It’s pretty hard not to say that we saw this one coming. When Washington fell down 17-3 in the first half, and later 24-3 in the third quarter, I don’t think there was anyone who was calling the came with 100 percent certainty, knowing Detroit’s history with blowing leads in epic fashion. I didn’t think that being down 21 points in the 3rd quarter meant that Washington was out of this game, but I did know that it was setting them up to lose in another incredibly frustrating fashion once again.
It’s something we’ve seen several times this year. In the first game of the season, Washington fell down big to the Eagles and was actually able to come back and win the game, but in a number of other instances — against the Cardinals, the Browns, the Giants (twice) — this team has a knack for digging themselves into a huge hole, climbing up to the very edge, and then getting kicked back to the bottom.
So was I surprised when Matthew Stafford was able to capitalize on a dumb penalty from Chase Young with just seconds remaining? No. Was I shocked to see Matt Prater’s 59-yard FG split the uprights as time expired? Definitely not.
You could see this one coming from a mile away. Close enough to keep you invested, and frustrating enough to leave you pulling your hair out. It’s the 2020 special in Washington, and it’s getting pretty freaking old.
Here are some of our biggest takeaways from the game: