Washington Football Team: 3 things to love and hate from Week 1 loss

1. Things I didn’t like: Antonio Gibson’s fumble

This play was the ultimate back-breaking mistake.

It was even more upsetting because Antonio Gibson was picking right up where he left off in 2020, showing he was not only a true RB1, but showing flashes of 2012 Alfred Morris. Morris posted 1,600+ yards in 2012, and proved to be one of the most dominant rushers in football that year. Not to say Gibson will do that in 2021. But there is just something about how he runs.

He is patient, he’s fast, he falls forward and usually, the first tackler isn’t bringing him to the ground. He was such a huge part of the offense against the Chargers, and since last year, he’s proven that it doesn’t matter who’s behind center, he’s going to make plays.

But his one mistake today proved to be a very costly one.

Right after William Jackson intercepted Justin Herbert, Washington was in the driver’s seat with momentum in their sails. It was the perfect time in the second half to put together a long drive and make it a two-score lead. But just a play after the interception, a turnover inside their own 10 turned into a lead change on the scoreboard and a momentum change they were never able to recover from.

There won’t be much time to sulk over the loss, as Washington turns their sights quickly to New York for a Thursday night for a battle with the Giants. Let’s hope Ron Rivera’s group can bring it for suddenly a very important home game on national TV.