Week 13 - Studs, Duds, and Hat Tips

[Canadian Hog]

The Washington Football Team survived their visit to Las Vegas on Sunday with a thrilling 17-15 victory - I hope your heart survived that game as well. Now sitting at 6-6, the Burgundy and Gold are firmly entrenched in the #6 spot in the NFC Playoff picture and are within striking distance of the NFC East division leading Dallas Cowboys. Sunday's game was your classic example of a grind it out, gritty win. The Burgundy and Gold did exactly what they had to do on the road in what we knew was going to be a difficult contest vs. a pretty good Raiders team. They avoided getting into a shootout with Las Vegas, which has been the typical route of victory for the Silver and Black this year. The defense grinded, the offense produced in some timely spots in the ball game, and we gave ourselves a chance to win the game in the final seconds with our special teams. Let's get right to this week's Studs, Duds, and Hat Tips.

Studs:

The Raiders game was truly one that came down to a few plays here and there. It was REALLY close and probably as tight start to finish as any contest we have been in this season. For this reason, in the selection of this week's WFT studs, consideration was given to guys who came up with the most crucial of plays in the most crucial of spots.

1. Brian Johnson - for any AC/DC lovers out there, this guy was TNT...dynamite! To be picked up off the street in an emergency situation and come in and nail a 48 yarder to take the lead in the final seconds is about as clutch as you can get. There is going to be a really fine line between getting into the playoffs and not getting into the playoffs this season in the NFC. We might look back at Johnson's game winner as being a real difference maker when the 17th game of the season is in the books. Has he done enough to make the WFT consider keeping him around long term? Who knows. In the meantime, what we have seen thus far from Joey Slye and Brian Johnson might be a good problem to have. Competition should only benefit the team on a whole in the end.

2. Bobby McCain - McCain has had his share of struggles getting acclimated to Washington this season. However, he made a huge leap forward and deserves a ton of credit for the fantastic play he made breaking up a deep bomb by Derek Carr to Zay Jones with just 31 seconds to go with the Raiders down by 2 points. A completion or a pass interference call there essentially would have given Las Vegas the victory. McCain showed outstanding composure to hang with Jones, he had the presence of mind to get his head around and find the ball in the air, and did a great job of doing just enough to make life difficult for Jones while not interfering with him. It was arguably the very best play that we have seen from any of our defensive backs in the 2021 season so far, and it was arguably a game sealer.

3. Cole Holcomb - Holcomb did a really nice job on Sunday in coverage, especially early in the game. He made a few crucial pass breakups that ultimately led to the Raiders settling for field goals instead of touchdowns. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, it was those types of plays that kept the game within striking distance for our offense, who had a few stretches in the contest where it was heavy sledding for them.

4. Antonio Gibson - 111 total yards was his stat line for the day, along with 1 receiving TD. He was efficient in spurts, especially early in the game on our first two drives where he quickly gained 43 rushing yards. As well, he was the catalyst that set up our first touchdown on an opening drive this season. Sunday wasn't an easy game for Gibson, and it was a reminder of just how important the complementary skills of JD McKissic are towards his effectiveness.. However, in the absence of JD McKissic, I thought Antonio gave a really ballsy effort. Most importantly, the mental errors were put to rest in a huge early December road game. Sunday was a definite step in the right direction towards Gibson becoming a complete and more mature football player.

5. Adam Humphries - for me personally, Humphries was our best receiver on Sunday and came up with the most timely of catches. The stats would suggest a pretty pedestrian day (4 receptions/38 yards), but when you peel back the layers of the onion, you begin to see just how clutch he was. On the touchdown drive that put us ahead 14-6, Humphries made a big grab on 2nd and 16 from the Vegas 26 yard line for 10 yards. It set up a 3rd and makeable 6 that Heinicke then scrambled for to pick up a first down. The rest is history, as Taylor then hit Antonio for a 4 yard TD reception. Fast forward to our game winning drive. Humphries made grabs for 10 and 12 yards respectively that helped put us in field goal range. He was targeted on 3 of the 5 throws Heinicke made on that drive and had 22 of the 37 yards Heinicke threw for to set us up in field goal range. On a day where the Raiders did a great job of eliminating Terry McLaurin, Humphries made the timely catches (something he has quietly made a bit of a habit doing for us this year).

