Washington Football Team: Three takeaways from close 2020 playoff loss
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – Big things could be ahead for this team
After years of empty promises detailing how the culture has changed, it almost doesn’t feel real when it actually is changed. But it is now, and the Washington Football Team’s close loss to the Buccaneers is proof of that.
The Buccaneers were almost a two-score favorite, and Washington easily could have rolled over when they went down by double-digits early. With the defense struggling, the offense easily could have lost momentum, and fed an expected collapse against the greatest quarterback of all time.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, the defense kept searching for momentum-changing plays. The offense kept battling behind the stubborn persistence of Taylor Heinicke. And the players all rallied together to provide their best effort. They came up short, but with another coach, they might have not come at all.
Things have changed under Ron Rivera. That was first evident when the team came back from a 1-5 start and won the NFC East. But they had help from a poor division. On Saturday, no one came to their aid when the Buccaneers started pouring on points. Instead, the Washington Football Team willed its way back into the game, and almost beat a Super Bowl contending team.
Next. Three WFT standouts vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. dark
Year 1 gave us more than we could have hoped for. Now, it’s on to Year 2. Questions remain for Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team. But big things could be ahead.