The Washington Commanders’ matchup against the Atlanta Falcons had the makings of an old-school football game. Once we learned there was extensive rain in the forecast, however, it became obvious both teams would engage in trench warfare.
Ultimately, the Commanders pulled out a narrow victory, as Daron Payne deflected a Marcus Mariota pass with the Falcons’ knocking on the doorstep of winning the game with a touchdown in the final minute of regulation. The batted ball landed right in the path of Kendall Fuller, who made no mistake and secured the game-winning pick.
This marks the Commanders’ sixth win in seven games and their second three-game winning streak of the campaign.
Washington has embraced the “a win is a win” mantra. While there’s nothing wrong with winning ugly, we identified some causes for concern in the game that must be addressed before the stretch run of the regular season.
3 causes for concern from Commanders Week 12 victory
3. Not enough looks for Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson
The weather undoubtedly contributed to this, but Washington isn’t going to win many games when Samuel and Dotson combine for one target .
While Samuel carried the rock four times for 13 yards, he wasn’t targeted in the passing game. Dotson, meanwhile, was targeted just once, and we wouldn’t fault fans who forgot the first-round pick played in the game; he was that invisible.
The Commanders’ offense is at its most lethal when the wealth is shared. On Sunday, though, it was Terry McLaurin or bust through the air. We’d never turn our nose up at peppering McLaurin with targets, but Taylor Heinicke’s affinity for his No. 1 receiver got Washington into trouble on more than one occasion.
Samuel and Dotson are too dynamic to combine for one target. The weather wasn’t exactly conducive for a big passing day, but Heinicke still attempted 23 passes. Need more targets (and touches) for Samuel and Dotson going forward.
2. Taylor Heinicke’s decision-making
A quarterback’s (poor) decision-making would be a No. 1 concern for most teams, but fans basically know what they’re getting from Heinicke. If we were talking about Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, this would be a different conversation.
Outside of the Commanders’ opening drive, Heinicke struggled moving the ball through the air. More worrying, though, was the normally-composed quarterback tried fitting passes into windows that his arm just can’t make.
Between Heinicke’s reckless shuffle pass in the first half and his interception, which he threw into quadruple coverage when Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson were wide open over the middle, Heinicke’s performance was very alarming. The sideline pass to Terry McLaurin that was nearly picked off is another example.
With Carson Wentz back practicing following finger surgery, Heinicke’s margin for error is thinner than ever entering Week 13.
The Commanders won’t be able to drain the clock by running the football every week. Better teams than Houston and Atlanta will force Heinicke to make a dagger throw. On Sunday, the beloved QB never looked like he was capable of making that play, which is odd given he’s normally nails in the clutch.
1. Falcons gashed Washington on the ground
All week fans were eager to find out how Washington’s elite run defense would perform against the Falcons’ formidable rushing attack.
When push came to shove, the Commanders offered little resistance in the game, as Atlanta totaled 167 rushing yards on nearly 6.0 yards per clip. That includes Marcus Mariota’s six attempts for 49. yards. The Falcons quarterback had Washington’s defense chasing ghosts all game on read options.
Tyler Allgeier compiled 54 yards, while Cordarrelle Patterson managed 52 yards, including a pivotal 15-yard scamper on a 1st and 25 that set the stage for MyCole Pruitt’s four-yard touchdown catch following Christian Holmes’ facemask penalty.
The Falcons didn’t have nearly as much success in the second half after Washington added a fifth player in the box, but it was still alarming to watch Atlanta’s offensive line bully Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, albeit with double teams.
If not for Darrick Forrest packing a punch at the second level, the Falcons likely would’ve eclipsed the 200-yard mark.
Was this just an off day at the office? Is there reason to be concern moving forward? Whatever the case, the Commanders will have trouble beating better teams — the Browns (with Deshaun Watson), 49ers and Cowboys are still left on the schedule — if they can’t stop the run.