6. Jack Del Rio - if somebody told you we would go into Las Vegas and score 17 points and have 298 yards of total offense, chances are you would have said we would have lost. However, the defense for the Burgundy and Gold held up their end of the bargain on Sunday, limiting the Raiders to only 15 points, and 310 yards of total offense. Additionally, they held the NFL's #3 passer (Derek Carr) in terms of total passing yards to only 249 yards through the air. Del Rio deserves a lot of credit for the preparedness of the defense on a short week while travelling across the country.

Duds:

For what is now I believe the third week in a row, we don't have a single player that finds himself on the dud list. That's how you win football games and it's exactly what the Burgundy and Gold are doing right now!

I just want to make note that while not deserving dud status on Sunday, the offensive line had their moments in the game where they struggled. Credit is given to the Raiders who proved to be a tough matchup up front. They hassled Heinicke early in the game and hit him hard on several occasions. It was likely the offensive line's poorest game in several weeks, but I suppose we give them credit for holding it together and not having major breakdowns when the game was on the line - something we are all too familiar with over the years here in Washington.

Hat Tips:

1. The Entire Team - The WFT proved on Sunday why football is the absolute ultimate team sport. It truly does take 53 men to win consistently. That was on display on Sunday. There was no one individual player that took that game over for us, nor was there a handful of players that carried us. Sunday's victory really required the strength of the entire group. As an example, when Heinicke threw the 4th quarter interception with the WFT up 14-12, it looked like it was going to be the turning point in the game. However, at that moment, the defense stood tall with the Raiders taking over the ball near midfield. We showed composure as a defensive unit, and at a juncture in the game where it appeared as though the defense was starting to show some signs of fatigue, they battled and held Las Vegas to 3 points. With just over two minutes to go, it then kept things within striking distance for our offense. Heinicke pushed the offense up the field, doing the little things and taking what the defense gave him. We didn't force things, put trust in our special teams, and Brian Johnson then delivered with a fantastic kick. I love referencing complimentary football. That sequence of drives was the definition of 53-man complimentary football - a case of the sum being truly greater than all the individual parts. A credit to the players and coaching staff and a reminder of the high level of togetherness that exists in our locker room.

2. Logan Thomas - #82 has battled back from injury this season and instantly stepped in the last two weeks and made an immediate impact - that is a real testament to this guy's ability as a TE. He was really good on Sunday, making an outstanding touchdown catch on the opening drive, and hauling in a very important 35 yard reception on our TD drive in the 3rd quarter. It was sad seeing him leave due to injury again, but Logan Thomas is the type of football player you are really proud of cheering for. It is truly amazing how much he has developed in less than two years in Washington. The best is yet to come hopefully for Thomas.

3. John Bates/Pete Hoener - Thomas and Bates combined for 90 receiving yards on Sunday. Bates hauled in 3 catches for 42 yards and is beginning to show promise as a pass catching TE as the year wears on. He did a nice job complementing Thomas today, and gave us a bit of confidence that if he is asked to take over the #1 TE job due to a rash of injuries, he might be able to be functional in that spot. I suppose we should give a tip of the hat to Pete Hoener as well. Without a doubt, he has proven for a very long time that he is the best TE coach in the National Football League. 2021 might be one of his best performances, considering how shorthanded he has been. We have played without Logan Thomas for the majority of the year, we are now onto our third TE in the depth chart, yet Hoener is still finding ways to get production out of whoever is on the field at TE.

