Tag: 2020 postseason

‘Hold my crutches’, progressing Prescott tells Elliott in response to ESPN’s Cowboys joke

The QB, recovering from injury, responded to a social media post pointing out how long it’s been since the team played for an NFC title.

ESPN’s social media team had a little fun at the Cowboys’ expense on Monday, sharing a post meant to highlight Dallas’s postseason futility over the past quarter-century.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott clapped back with a response of his own that’s sure to resonate with the team’s fans, promising to reverse that trend just as soon as he’s healthy again. And a recent report indicates that Prescott is making “great progress” toward that end.

The Worldwide Leader added to their postgame coverage of the weekend’s NFC Divisional round with an Instagram post originally put out by the NFL_Memes Twitter account. The post points out the disparity between the number of NFC Championship Games the Cowboys have been to since 1997 and the number that Tom Brady has been to.

The punch line, obviously, is that Dallas hasn’t played for the conference title in twenty-four years, while Brady did it in his first season since coming over from the AFC.

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Okay, sure, kick the Cowboys while they’re down. But Prescott saw the post, too. And he took the opportunity to make sure Dallas fans know that he’s working hard to be ready to contend for the very next conference crown come 2021.

Jumping into the comments, Prescott tagged Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and replied, “Hold my crutches,” as first noticed by Mauricio Rodriguez.

The five-year veteran was off to a blistering start in 2020, on pace to shatter passing yardage records before a gruesome compound fracture and ankle dislocation brought his season to an end in Week 5.

Since then, he’s been rehabbing the ankle and is reportedly on track to re-join the team when official activities begin in the spring. All this comes while he is also preparing to enter into negotiations with Cowboys ownership over his next contract. Prescott played in 2020 under the franchise tag after talks between the two sides over the summer could not bring about new terms.

A healthy Prescott could mean big things for a talented Cowboys club that woefully underachieved this past season, and the two-time Pro Bowler is apparently making serious strides in proving to owner Jerry Jones that he will be fully ready to roll in 2021.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave an update on Saturday’s edition of NFL GameDay Morning, one that should be music to the ears of Cowboys Nation.

“He’s coming along great,” Rapoport said, citing unnamed but multiple sources. “He’s walking right now, which is a big step, working the anti-gravity treadmill and the HydroWorx pool, which takes pressure off his ankle but allows him to get in shape. He is making great progress, and based on the work he’s put in, what they think, he’s going to come back better than ever.”

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Browns’ end-zone fumble recalls Cowboys-Raiders 2017 must-see moment

When Rashard Higgins lost the ball through the end zone during Sunday’s postseason game, Dallas Cowboys fans knew exactly what would happen.

Cleveland’s Rashard Higgins was the central character in one of the most dramatic and talked-about plays of the divisional-round weekend. The Browns wide receiver was seemingly on his way to a late-second-quarter touchdown against Kansas City after hauling in a Baker Mayfield pass. Racing Chiefs defender Daniel Sorensen to the goal line, Higgins laid out, reaching the ball toward the corner pylon. The hit by Sorensen jarred the ball free. (Ignore Sorensen’s leading-with-the-helmet hit, because the refs did, too.) The loose ball skittered into the end zone, rolled around for an agonizing moment, and then tumbled out of bounds.

Much of the football-watching world held its breath waiting to see what the result of the play would be. But Cowboys fans already knew. They’d seen it before.

In Week 15 of the 2017 season, the Cowboys were visiting Oakland, hoping to keep their postseason chances alive by beating the Raiders. Dallas had moved into a 20-17 lead on a Dan Bailey field goal. (The infamous “index card measurement” from referee Gene Steratore gave the Cowboys a first down that had extended the go-ahead drive.)

Quarterback Derek Carr led the Raiders down the field in the waning minutes and appeared poised to re-take the lead with under a minute to play. On a third down call, Carr slipped away from DeMarcus Lawrence and Taco Charlton, who were quickly collapsing the pocket. Carr tucked the ball and took off for the corner of the end zone, some fifteen yards away.

Safety Jeff Heath launched himself at about the three. Carr extended the ball for the pylon. Fumble forward. Into the end zone. Then out of bounds.

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Section 7 of the NFL rulebook covers fumbles. Article 3, Item 4 specifically addresses a fumble out of bounds in the end zone:

  1. If a ball is fumbled in the field of play, and goes forward into the opponent’s end zone and over the end line or sideline, a touchback is awarded to the defensive team

The Cowboys were awarded possession at the Raiders’ 20. They ran out the clock and won the game.

