Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Key numbers from Washington Football Team’s playoff-clinching win

By Hirdesh Matta

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 03: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws an incomplete pass as he is pressured by defensive tackle Malik Jackson #97 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 03, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 03: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team throws an incomplete pass as he is pressured by defensive tackle Malik Jackson #97 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 03, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Jan 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Football Team during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) runs for a touchdown against the Washington Football Team during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Bad

3/4: Three of Philadelphia’s four first downs in the first quarter came off Washington’s defensive penalties. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Cole Holcomb extended the Eagles’ first drive.

On the Eagles’ first scoring drive which ran into the second quarter, Washington’s defense had three penalties that led to first downs for Philadelphia, including defensive pass interference on Kendall Fuller and defensive holding on Holcomb on key third-downs.

4: Despite winning the division, with a 7-9 record, Washington finishes the regular season with a losing record for the fourth year in a row.

More from Riggo's Rag

+3: Washington came into this game as one of the best second-half offensive teams, with the best second-half point differential (+106). During the second half against the Eagles, the team was only able to muster 3 points.

2-for-11: After Washington started 4-for-4 on third-downs on its first drive, ending the drive with a touchdown, its efficiency quickly went downhill. Outside of the first drive, Washington was only 2-for-11 on third-downs, which isn’t going to get it done in the playoffs.

7.10: If there’s one area this defense struggles with it is stopping mobile quarterbacks. Against the Eagles, Washington allowed Hurts to rush 8 times for 34 yards and 2 touchdowns. This season against mobile quarterbacks (Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts), Washington has given up 206 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries, for a healthy 7.10 yards per carry.

97: Washington’s offense had 97 yards of total offense in the second half on 28 plays, good for an average of just 3.46 yards per play. Washington’s second-half possessions were not something you would expect from a playoff-bound team as the team went Punt-Punt-Interception-Punt-Interception-Field Goal-Punt to close out the game.

2, 1, 0: Alex Smith was clearly struggling with his calf injury throughout the game, but willed Washington to two first-half touchdowns. He wasn’t amazing but he played an efficient first-half, going 17-for-22 for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. The second-half didn’t look like the same Alex, as he finished 5-for-10 for 31 yards, two interceptions, one sack, and zero touchdowns.

If Smith doesn’t have a particularly strong week of practice, it might make sense for Washington to go with Taylor Heinicke against the Bucs.

Home/Commanders News