3 overreactions to the Commanders miracle win over the Colts
By Jerry Trotta
The Washington Commanders snatched victory from the jaws of defeat vs the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday thanks to Terry McLaurin, who channeled his inner Randy Moss and absolutely strong-armed cornerback Stephon Gilmore for a 33-yard catch that set the stage of Taylor Heinicke’s game-winning score.
With the win, Washington is back in the NFC playoff picture.
Fans are absolutely buzzing and the vibe surrounding the team has done a complete 180 since the Week 5 loss to Tennessee when Carson Wentz failed to score on three tries from the goal line needing a touchdown to secure a win.
Anytime your favorite teams pulls off a miracle win in the final minute with the consensus fan favorites playing the role of hero, overreactions are bound to ensue. What might some of those overreactions sound like on this victory Tuesday?
3 overreactions from Commanders win over the Colts
3. Commanders defense is elite
The Commanders’ defense has been trending up since Week 4 and a catalyst in their three-game winning streak. They haven’t allowed more than 21 points since that game, but could this be a case of smoke and mirrors?
In the Week 5 loss to the Titans, they couldn’t stop Derrick Henry when it mattered. That was the last time Washington faced an above-average offense and they allowed Henry to compile over 100 rushing yards and Ryan Tannehill to game manage his way to a victory.
The last three games have been flat-out impressive, but let’s keep in mind the Commanders played middling offense during that stretch in the Bears, Packers and Colts. After Week 8, those teams rank 23rd, 26th and 30th in points per game.
You can only play who’s on your schedule and it speaks to how far Washington’s defense has come that they beat up on bad offenses (that wasn’t the case for most of last season), but talk to us two weeks from now after they’ve faced the Vikings and Eagles, who both rank in the top 10 in scoring and have ample weapons to account for.
The Commanders defense is getting hot at the perfect time, but let’s not call them elite just yet. That would mean they belong in the same conversation as Buffalo, Denver, Dallas, Philly and San Francisco, and that just isn’t accurate.