When the same thing happened to Cleveland on Sunday, the ensuing announcement from officials of a Kansas City touchback reignited a brief firestorm on Twitter over “the worst rule in football.”

The Browns, obviously, still had another half of football in which to recover, though the missed touchdown opportunity certainly changed the momentum and the team’s playcalling after the halftime break. The thought of a closer game where Kansas City is forced to play without Patrick Mahomes may indeed haunt the dreams of Browns fans for some time.

It won’t be the first heartbreaking fumble to snuff Cleveland’s postseason life. On the exact same date in 1988, running back Earnest Byner coughed it up at the 1, down by just seven points to Denver with 72 seconds to go and a trip to Super Bowl XXII hanging in the balance.

The rest of the world recalls that AFC Championship contest for “The Drive” engineered by Broncos quarterback John Elway. Browns fans instead look back in anger at “The Fumble.”

Even though Sunday’s call helped decide a playoff game, don’t expect there to be a rule change anytime soon, because, as many have argued, there isn’t a clear-cut alternative that seems fair to all parties involved. As Sports Illustrated‘s Dan Gartland points out, “Extending the ball near the goal line is a high-reward play, so why shouldn’t the risk also be high?”

Even if casual fans aren’t well-versed on the rule, most NFL coaches are. And they make sure their players know the dangers of reaching a live ball toward the goal line.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is one of them.

“I will never ever doubt Rashard Higgins’ effort or our guys’ effort,” Stefanski told reporters after the game, as per ProFootballTalk. “Our rule there is not to reach the ball out when it is first and goal, and he knows that. Again, [I] appreciate his effort. He battled like he always does, but we have to fight that urge because it is such a big loss if it does end up being a touchback.”

For now, look for the apparent absurdity of the fumble-through-the-end-zone rule to be debated, at least by fans, and at least for a little while. Until, of course, it happens again.

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NFC Playoff picture: Washington to face Buccaneers on wild-card weekend

For the first time since 2015, Washington will be making an appearance in the NFL playoffs, where they will face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For the first time since 2015, the Washington Football Team will be going to the postseason. Soak it in, Washington fans, success has finally returned to the franchise.

It may not have been the prettiest season or the prettiest end to a game, but Ron Rivera and his squad got the job done when it counted, and as a result, they will be facing Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round next weekend. As winners of the NFC East, Washington holds the No. 4 seed in the NFC, and they will be playing host in their playoff game as a result.

Despite being considered one of the worst teams remaining, with a 7-9 record, Washington has a defense that ranks among the best in the league, and an offense that isn’t half bad when they have their best players on the field, like QB Alex Smith, WR Terry McLaurin, and RB Antonio Gibson.

The Bucs will undoubtedly be favorites in this matchup, but the Washington defense does best when faced with an immobile quarterback who struggles to evade pressure. That has Brady written all over it. If the offense plays up to the billing, we could have a really fun playoff game on our hands.

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What a win or loss means for the Washington Football Team on Sunday night

Playoffs or season over. No. 19 or No. 10. Division title or runner up. Here’s a look at everything on the line for Washington on Sunday.

With the most important game of the season for the Washington Football Team kicking off on Sunday night, it seems like a good time to look into exactly what will happen should they beat the Philadelphia Eagles or lose.

Now that 255 games of the 2020 NFL season have been played, there are only a few things to be wrapped up in the 256th contest. When the final whistle blows on Washington and the Eagles, we will have everything we need to know, including a finalized playoff picture, and a good part of the 2021 NFL draft order set in stone.

Let’s take a look at the ramifications, with some help from Michael Phillips.

If Washington is to win on Sunday night, they will clinch their first playoff berth since 2015, and secure the NFC East division championship, giving them a tougher schedule next season. It will also guarantee that they can draft no higher than No. 19 in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With a loss, the season will end, and they will pick No. 10. Subsequently, the New York Giants will represent the NFC East in the playoffs.

Easy to say that a win seems much more fun for everyone. Let’s keep this thing rolling.

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‘Nobody expected us to be here:’ Ron Rivera says Washington is playing with house money

Washington is on the precipice of a playoff berth in a season where nobody predicted success, which has Ron Rivera feeling calm and confident.

With a potential win in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Football Team has a chance to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. If you follow this team even semi-closely, you already know this, but considering where this team has been, and where the 2020 season started, it’s pretty remarkable to realize where they are at now. After toting a 2-7 record at one point, Washington is one win away from the playoffs.

