Washington Football Team studs and duds from Week 16 loss vs. Panthers

Dud No. 2 – WR Steven Sims

Steven Sims redeemed himself a bit late with some good catches in the second half, but he’s on the record for one major blunder in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, which came toward the end of the first quarter.

With the score still tied at zero a piece, the Panthers were punting and giving the ball back to Washington, who’d theoretically have a chance to claim initial momentum. The punt sailed to a waiting Steven Sims in the red zone.

Ultimately, Sims could not secure it. The ball went through his arms and rolled back into the end zone, where the Panthers recovered for a defensive touchdown. The play not only took a scoring opportunity away from Washington, but it also put the Panthers up 6-0, gave them the momentum, and helped kick off a 20-3 run to start the game.

In hindsight, it looked like Sims should have called for a fair catch, as his desire to start running early contributed to his lack of focus on the catch. But no matter how it happened, Ron Rivera must consider a change at punt returner. Sims has good flashes, but this isn’t the first time he’s inflicted a devastating blow by muffing the football.