Comment on this storyComment
DENVER – The Washington Commanders trailed by 18 points in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but the message on the sideline was simple.
“Everyone tells each other, ‘It’s one play,'” said left tackle Charles Leno Jr. “All it takes is one play.”
A positive play to turn around after a series of bad ones. Because whatever could have gone wrong for the Commanders early on against the Broncos, did. Quarterback Sam Howell was sacked three times – once on each of Washington’s first three drives – and a pass was deflected, ending the fourth drive.
Washington’s defense was torn apart at the edges by outside runs and deep balls up the middle from Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
Missed tackles? There were plenty.
Missed tasks? Just as many.
Big plays? Washington has allowed more than enough.
Even special teams had disastrous moments, with a botched snap, missed field goal attempts and a 45-yard punt return by Denver.
But after falling into a hole, the Commanders quickly climbed back out, securing a 35-33 win thanks to defensive takeaways, the poise of their young quarterback and a career performance from running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Four takeaways from the Commanders’ 35-33 win over the Broncos
The win, which was nearly erased by Wilson’s Hail Mary touchdown in the final seconds, was the Commanders’ second straight second-half comeback win and gave them a 2-0 lead for the first time since 2011. It was also Coach Ron Rivera’s 100th regular season win as a coach and Howell’s first road win.
Washington’s 23-year-old quarterback had flaws but also showed resilience, raising hope that maybe, just maybe, he can be the Commanders’ future quarterback.
“He’s very resilient and handled the game really well,” Rivera said. “I think his teammates benefit from it. It was exciting to see him do the things he did today because those are things we will build on.”
But the notable second-half surge was due in large part to Washington’s running, a facet of Eric Bieniemy’s offense that was questionable after Week 1 and for much of Sunday’s first half. Against the Broncos, Washington totaled 388 net yards on offense, including 190 in the first half and 198 in the second. It more than tripled its production on the ground since Week 1 and nearly doubled its average yardage per game in the second half (7.6 yards per game vs. 4.8).
Robinson ran the ball 18 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, the first of which gave the Commanders a 28-24 lead. Robinson also had 42 receiving yards on two catches, showcasing his versatility and the growth of Washington’s screen game under Bieniemy.
“Once he gets it done, the young man is capable of doing it,” Rivera said. “It shows what he can be. It was a balance for our offense. … That’s what we saw today – the ability to run the ball, the ability to throw the ball, use the screen game, run the ball inside, run the ball outside. We did some things that were really good for us and we can grow from that.”
The turnaround began in the second quarter when linebacker Jamin Davis delivered on a strip sack of Wilson. Fellow linebacker Cody Barton won the ball back and gave the offense a chance to make up the deficit.
Tight end Logan Thomas caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Howell and held on to the ball when safety Kareem Jackson hit him with a helmet-to-helmet hit. Thomas left the game with a concussion and Jackson was disqualified. But Robinson then gave Washington the first momentum with a two-point conversion and crossed the goal line with just a few centimeters left to score.
In the third quarter, after defensive tackle Daron Payne almost single-handedly forced a Denver three-and-out with a sack, a tackle for a loss and a batted pass, Robinson had an 11-yard run to set up Howell’s 30-yard Run set up touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin in the end zone. Washington had been practicing the play all week.
“I’ve wanted to play the field for a while,” McLaurin said. “I just wanted to stay patient. I knew we were going to get the look, and to be honest, it was actually a different look than we expected in practice, but I trusted that me and Sam would gel in this game.”
McLaurin ran a post route from the right side and Howell threw a dart to his left shoulder, just out of reach of the two defenders rushing him.
“It’s one of those momentum-changing plays,” McLaurin said of the touchdown.
Robinson delivered plenty more in the second half on Sunday, including a 27-yard catch that helped set him up for his first touchdown in the fourth quarter and a 21-yard catch that set him up six minutes later second touchdown helped.
“He runs hard; he runs physically,” Howell said. “He makes the defense feel it every time he touches the ball. … He’s a killer when he gets the ball. It’s so much fun to play with a guy like that.”
Rivera said Robinson’s game-changing performance showed his true potential as a playmaker for Washington and particularly in Bieniemy’s offense. Robinson said he is nowhere near reaching his full potential.
“I know I have a lot more left in the tank than I can show,” he said. “I take these steps week after week. At some point everything will be on display.”
And Robinson wasn’t the only one who found success again on Sunday. Antonio Gibson, who has advocated for years to be used more in the passing game, got his wish by turning a short pass on the screen into a 36-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Svrluga: The Commanders season is about Sam Howell. The early returns are good.
“The defensive ends played a lot into the tackles, so the whole game we were like, ‘Be prepared for the screen, be prepared for the screen,’ and eventually the decision came,” Gibson said. “I was patient with it…and I tried to get the burners going.”
As the offense made its plays, so did the defense. Chase Young, returning from a stinger sustained in the preseason, had his first full sack in nearly two years and finished with 1.5. Sweat added 1.5 himself, giving him three points on the season.
Rookie corner Emmanuel Forbes, beaten early on a 54-yard catch by Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., came back to record his first career interception in the third quarter.
“That’s how the game goes,” Leno said. “Sometimes the offense has to help the defense, the defense has to help the offense, but at the end of the day it was a team effort. We all contributed to making it that way and we all contributed to changing the situation.”
Washington hasn’t come from 18 points to a win since 2015. Sunday’s game also marked Washington’s biggest road comeback since a 21-point deficit in Detroit in 1990.
“I’m telling you, it feels different,” Leno added. “I just like this team, we’re resilient, we just find ways to win. It doesn’t matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is, it’s just about getting the W.”