Washington Football Team Halftime Takeaways: Alex Smith is back

We can keep it simple for this week’s Washington Football Team halftime takeaways: Ron Rivera’s squad has not been good.

And for perhaps the first time all season, the defense has not at all been a respite for the offense’s ineptitude. There wasn’t much that went right for the Washington Football Team through two quarters, and at the half, the Los Angeles Rams lead Washington by a score of 20-10.

The game started off on a decent note; the Rams did drive down the field fairly quickly for their first score, but Washington, after going three-and-out on their first drive, was able to rebound. Kyle Allen found the end zone for the team’s first touchdown with a nice run in the red zone.

After that play, however, Washington’s offense stalled out, and the Rams just kept cooking. Jared Goff completed ten passes before throwing his first incompletion, and the secondary looked lost for much of the half. The team’s linebackers also proved to be unequipped to handle the Rams’ tight ends, and overall, Sean McVay moved the ball at will against Ron Rivera’s defense.

Rivera himself also isn’t immune from criticism in the first half. At one point, Washington had a fourth-and-one ahead of their 40-yard line. Rather than take a chance at keeping possession of the football, Rivera punted, giving the ball back to a Rams offense that could not be stopped. Rivera, supposedly aiming to win now, was contradictory of his philosophy with that move, and his conservative approach led to another touchdown for Los Angeles.

The biggest story, however, is Alex Smith’s return, even amidst all the struggles. Late in the half, Kyle Allen, after performing admirably in his initial action, was hit hard by Jalen Ramsey and headed to the locker room. Alex Smith came into the game for him, appearing in his first game since November of 2018.

Smith would go on to lead the team to their first points since Allen’s initial touchdown as the half wound down, completing four of his five passes. He was also sacked, but got up afterward, providing relief to onlookers steeped in anticipation. Smith’s comeback is legendary, regardless of what happens next. He’s finally hit the field, two years after suffering an injury that almost ended his career.

The Washington Football Team again finds itself down at the half, and what happens at quarterback might not matter if the defense doesn’t find consistency against the Rams’ offense. Kendall Fuller did get an interception, but before that play, McVay’s team was moving the ball at will. They need more cohesiveness on defense if they’re going to compete.