Taylor Heinicke and the 4-5 Washington Commanders came into their Monday Night Football matchup against Jalen Hurts and the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles with the expectation that they would be the proverbial lambs lined up to be slaughtered at the hands of the best team in the NFL.
While a bad Heinicke start included a fumble deep in his own territory, the fact that Washington was able to respond in such impressive fashion deserves a tip of the cap to Ron Rivera. The Eagles had just seven minutes of possession midway through the third quarter due to Scott Turner’s ground-and-pound attack.
The Commanders managed to defy the odds and help pop champagne corks in the hands of all the 1972 Miami Dolphins, ending Philly’s unbeaten run with a 32-21 victory. A Brandon Graham unnecessary roughness penalty following a hit on a kneeling Heinicke ended up sealing the deal.
While there were some Commanders who didn’t pull their weight in this game, as Hurts and the passing game managed to reel off some big plays against Jack Del Rio and that secondary, this is a cause for celebration. These three standouts played the biggest hand in finalizing the win.
3 studs as Commanders pull off an insane upset of unbeaten Eagles
3. RB Brian Robinson
Seemingly every week, the hypothetical title of best running back on the team switches between Robinson and Antonio Gibson. Turner decided to give Robinson the bulk of the workload, and he turned in another solid, gritty performance in his debut season,
While Robinson didn’t have a run that went further than 11 yards (an issue that he still needs to correct), he did churn out 86 yards rushing while plunging into the end zone. Washington wanted to chew clock to keep Hurts off the field, and Robinson helped them execute that vision.
Brian Robinson played well for the Washington Commanders.
The fact that Robinson is even on the field after what happened to him in the offseason is impressive, and playing a role in such a huge upset is even more jaw-dropping. The Eagles were without star rookie run-stopper Jordan Davis, and Robinson made them pay.
Eventually, the Commanders will need to look at Robinson’s lack of juice and figure out if he is a viable starting running back in the league. For the time being, however, his ability to keep the chains moving up the middle is going to be exploited by Turner and this coaching staff.
2. K Joey Slye
The Commanders wouldn’t have made a dent in Philly’s suddenly squishy defense if they didn’t have the reliable right leg of Slye to finish drives off. Putting up 32 on the road against an undefeated team in a game where Heinicke threw zero touchdowns is a sign that the kicking game was excellent.
Slye made all four of his field goals, including one from 55 yards and another from 58. Heinicke and the offense often had problems finishing drives off, but Slye was able to bail them out consistently with his powerful boots. Maintaining this performance is a real asset Washington can lean on.
Joey Slye was automatic for the Washington Commanders.
Commanders fans are almost used to all of the special teams tomfoolery that can derail promising wins, so it’s nice to Slye be so reliable. Pound for pound, Slye has one of the strongest legs in the league, and Washington could make very good use of that.
On the season, Slye has now made 13 of his 15 attempts and hit all his tries from 50 yards out or greater. Rivera’s strategy of pulling former Carolina Panthers to Washington hasn’t always worked out, but bringing in Slye has been worth it after clinching the victory here.
1. WR Terry McLaurin
McLaurin had quite the difficult challenge ahead of him in this game, as Darius Slay and James Bradberry represent arguably the best cornerback tandem in the NFC. Undaunted by this matchup, McLaurin showed why he remains one of the game’s most underrated and underappreciated players.
McLaurin finished the evening with eight catches for 128 yards. For the sake of comparison, Gibson was the only other player who caught more than three passes, and Curtis Samuel was the only one not wearing No. 17 with more than 15 yards receiving. It was McLaurin against the world, and McLaurin won.
Terry McLaurin was dominant for the Washington Commanders.
McLaurin, who was recently extended, is on pace for his fourth consecutive season with at least 900 receiving yards. Considering the fact that he was a third-round pick, has been stuck in a conservative offensive scheme, and has caught passes from nearly a dozen quarterbacks, those numbers are staggering.
With matchups against much-hyped Houston Texans rookie Derek Stingley, a nasty Giants defense, and a hard-hitting 49ers team, the Commanders will need McLaurin to be at his absolute best if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. Considering how he torched Slay in this game, that shouldn’t be too hard.
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