Washington Football Team studs and duds from Thanksgiving 2020 win

Dud No. 2 – Alex Smith’s interception

Just as so many others did, Alex Smith played a role in Washington’s decisive victory as well, but relative to others, his role was somewhat minimal. Smith did make a few key first-down throws, but he finished the day with on 146 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

The interception was ugly, and could have been a costly one, too, had Terry McLaurin not hustled to tackle Jaylon Smith before he reached the end zone. Smith may not have seen the Cowboys’ linebacker, but whatever the case, he gave it right to him, with a running lane to boot.

If Alex Smith is going to be the efficient game manager that gets the Washington Football Team through these kinds of games, just like he was in 2018, then he has to cut down on the turnovers. That may come in time, as he continues to regain comfort since returning to the field. But now that Washington is back in the NFC East lead, accountability is going to be important.

You may notice that Alex Smith himself isn’t a dud, and that’s because he passed an important milestone yesterday. Two years ago, on Thanksgiving in 2018, Smith was in a hospital bed. An infection post-surgery would put his life at risk and force doctors to consider amputating his leg. A comeback was all but impossible, and now, Alex Smith is 2-0 in his last two games.

Say what you will about Smith’s ability as a player or his viability as a quarterback, but his story remains nothing short of extraordinary, and the team very clearly responds to his resilience and drive, so that it permeates throughout the roster.