When you think about the giant turnaround that they’ve made, it’s pretty easy to be at least satisfied with the notion that Washington is on the right path towards success in the future. With that in mind, you can at least be comfortable with whatever happens this year, whether it means a playoff berth or not. Ron Rivera knows this, and he’s aware that no matter if they win or lose on Sunday against the Eagles, he can take the momentum that built this season and carry it into 2021, and start to build a successful program that can make their way into the postseason year after year.

When you consider it that way, you have nothing to lose on Sunday.

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Clinching Scenarios: Washington, New York, Dallas all still alive for NFC East title in Week 17

The NFC East was unsurprisingly bad in Week 16, which leaves the door open for 3 teams to clinch a playoff berth with a win in Week 17.

When you take a division that is as dysfunctional as the NFC East, you’re bound to have some wacky outcomes. That’s exactly what we got on Sunday afternoon in Week 16, with the Dallas Cowboys being the only team to squeak out a victory and keep the No. 4 seed playoff spot open for one last week.

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The day started with the New York Giants losing to the Baltimore Ravens, which opened the door for Washington to clinch the division title with a win over the Carolina Panthers in the afternoon. Of course, Washington lost that game, which left the door open for every other team in the division, except for the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to the Cowboys and were eliminated from playoff contention. Heading into Week 17, here is how things stand:

The good news for Washington is that they still control their destiny, and they are playing a team in Week 17 who is already eliminated from contention. If Ron Rivera and his squad can beat the Eagles on the road in Week 17, they will be crowned division champs and be heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. If not, then the winner of the Giants and Cowboys game will get the nod to extend their seasons.

Everything would have been much easier if Washington had just beat the 4-10 Panthers on Sunday, but in the NFC East, especially in 2020, nothing is ever easy.

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Ron Rivera says he thinks Washington can make some noise in the 2020 playoffs

If Washington ends up making the 2020 playoffs, Ron Rivera believes that can make some noise and surprise a lot of people.

Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team is one win (and a New York Giants’ loss) away from making it to the franchise’s first NFL postseason since 2015, and there is some palpable energy in the air throughout the Washington fanbase. Despite all of the drama and distracting storylines that have come out this past week, the team’s ultimate goal remains for the taking.

If that goal is achieved, Rivera says that he thinks his team can have some real success when it comes to the postseason, and in a veiled statement to whoever their first-round opponent would be on Wild Card Weekend, the coach dares them to overlook the burgundy and gold.

According to the ever-changing NFL playoff picture, if Washington is able to clinch the 4-seed this weekend, they will likely have an extremely tough matchup in round 1 of the playoffs, facing the top Wild Card Team. At the moment, they would face the Los Angeles Rams, but it could potentially be the Seattle Seahawks or Tampa Bay Buccaneers that end up traveling to FedEx Field as well — we won’t know for sure until at least Week 17, as the Rams and Seahawks play each other this weekend.

Regardless of the matchup, Rivera has some real confidence in his roster, and he believes that his team can line up with the best of them. Based on some of the performances we’ve seen from the defense, that may be true, and if you can get the offense back to fair health, we may be surprised by what this team can do.

They may just make some real noise.

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Everything that needs to happen for Washington to clinch NFC East next week

With a win next week, and a couple of losses from fellow NFC East teams, Washington can clinch their spot in the playoffs vs. the Panthers.

Despite the loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday that ended Washington’s 4-game winning streak, there is still a reasonable path forward for them to win the NFC East and make the playoffs. Assuming that they can win their next two games and get a little bit of help along the way, Washington’s postseason hopes are still very much alive.

The biggest thing that needs to happen comes on Sunday night when the New York Giants take on the Cleveland Browns. If the Giants can find a way to win without their starting quarterback Daniel Jones playing, then they will move back into a tie for first place in the NFC East, while holding the tiebreaker over Washington.

If the Giants lose on Sunday night, things get a bit easier.

Had Washington beat the Seahawks on Sunday, they would have picked up a little bit of wiggle room over the final two weeks of the season. Now that they sit will a 6-8 record, the next two games vs. the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles are pretty much must-win games. Should the Giants drop both of their next two games, Washington might not have to win out, but if they can continue to win, there’s nobody that can get in their way.

Washington is in the driver’s seat, and they could clinch their first spot in the postseason since 2015 next week against the team that fired Ron Rivera a year ago.

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Overreaction Monday: Washington could make some noise in the playoffs this year

Riding high on a four-game winning streak, we can’t rule out the chances that Washington could find some success in the playoffs this year.

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Welcome to Overreaction Monday! After a weekend full of live NFL football, we plan to look into the latest happenings in Washington and try to find a major takeaway that could either be completely legitimate or a bit of an overreaction. Often, the sentiment is going to fall somewhere in between, but that’s for you to decide. 

