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Breaking down the game-winning touchdown drive against the Commanders

A closer look at the game-winning touchdown drive against the Eagles against the Commanders.

Sunday’s impressive 36-33 victory over the Eagles was capped off by a near-perfect two-minute drive from the offense. The Managers got the ball at their own 43-yard line with 1:53 left and only one timeout left, needing a touchdown to beat the NFL’s top defense. The Commanders marched 57 yards down the field in nine plays and scored the game-winning touchdown with six seconds left. It was a great drive worth a closer look, so here’s how they did it.

play 1

Situation: 1st and 10 at the Washington 43 with 1:53 left.

Analysis: To begin a drive, the commander puts one of the common quick game concepts into gear. They started in a 2-on-2 formation, but tight end Zach Ertz moved to the left side of the formation before the snap. From there, Aerts runs a deep stick route, often referred to as a branch route (branch because it’s a longer version of the stick). In the slot, Terry McLaurin runs a slot fade on the outside of Ertz and Jamison Crowder runs a hitch on the outside. This three-route combination is better known as Patriot and is one of Commander’s favorite ways to reach slot fade. On the right side of the formation, the remaining receiver is Olamide Zachous. He runs spot routes and running back Brian Robinson swings back into the flat as a checkdown option.

Ertz’s motion elicits a reaction from linebacker Zach Baun, who follows Ertz across the formation to the slot. This leaves only linebacker Nakobe Dean and cornerback Darius Slay on the right side of the offensive line. When Daniels stepped back to pass, he saw Dean opening his hips to Robinson and moving his body toward the flat, and he knew there was a gaping hole beneath Zacchaeus. Because Slay plays in coverage, he knows that if he throws well and at the right time, the ball will reach Zaccheus before Surratt can do anything. So Daniels didn’t hesitate and immediately threw the ball out. Slay closes as quickly as possible, but the ball arrives first and Zacchaeus catches it for a seven-yard gain before Slay can tackle him.

play 2

Situation: 2nd and 3rd at 50 minutes, 1 minute 34 seconds remaining.

Washington Post (paywall)

Inside the Commanders’ dramatic final drive to defeat the Eagles

Washington gained 57 yards with two minutes remaining and scored the winning touchdown on a play known as the “Fiesta.”

Some of Washington’s managers knew they were about to perform a “fiesta” deep in the red zone with nine seconds left.

“We’ve been in that situation hundreds of times,” tight end Zach Ertz said. “We knew what plays were going to be called before the coaches called them.”

In fact, they had a fiesta during Friday’s practice, an exact replica of what happened Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium. Quarterback Jaden Daniels expected the middle of the field to be empty. Then slot receiver Jamison Crowder cleared the linebacker and broke up the middle, opening a small window for a touchdown throw.

8. First goal from Philadelphia 9, 11 seconds left — Daniels spikes the ball to stop the clock.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter jumped between the center’s legs and tried to block the spike. He started trying it out last year after seeing a Colorado high school player pull it off.

9. Second and Goal from Philadelphia 9, 9 seconds left — Daniels passes short-middle to Crowder for 9 yards and a touchdown.

While the offense was down several key skill players, two wide receivers, Crowder and Zachias, stepped up with two touchdown catches each. The final touchdown was especially memorable for the 31-year-old Crowder, who has missed the majority of the past two-and-a-half months with a calf injury.

“It means a lot,” Crowder said. “It was a shame to miss the time.”

“Those guys may not get the attention, but it’s important to have a veterinarian in the room like that,” McLoughlin said. “He’s been great for our young players. He’s been great for me. He pushes me every day to be the best I can be. … I’m very happy for him. .”

commanders.com

Game Ball | 4 players who caught the spotlight from Washington’s win over Philadelphia

olamide zacaius

There was some question as to who could step up as Daniels’ other go-to option in this game. It was unclear whether Zach Ertz, who ranks second on the team in receiving yards, would be available as he works through concussion protocol. Noah Brown, who ranks third in receiving yards, was diagnosed with a kidney injury in the game against the Titans and will be out for a while.

Yesterday, Zacchais stepped up and finished as Washington’s receiving yards leader with five catches for 70 yards. And it gets even better. He also scored two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter as the managers mounted a comeback.

In the first, he was able to get his hands under Daniels’ throw as he swung past the defender and slid to the ground. The 4-yard pass was Zacchaeus’ first touchdown of the season. The second was the coach’s next goal. The wideout again found space well away from the defender and retrieved a downfield bomb from Daniels. After securing the pass, there was still a lot of work to do before getting into the end zone. Zacchaeus swung past defenders and jumped over opposing defenders for a goal that tied Washington.

