The Washington Commanders faced a huge test of their credentials on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. As it turned out, they were nowhere near the required standard en route to a defeat that could have been a lot worse.
It was a dismal overall performance in a primetime clash that some analysts thought would be much closer. But the Commanders' biggest positive to take from the contest quickly became painfully obvious.
Granted, the pluses from such a disastrous performance were hard to find. However, if there was once solace for head coach Dan Quinn to take from the clash, it was the performance of Washington's two special-teams gunners — Percy Butler and Tyler Owens.
Commanders' special teams gunners were a rare bright spot in Week 2
There was no quarter given. The stakes were high, and the atmosphere was intimidating for the visiting team. It's nothing Butler hasn't dealt with before, and he called on this experience to put together a highly profitable evening at the office with the national NFL audience watching intently.
It was also refreshing to see Owens looking so sharp. It wasn't entirely perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. But this performance represents an outstanding sign of what could be ahead for the defensive back later in the campaign.
The Commanders had so many problems, it was hard to keep up. Their offense couldn't get going. Washington's defense looked a yard off the pace. Matt Gay missed two long-range kicks. Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury, and Joe Whitt Jr. were outcoached. But amid all the doom and gloom, Butler and Owens emerged as shining lights.
That's something, at least. And in Owens' case, perhaps it could result in more involvement on the defensive rotation if the same trend continues.
Washington staff thinks a lot of Owens. He's got the size, athleticism, and explosiveness that look tailor-made for Quinn's defensive scheme. If the former Texas Tech standout continues to catch the eye on special teams, Whitt will have no option other than to get him more involved as an important piece of the puzzle.
Butler had those opportunities once upon a time, and he almost always failed to meet expectations. However, the safety is carving out a niche for himself as a special teams ace, which earned him a new one-year deal ahead of time this summer.
That wouldn't have happened otherwise. And if he can maintain these high standards in the coming weeks, Butler could be in line for Pro Bowl consideration when it's all said and done.
Aside from that and a few others, it was an unmitigated disaster. Some extreme soul-searching is needed on the mini-bye. Otherwise, things have the scope to unravel quickly.