. The pair combined for zero catches.
That has to change.
Look, we know the weather was bad. However, Samuel and Dotson are the types of receivers who can take short passes and turn them into big gains. Moving forward, Washington must do more to get Samuel and Dotson involved in the passing game. The Commanders are much better and more dangerous when they move the ball around.
Run defense was a concern
Opposing offenses hadn’t been able to run the ball consistently against the Commanders since Week 2. Washington’s run defense was terrific, regardless of the opponent. The Falcons feature one of the NFL’s better run offenses. However, the presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota and the zone read caused problems for Washington’s defense. Mariota carried the ball six times for 49 yards. Tyler Allgeier ran for 54 yards, while Cordarelle Patterson chipped in 52 yards.
Should we be concerned? Or mark this off as one game? The Commanders can’t allow 167 rushing yards against good teams, or they will lose. Atlanta’s offensive line dominated the game at times. The Falcons did a good job of double-teaming Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne and Washington’s linebackers weren’t always there to clean up.
Let’s see what happens against the Giants and Saquon Barkley.
Ron Rivera wins his 100th game
On Sunday, Washington head coach Ron Rivera won his 100th game as an NFL head coach. After an impressive playing career, that’s quite the feat for Rivera.
It hasn’t always been easy with Washington, but Rivera has done an excellent job. He’s the ultimate leader who trusts his assistants and knows what type of players he wants. The Commanders have a good roster and are truly a quarterback away from being serious contenders. Washington must also shore up some holes along the offensive line, but Rivera has built a good roster and re-signed some of the team’s better players to long-term deals.
Rivera has this team winning games it would never have won years ago under any previous head coach. The culture is good, and Rivera has built a tough team. If Rivera leads Washington to 10 wins or more and into the playoffs, he should be a contender for NFL coach of the year.
