In a game that included a pick-six, a near fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by the opposition, countless misfires from the starting QB, the co-owner and co-CEO of the home team being greeted by a smattering of boos and “sell the team” chants, the Washington Commanders pulled out a season-saving victory.
After two straight wins following a 1-4 start, the Commanders are suddenly right in the thick of a wide-open NFC playoff picture.
The list of individuals deserving of credit for the victory is endless. The defense balled out yet again despite being victimized by penalties.
On offense, Taylor Heinicke overcame a dreadful start and allowed his receivers to pick up yards after the catch. Terry McLaurin went absolute beast mode and dominated one of the game’s elite cornerbacks and the Commanders finally committed to running the football against a porous Packers run defense.
Might we look back at this game as the one that saved the season? You never know. Here are some key things we learned from the thrilling win.
4 things we learned in Commanders’ big win over the Packers
4. Joey Slye is officially a liability
Slye did wonders to heal the wound left behind by the Chris Blewitt disaster last season after Dustin Hopkins was released.
In six games, Slye nailed all 12 of his field goals and nine of 10 extra-points. Not only did he provide stability at the position, but his ability to drill kicks beyond 50 yards put the offense in scoring position shortly after it crossed midfield.
This year has been a different story for the big-legged kicker. On Sunday, he missed a 47-yarder that would’ve pulled Washington within one point. At that point, Slye missed two of his last three attempts and his 6-of-8 on the season with a missed extra-point.
Incredibly, Hopkins, who just played hero for the Chargers with a bum hamstring against the Broncos on Monday Night Football, was cut a year ago this week after starting the season 12-of-14 on FGs and 10-of-12 on point afters.
Hopkins is currently on the shelf with that hamstring injury, but Slye’s shaky start to 2022 is further proof the grass isn’t always greener. If this continues, the Commanders might invite some kickers for a workout to light a fire under Slye.
3. Antonio Gibson is the offense’s X-factor
Sunday was the latest evidence that this is Brian Robinson’s backfield, but Gibson has proven over the last two games that he can still contribute in a big way despite not being the lead running back. In fact, a part-time role in a shared backfield might be best suited for his skillset.
In Week 6, Gibson provided a needed spark after halftime and averaged seven yards per carry. Ron Rivera admitted after the game that Gibson should’ve been more involved and that manifested itself against the Packers as the third-year back finished with 10 carries for 59 yards and three catches for 18 yards and a timely touchdown that brought Washington back within four after falling behind 14-3.
Gibson serving as the change-of-pace back behind Robinson’s physical, bruising rushing style is paying huge dividends for the Memphis product. It’s human nature for defense’s to adjust to one player’s style of running. That leaves them unprepared for Gibson’s shiftier brand of running even though they know he’s lined up in the backfield. It’s impossible to quantify, but it’s a real thing.
It’s long been theorized that Curtis Samuel is Washington’s offensive X-factor, but Sunday proved that title belongs to Gibson. That’s no dig at Samuel, who was at the epicenter of the Commanders’ offensive success, but Gibson’s ability to provide a spark on the ground and through the air is incredibly valuable.
2. The secondary is better without William Jackson III
We actually don’t mean this as a slight to Jackson. It hasn’t worked out for him in Washington and he deserves credit for how he went about his trade “request.” It’s not like the Commanders have an Elijah Moore situation on their hands. Jackson would simply prefer to have a new home by the deadline.
And you know what? Washington can afford to acquiesce to his preference based on what we’ve seen from the defense the last couple weeks. The Titans, Bears and Packers aren’t the gold standard of offense’s this season, but the secondary has performed markedly better with Jackson out of the lineup.
Jackson was benched in Week 5 and hasn’t played since due to a back injury. Claimed off waivers after the final round of roster cuts, Rachad Wildgoose has taken Jackson’s place in the starting lineup, albeit in the nickel with Benjamin St-Juste kicking back outside and has exceeded fans’ wildest expectations.
In the Week 6 win over Chicago, Wildgoose finished as Washington’s third-highest graded defender, via Pro Football Focus. In Weeks 5 and 6, Wildgoose allowed just one catch on three targets to go with seven tackles and a pass breakup. He added to his PBU tally on Sunday and likely graded out well despite a couple missed tackles in the second half.
The Commanders took some heat for adding more known commodities to fill out their roster, but Wildgoose has proven to be a diamond in the rough. All the more reason to move heaven and earth to trade Jackson before the deadline.
1. Taylor Heinicke is good enough (for now)
Maybe Heincike was shaking off the rust after riding the bench all season. Or maybe he’s just a limited quarterback and the plethora of limitations that were revealed in Heinicke’s 15 starts last year were on full display in this game.
I tend to side with the latter argument. In the first half alone, Heinicke misfired on at least seven passes. Three of his first four pass attempts could’ve been intercepted and the Packers finally made him pay with a second-quarter pick-six.
Later in the first half, Heinicke showed zero awareness on a scramble and fumbled after getting tackled from behind by Rashan Gary. The Packers scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown to open up a 20-10 lead, but the score was negated by a tacky illegal touching on cornerback Eric Stokes.
The second half was a different story. Heinicke had the offense humming and his greatest contribution came on a touchdown to Terry McLaurin that he dropped in the bucket from 37 yards out. Jaire Alexander applied sticky coverage on the route, but Heinicke placed it perfectly and McLaurin made a great adjustment.
Much like the “Carson Wentz experience”, the Heinicke experience is a rollercoaster. There will be ups and downs, but you can’t teach resiliency and the Old Dominion product’s is second to none. No wonder the team loves playing for him.
Honorable mention: Terry McLaurin is a freak, but you already knew that.