4. Taylor Heinicke - #4 continues to earn trust in my mind and gives you the feeling that you can realistically win games with him behind center. The numbers don't particularly stand out (23 of 30 for 196 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT). However, once again, when the game was on the line, Heinicke did enough to put us in a position to win. He orchestrated his 3rd game winning drive of the season late in the contest, and showed some good composure in a tough road environment. Sure, he got away with what should have been a pick six, but he repeatedly bounces back from negative plays, which is huge for a QB in the NFL.

That's it for this week. Do you agree? Disagree? Who did we miss? Share your thoughts.

In the meantime, have a great week and enjoy the victory.

Keep throwing stones.

 

[Knightingale]

Can't disagree with any of that really.

Although, wasn't it Holcomb that gave up the PI late that put LV on our 1 yard line? That led to their second TD which could have levelled the game, but the defense stepped it up to stop the 2pt conversion.
Other than that he played great though.

It's really nice to see Davis start getting mentioned more frequently too now. I'm wondering what his sophmore season will be like next year.

 

[Knightingale]

And talking Heineke for a moment.

I don't particularly care about the Interceptions. ALL QB's throw then and they're generally ALL bad throws that cause them. So it's just something to expect.

On the season he has 11, which on the surface sounds quite high, but I remember a couple of those were on those crazy Hail Mary passes (was it the Saints game?) where they were basically 50/50 balls. Take those away and he's at 9.
Which is about average if you look at the stats. And most of the QB's who've thrown less Ints have also played less games.

If I have a concern it is with the ratio of bad throws that are Int worthy. BUT, that said, he does seem to be cutting those back lately. I honestly think it's just game experience with him. It seems clear that the more he settles in to NFL gamespeed and the more experience he gets under center, the less error prone he's getting. I'm keen for him to be QB1 at this point moving forwards and then see how he looks a year or two from now when he's got multiple seasons under his belt.

For all people knock his arm strength, I don't think you see moxie like this very often. There's a real intangible quality around Heineke that has his teammates fired up playing with him. He not a diva QB and he inspires. This team would run through a wall WITH him. I think that's why we're seeing the O-Line play like they are. They genuinely love the guy and want to protect him. That much was evident when Flowers came to his defense yesterday during the game and things got snippy. And it's not just the Offense that loves him, Jon Allen was praising him too yesterday. And we know Chase is a big fan.

Actually this is a whole team thing. You can see it in the team during those post game rock throwing sessions. Washington is a TEAM. Been a while since that was true.

 

[MikefromOH]

Heinicke is still holding the ball too long and taking sacks. It is driving me insane. Even on the TD to Gibson he held the ball too long. You gotta give the receiver time to catch it and make a move.

He also threw a garbage pick he should have never let go. That was infuriating!

But, even with all that said, he's getting better and better every week. I am a big fan.

 

[Henry]

Hail Mary interceptions happen, but so do passes that sail right into a DB's hands and get dropped, like yesterday. Those things tend to even out. Eleven INTs this far into a season is a lot. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are.

I like Heineke. 'Moxie' is the word I'd use to describe him. He's the kinda guy that can win a game through sheer force of will. I am definitely rooting for him the rest of the way.

That said, I don't see him as a Franchise Quarterback. He just doesn't have the arm. The turnaround on offense, and Heineke's turnaround as a starter, is due to the fact that the WFT is establishing itself as a run-first team. Taking pressure off Heineke with the run game has allowed him to lead an efficient but unspectacular offense. The team doesn't score quickly. It has no real deep-strike capability. It's all plodding down the field with short-yardage, mistake-free football. It's to Heineke's credit that it's working, but that's what it is.

The team can live with Heineke as a bus-driver, but there's not real deep threat there. That can hurt. Less-than-perfect play turns into a Green Bay/Kansas City-type loss.

Again, I like the guy, and I hope he's on the team next year. But I'm not sure he's a long-term answer. We'll see.

 

[MikefromOH]

Heinicke almost threw a pick six on that final drive.