The last time a wide receiver scored two touchdowns in a game was in Week 9 of the 2021 season. Will he do it again with an important win against his former team? clutch.

ESPN

NFL Week 16: Biggest questions and takeaways from each game

commander

Will Sunday’s win earn quarterback Jaden Daniels Rookie of the Year honors? That should be the case by a wide margin. It’s hard to imagine a rookie offensive player doing better than Daniels. Daniels got off to a strong start, but showed more in the second half. He currently has 22 touchdown passes, five in the win over the Eagles and nine in the last three games. He also rushed for 82 of the Commanders’ 114 yards on Sunday. Washington’s offense wasn’t very successful with five turnovers, but Daniels saved it with a big play, including a 10-yard winning throw with six seconds left.

Two words to describe this game: “Unlikely to come back.” The Commanders had no chance of winning after turning the ball over five times, and the Eagles scored 13 points. But Daniels made all the difference. The Commanders then held running back Saquon Barkley to 27 yards on 16 carries in the second half.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The run game. Washington’s run game was all or nothing — and it was all about the rookie quarterback. The leadership was unable to move the Eagles’ line all afternoon. This has become a recurring issue, as Washington’s running backs had just 34 yards rushing last week against the Saints. — John Keim

Rigo’s rug

Key numbers for the manager, Week 16: Washington overcomes mistakes to pull off miracle win

Jaden Daniels delivers an early Christmas present to commanders…

1.95: This game was the exact opposite of the Eagles run game in Week 11. In that game, Saquon Barkley took over late and ended the game. After early success, the manager’s defense held him in check.

Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns, including a 68-yarder at the end of the first quarter. He only managed 37 rushing yards on his remaining 19 carries, giving him an anemic 1.95 yards per carry.

12: After only one reception for 10 receiving yards in the first matchup against the Eagles, McLaurin finished the game with five catches for 60 yards and his 12th receiving touchdown of the season. He currently ties the franchise record for touchdown receptions in a season with Ricky Sanders. He also had five consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving, becoming the sixth receiver since 2012 to accomplish that feat.

If Jamison Crowder and Olamide Zakaius are on your bingo card as key contributors to the offense in 2024, you deserve to win the award. The duo finished with two receiving touchdowns each.

The last time Crowder scored two receiving touchdowns was in Week 13 of the 2020 season. The last time Zacchaeus accomplished this feat was in Week 8 of the 2021 season. Meanwhile, former Washington pass catcher Jahan Dotson had zero touches.

Future opponents

alcohol addict

Falcons Week 16 MVP: Defense? Also?

I’m not going to say with a straight face that the Falcons have a good defense right now. They still rank last in the league in sacks and have suffered two lopsided losses in their last five games, due in part to defensive deficiencies. This team has a long way to go to be a consistently good team on the ball in 2025.

But despite this, the team has ignited their pass rush since the bye week and showed three excellent defensive efforts. That included one truly great game against the Chargers and two strong efforts against clearly weaker opponents, culminating in an underwhelming day against the woeful Giants.

The defense was the MVP of the week, with a quality debut for Michael Penix and a great day for Bijan Robinson. Three sacks, two (!) pick-sixes, a forced fumble, and just 234 yards allowed and one early touchdown were more than enough against most opponents, and Atlanta’s loss to New York This led to the complete crushing of the

Week 16: 3 up, 3 down: Penix is ​​up, Pitts is down

The big day for the Falcons still carries a bitter taste.

Kyle Pitts

People who just work here don’t do that much anymore. Kyle Pitts has played less than 50% of the total offensive snaps in three of the past four games. Penix’s debut was another chance for Kyle Pitts to start fresh with a new quarterback, and he gave it away. Pitts is always getting into trouble and seems to be running out of excuses.

It would have been nice to see Penix return to tight end later on, and he’ll probably have to pitch his way again, but Pitt’s future beyond 2024 is a big unknown. He already has a fifth-year option, and the Falcons can’t afford to take on too much dead cap if they potentially cut Kirk Cousins. The best solution is what everyone wanted: Pitts playing well. Unfortunately, that solution does not appear to be achievable at this time.

podcasts and videos

Is Jaden Daniels in the MVP conversation?

Olamide Zakaius’ best play in 2TD win over former team | Washington commander

The Magic of Jaden Daniels | Booth Review Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL

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