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.
2. Fans expecting Commanders to make the playoffs
You smell that? It’s the Commanders surging up the NFC playoff standings. After starting the season 1-4, Ron Rivera’s group is suddenly tied with the 49ers for the third and final wild card berth in the NFC. The playoffs are suddenly within striking distance, but we wouldn’t go dubbing the season playoffs or bust just yet.
The standings are favorable right now, but they’re still jumbled and several teams are in contention for the final spot, including the 3-4 Rams. Additionally, a whopping five other teams are right on the Commanders’ heels with a 3-5 record, including the Buccaneers, Packers, Cardinals, Saints and Bears.
That doesn’t include the 4-4 Falcons and 5-3 Seahawks; division leaders who have the same number of wins or just one more W than Washington. If you include the 49ers, that’s nine teams who could be in play for the third wild card, assuming the Giants and Cowboys (both 6-2) continue distancing themselves from the pack.
We’ll know more of the Commanders’ playoff chances after Week 10, but let’s remember this team needed miracles to beat the Bears and Colts. A win is a win is a win, yes, but those games could’ve easily been losses.
We need to see more complete performances before we start talking about playoff football returning to DC.
1. Taylor Heinicke should start the rest of the year
We mean absolutely zero disrespect to Heinicke, but two wins doesn’t prove he should start the rest of the season. While the Commanders are 4-4 and tied with San Francisco for the third wild card spot in the NFC, the play the 6-1 Vikings and the Eagles, who are likely to remain undefeated heading into the game (they play Houston this Thursday), in the next two weeks.
Let’s say Washington loses both games. At that point, Carson Wentz will be eligible to come off injured reserve. Might Ron Rivera be tempted to hand the keys of the offense back to the $28 million quarterback? Does Heinicke keep the job regardless and ultimately get replaced by Sam Howell for the final few games if the team falls out of playoff contention? If you ask us, both outcomes are possible.
Right now, Heinicke is the favorite to keep the job when Wentz is healthy. He’s earned that much after helping save Washington’s season. But let’s not be quick to forget that he almost derailed any hope of a comeback on Sunday and could’ve been responsible for two defensive touchdowns against the Packers had the scoop-and-score not be overturned due to a fakakta illegal touching.
Heinicke is once again exceeding expectations and his chemistry and willingness to throw to Terry McLaurin alone should be enough to keep his job. We just need to see him limit the turnover-worthy plays before we can definitively say he should start the rest of the way.