Washington Football Team: Positive and negative takeaways from Week 4 win

Positive Takeaways

3. Washington’s playmakers on point

Washington’s offensive playmakers were potent as can be on Sunday afternoon. From DeAndre Carter’s kickoff return touchdown, to Terry McLaurin catching Taylor Heinicke’s punt, to JD McKissic willing his way into the end-zone within the final minute of the game, Washington has flat-out playmakers on its roster.

One playmaker, in particular, is Terry McLaurin, a bonafide superstar at the position that nobody can dismiss any further. The top 10 wideout finished with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. His versatility was on display as he caught passes at all three levels of the passing game, as well as saving his QB’s bacon on one occasion after what should’ve been an incompletion ended as McLaurin’s second touchdown of the evening. What can be said that hasn’t already when it comes to the former third-round pick?

He has emerged as one of the game’s premier talents, someone who should be a member of this organization for the next eight seasons. He’s arrived, folks. Terry McLaurin is all that and then some, now Washington needs to find the long-term thrower that can take advantage of his dynamic ability.

2. Defensive Line making strides

The defensive line played well today. Though they only finished with just one sack today, the unit forced pressure on a consistent basis and held Atlanta’s running back committee to 20 carries for just 45 yards.

Guys like Montez Sweat, Tim Settle, Chase Young each had one tackle for loss in the game while likely finishing with a handful of hurries combined. It’s a solid improvement for a unit that gets unnecessary hate, in my opinion. We’ll touch on the actual “enemies” of the defense later in this piece, but Washington’s front four/five won their matchup on Sunday afternoon.

1. Taylor Heinicke magic

Taylor Heinicke, somehow, did it again. He played a decent football game on Sunday afternoon He had his up and down moments. A few soft-balls that should’ve ended as incompletions or interceptions, both of which were saved by McLaurin, he missed a few easy throws like on third and two where he missed Ricky Seals-Jones in the flats, but he played well enough to win. His final drive of the game was huge, QB1-level stuff. He scanned the field, went through his progressions, and worked his way back to the opposite side of the field to find JD McKissic.

It was absolutely an exceptional play from Washington’s signal-caller, who did all that he could and flat-out made 50-percent of that play happen. You can’t ask for anything else, he kept the football clean, limited his mistakes, and ultimately it ended with a huge win for a Football Team that desperately needed it.