Rookie RB Antonio Gibson is Washington Football Team’s breakout star
Antonio Gibson is the Washington Football Team’s breakout star.
On an unseasonably warm Thanksgiving evening in Arlington, Texas, a new star was born on the Washington Football Team.
As families gathered safely to carve up turkey, some gathered around the TV to watch Washington carve up the Dallas Cowboys, 41-16. The victory temporarily catapulted Washington to the top of the NFC East with a 4-7 record. Thursday was the first time Washington scored 40 points since a Christmas Eve win over the Chicago Bears in 2016.
The bulk of the offensive attack was courtesy of the brightest star on Thanksgiving, rookie running back Antonio Gibson.
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Gibson, a third-round draft pick out of Memphis, took over the starting running back role after Washington cut Adrian Peterson in September. The move vaulted Gibson into an unusual role.
Listed as a wide receiver for the Tigers, Gibson ran the ball just 33 times at Memphis. Despite the lack of experience in the backfield, head coach Ron Rivera compared Gibson to Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Smith, Washington’s vice president of player personnel, told the Washington Post in April that he was “excited” about Gibson, adding “he’s a Swiss army knife.”
Gibson has more than met his preseason expectations. Through 12 weeks, Gibson sits third in the NFL with 11 total rushing touchdowns. Three of Gibson’s scores came on Thanksgiving, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns that sealed the victory.
In his postgame press conference, Gibson related his performance to a game against Southern Methodist University last November. In a game that Gibson said put him on the map, he ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Gibson tallied 227 scrimmage yards in a 54-48 Memphis win.
“It’s the story of my life, every time the spotlight comes on, it seems like God’s always watching down on me,” Gibson told reporters after the game.
With five games remaining in the season, Alfred Morris’ franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a rookie is in jeopardy. Morris, a sixth-round draft pick in 2012, ran for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns. The efforts by Morris and rookie star quarterback Robert Griffin III led Washington to a 10-6 record and an NFC East title.
While the presence of passing down back J.D. McKissic has Gibson well short of Morris’ rookie yardage, the rest of the Alfred Morris rookie experience translates to Gibson’s season. Both running backs were drafted on the second or third day of the draft and exceeded expectations to become their team’s leading rusher.
To make the playoffs, the Washington Football Team will need one more parallel from 2012 to come to fruition. Griffin and Morris clinched the NFC East eight years ago with a seven-game winning streak beginning the week before Thanksgiving. Washington currently sits on a two-game winning streak, sparked by a home win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 22.
Washington trails Morris’ current team, the New York Giants, in the division race due to the Giants holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Giants, who swept Washington for the second straight season, have won their last five games against the Washington Football Team.
Next. Washington vs. Steelers moved to Monday. dark
The Washington Football Team’s next game will be a road game against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. Gibson, who has scored a touchdown in five consecutive games, will look to extend that streak further. In three prior matchups with AFC North opponents, Gibson has totaled 189 yards and three touchdowns.