 

[Chris]

Wasn’t that throw tipped or his hand was hit?

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Wasn’t that throw tipped or his hand was hit?

The interception in the 4th quarter, yes his hand was hit as he was letting it go. It’s why the ball fluttered and looked like a bad pass. Without getting his hand hit, it’s probably a completion to McLaurin for a first down. But as it stands, he got hit and it was an int which made the game more exciting.

The almost int on the game winning drive, that was just an awful throw. He was under pressure and panicked and it almost cost the team. Thankfully it did not though.

 

[Knightingale]

I think when you consider Heineke, you HAVE to take into context the circumstances around his interception rate.

What's clear is that his interception rate has dropped considerably since the Bye.

Yes, he still throws the occasional bad ball, but ALL QB's do. How many times have we seen our own Secondary almost grab a ball badly thrown by an opposing QB this year, and we've played a murderers row of QBs. Brady, Rodgers, Mahomes, Wilson, Carr... the list goes on.

Add in that he's only started 12 NFL games (or something like that). Even Rivera calls him a 'RedShirt Rookie'

You can toss out those 50/50 Hail Mary's as they aren't on him. The interception on Sunday was a result of his hand being hit.

Also, the bulk of his interceptions came pre-Bye week when our Defense looked AWFUL and we were constantly chasing games. Hence we weren't running the ball and putting A LOT of pressure on Heineke to move the ball and keep the game alive and within reach. That's a lot for someone who - at that point - had only got a couple of NFL starts under his belt. Alas, I think he gets judged with a different measuring stick simply because he's not a traditional rookie in terms of draft position and age.

Also, when you look at his interceptions, yeah they're bad - but then when aren't interceptions bad - but he pretty much always bounces back. We've seen QBs here in the past - naming no names - who are streaky. One interception just seems to open the floodgates. Heineke doesn't seem like that. He forgets and moves on.

I'd like to see this team play like they have now for a while. Smashmouth run game, tough D. I want to see them carry this on into next year and beyond. If Heineke's interception rate seems high still a year from now, then I'll maybe start worrying about it. Till then I don't think we could ask better from an undrafted QB who has less than a season of in-game experience.

Note on his throwing high: I don't know the answer to this, you guys are smarter than me. But he's been knocked in the past for not being the tallest QB. Now we know shorter QBs make it in the league all the time, but could his throwing high have anything to do with a propensity to compensate and having to throw over big linemen? Just wondering.

 

[Henry]

Yes, the bulk of his interceptions came when the WFT was a pass-first team. Heinicke, to date, is not a guy that will carry the team with his arm. In his first seven starts the team averaged 37 passes and 26 rushes a game and they went 2-5. After the bye that changed to 30 passes and 37 rushes a game which got them 4 wins. The team can win with Heinicke the Game Manager. Heinicke the Gun Slinger throws a lot of interceptions, and loses a lot of games.

None of this is meant to be a criticism or to say that Heinicke shouldn't be The Guy going forward. But he is not going to be Aaron Rogers. I am no expert, but my guess is the reason his passes are so high is because he simply doesn't have the arm to throw the ball on a rope. He has to launch it for even a mid-range throw. To his credit, it works most of the time for him and the team, but it is a limitation. The team clearly has trouble pushing the ball down the field. If Washington thinks it can live with that, who am I to argue? I do like the guy and I'm rooting for him. But I also think there's a bit of Underdog Love going on with him.

 

[Om]

On the high throws, the ideas that arm strength and height are contributing factors certainly aren't without merit. What I think I'm seeing is more mechanical. The man rarely steps into throws--he's on his back foot a lot, and not always due to pressure.

It's been QB lore for a long time--in order to drive the ball and keep it from sailing you have to transfer weight to the forward foot. Not unlike a golf swing (lol). I'd like to think the coaches are talking to him about that and working on it some (without getting too into his head at the moment), and plan, IF we bring him back as projected starter next year, to go into the offseason making that a priority.