Following their fourth-straight victory and a defensive performance that looked more like the 2015 Denver Broncos than the 2020 Washington Football Team, every fan of this squad is likely trying to perform a balancing act that lands them somewhere between keeping their expectations in check and not getting too far out over their skis.

That’s something that’s getting increasingly harder to do for someone who follows everything that Washington has done over the past month of the season. With four-straight wins and the No. 1 spot in the NFC East, Ron Rivera now has his team in the driver’s seat with the 2020 postseason punched into the GPS. Analysts are touting that Washington has a 71 percent chance to make the playoffs after their most recent win, and even if they stumble and miss out on the division title, they are still right in the mix for a wild-card spot.

So for the sake of this exercise, let’s act with some reckless abandon; let’s move forward with the assumption that Washington does indeed finish the rest of the season on this hot-streak and finds a way into the 4-seed in the playoffs. What happens then?

Should that be the case, Washington will most likely have a first-round matchup with either the Seattle Seahawks or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whichever team gets the No. 5 seed. At first glance, that’s a scary thought. Russell Wilson and Tom Brady are well known for their playoff success with a combined 11 Super Bowl appearances between them. However, to count Washington out of the running without so much as a fighting chance is dismissive of this defense, and everything that the team has done over the past month. Let’s look at some things that they might have going for them.

For starters, the defensive line in Washington is the heartbeat of the team, and they have an uncanny ability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback without needing to send extra blitzers, allowing linebackers and defensive backs to stay in coverage. Against quarterbacks like Wilson and Brady, this is a huge factor, considering they have the experience to pick a mediocre secondary apart at will. On top of that, when you consider a QB like Brady who is immobile, to put it lightly, Washington could find some real success getting in his face early on and forcing him to get the ball out quickly.

The biggest argument against Washington having any success in the postseason — again, assuming that they make it that far — rests on the offense. While they’ve managed to get by over the past few weeks, two defensive touchdowns on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers did a great job of hiding how inexplicably bad Alex Smith was in the game. Of course, Washington was without their stud rookie RB Antonio Gibson, and Smith ended up leaving the game at the half with an injury, so you can use those as excuses if you wish. However, offensive production is still a concern nonetheless.

Next week’s game against the Steelers will be another huge measuring stick opportunity for Washington, and it could be a preview of a potential playoff matchup. If Rivera and his team can hold their own against Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, though, we can really start needing to give some weight to this question:

Just how far can Washington go in the playoffs this year?

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A wild-card playoff spot is no longer out of the question for Washington

With their most recent win over the Steelers, Washington has put themselves in a position to fight for the last wild-card spot in the playoffs.

For much of this season, nearly everyone in the NFL has joked and remarked that we should rewrite the league’s rules that make it so the winner of each division would have a spot in the playoffs. This was simply because nobody felt that the winner of the NFC East, who was projected to finish the year with only 5-6 wins, didn’t deserve to take away a playoff spot from a wild-card team that may have 8-9 wins.

Well, don’t look now, but the NFC East is in a position where they may be getting not one, but TWO teams in the playoffs. How do you like them apples?

With the race for the division heating up between the New York Giants and Washington Football team, both of whom are tied for 1st place with a 5-7 record — NYG holds the tiebreaker — we can’t rule out the possibility of the 2nd place finisher making a run at a wild card spot. Going off of recent production, where Washington is on a three-game winning streak after knocking off the NFL’s last undefeated team, and the Giants are on a five-game winning streak, it’s not out of the question for either team to win at least 3-4 more games during this final stretch.

Play it out in your head — say both the Giants and Washington finish 3-1 over their final four weeks, something that is increasingly possible. That would give both teams an 8-8 record. With the Giants taking the division spot in the playoffs, it would then put Washington in contention for the final wild-card spot, which is currently being jockeyed for by these teams:

  • Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
  • Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
  • Chicago Bears (5-7)
  • Detroit Lions (5-7)
  • San Francisco 49ers (5-7)

Based on momentum alone,  plus a relatively moderate schedule over the final four weeks, Washington could absolutely find their way into the last wild-card spot of the playoffs. Right now, the team to beat is the Vikings, who finish with games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears, the New Orleans Saints, and the Lions. A path to 8-8 is there, but they could fall short as well.

Translation: In order for Washington to make a run at the wild-card, they’ll at least need to win three of their next four games. Four wins might seal the deal, but anything less than three will likely send them home early. It’s a lot to ask, but nobody thought they’d be in this position in the first place, so it’s not crazy to hope for.

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