The Kansas City Chiefs had just scored their second consecutive touchdown when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found tight end Jody Fortson for a seven-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-0 lead over the Washington Commanders.
That play stuck with Washington head coach Ron Rivera.
After the Chiefs’ 24-14 win over the Commanders, Rivera spoke to the media and discussed the scoring play from his perspective.
We have one guy coming off the edge, and we have someone else that is not setting the edge, so the quarterback steps aside,” Rivera said. “The touchdown pass was a great example, and that was the big disappointment, you know the second touchdown pass that Mahomes threw. We had great pressure coming off the back side, and the defensive end gets upfield and doesn’t get to his level and washes up and over. Mahomes just steps where he was and buys time, and he is able to stretch it a little bit and got away from Montez (Sweat). Montez was coming off the backside, and you have to stick to the process. You have to do your job.”
Ouch.
Here is the play.
Mahomes + Fortson = 6️⃣
That's @JodyFortsonJr's second TD of the day! 😤
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/pNm2XV7ScB
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 20, 2022
You can see why Rivera was frustrated by watching both defensive ends on the play. This happened far too often last year from all of Washington’s edge rushers.
To make matters worse, it was third and goal on the play. Washington’s issues on third down are well documented. Plays like this, where one player doesn’t do his job — in Rivera’s words — are why the Commanders struggle to get off the field on third down.
If the Commanders can’t find a way to solve their third-down woes in 2022, it will be a long season. And the problem doesn’t lie on Sweat; it’s the entire defense, from coordinator Jack Del Rio to all his players.
