Tag: Washington Injuries

What went wrong in Washington’s 27-20 loss to the Cowboys?

As Ivan explains, a lot went wrong for Washington in Week 14 — most of it in the first half.

When everything is going well, it is human nature that we don’t learn very much. On the other hand, when wrong things occur, we slow down, evaluate and tend to learn much more.

In that case, the Washington Football Team will be much more enlightened after today’s 27-20 loss to Dallas where it seemed the majority of the time something wrong kept occurring.

Good grief, it actually started in the 24 hours preceding the game when J D McKissic was declared “Out”, and then starting defensive ends James Smith-Williams and Casey Toolhill were declared “Out” because of Covid.

This meant the WFT had only Shaka Toney, Bunmi Rotimi, Daniel Wise and William Bradley-King to play at DE. Two were seventh-round choices and two were undrafted.

On the very first possession, Kendall Fuller had a pass thrown DIRECTLY to him but dropped the interception opportunity. Dallas 3-0.

Prescott and Elliot fumbled an exchange on Dallas’ second possession but no WFT defender was close to recovering. But Landon Collins then intercepted Prescott, so it was going to be ok, right?

Ha! Heinicke then had his screen pass deflected twice, and intercepted by Randy Gregory, leading to a Dallas TD, 9-0.

Matt Ioannidis hardly pushed (or breathed on) Prescott, he went tumbling backward and the official called Ioannidis for a personal foul, allowing Dallas to go for two from close. It was 11-0.

On the WFT third possession, Ron Rivera decided to go for it on fourth down, Heinicke was hit by Micah Parsons, fumbled and Dorance Armstrong returned the fumble 37 yards for a TD and Dallas led 18-0, had 111 yards gained, and the WFT 22.

And this was only the first quarter!

Heinicke was in the blue tent, and Kyle Allen briefly was in the game.

The stands looked to have as many Dallas fans in blue as WFT fans in Burgundy and Gold!! Thanks, Mr. Snyder for your last 25 years of losing many fans’ support.

LT Charles Leno injured his back and was replaced by Saahdiq Charles.

After two Dallas field goals, it was Dallas 24-0 at the half. Heinicke was 2 of 12 passing, sacked twice, a lost fumble (for a touchdown) an interception, a 4.9 rating and Adam Humphries had the only two receptions for a whopping 19 yards.

The second half, you ask?

Terry McLaurin was open behind the defense, but Heinicke badly underthrew him, and Terry incurred a concussion on the play, that could have been a touchdown.

After a great Cam Sims TD catch and a defensive stop, it was 24-8, and the crowd was getting into it, only to see Antonio Gibson again, cough it up. It was his 6th fumble of the season, more than any other NFL running back.

Ioannidis had to go to the locker room, Sammis Reyes suffered a concussion, Tyler Larsen might have torn his Achilles, and Heinicke injured his left knee to some degree.

When Washington got back in the game at 27-20, Kyle Allen lost a fumble, ending all hopes.

Did I miss anything else that went wrong?

 

 

 

 

With Montez Sweat and Chase Young injured, what now?

Casey Toohill, Shaka Toney and Bunmi Rotimi have a major opportunity with the loss of Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

The WFT defensive line has lost both Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

Sweat, a first-round draft choice out of Mississippi State in 2019, suffered a broken jaw against the Broncos in Week 8.

Young, the second overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft, suffered a torn ACL in Week 10 against the Buccaneers.

 

What now?

Ron Rivera, Jack Del Rio and defensive line coach Sam Mills III are forced to think, “What is best for the team, and how does the defense march forward?” It seems uncaring, but they must accept a “So what? Now what?” mindset and prepare this team. It’s their job.

Who will have to step up at defensive end?

Casey Toohill, a seventh-round draft choice by the Eagles in 2020, was signed by Washington last season and appeared in eight games. The 25-year-old defensive end played 29 defensive snaps last week against Tampa Bay, collecting one solo tackle while assisting on three others.

Shaka Toney was selected by the WFT out of Penn State in the seventh round (No. 246 overall) in 2021. At 6-2 and 238 pounds, perhaps his size will limit his snaps, and coaches may attempt to use him exclusively in pass-rushing situations. Toney was called upon for nine defensive snaps against Tampa in Week 10.

Bunmi Rotimi played at Old Dominion, went undrafted and was signed by the WFT last offseason. At 6-3 and 273 pounds, the 26-year-old lineman may be pressed into a role where he will be needed to also help against the run. He has appeared in recent games against the Packers (six snaps) and the Buccaneers (eight snaps).

Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden often said, “Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”

Toohill, Toney and Rotimi are going to be thrown into the proverbial fire.  Many WFT fans will wish them good luck.

Wooden also often said, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

WATCH: Kyle Allen shows major progress in recovery from dislocated ankle

Kyle Allen said he expects to be ready to play by the time training camp comes, and this most recent video of his rehab supports that theory.

Washington was in the news on Wednesday for re-signing one of their backup quarterbacks, and meanwhile, their other backup quarterback is seemingly progressing well in his recovery from a severe injury in 2020.

Kyle Allen went down with a dislocated ankle in Week 9 against the New York Giants and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair said ankle. On Thursday a video of him doing some single leg squats was posted, and his stability on that ankle looks to be improving.

There isn’t a certainty that Allen will be on the roster in 2021, but as an exclusive rights free agent, his path back to the depth chart is more likely than being released. Depending on how the quarterback search plays out for Washington over the coming months, it’s very possible that Allen is left competing for the starting spot with Taylor Heinicke, and potentially other unnamed players.

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Kyle Allen shows progress walking without a boot after dislocated ankle

Kyle Allen took his first steps without a walking boot this weekend, showing progress in his recovery from a dislocated ankle.

It has been a few months since Washington quarterback Kyle Allen went down in the backfield and came up with a dislocated ankle that knocked him out for the rest of the season, but he appears to be making progress in his recovery.

Allen posted a video to his Instagram on Saturday that showed him walking during physical therapy, noting that it was his first day out of a walking boot. Allen underwent surgery on his ankle back in November but is expected to fully recover before next season and potentially compete for a QB job in Washington.

Allen is set to become a free agent, but there is a feeling that Washington will sign him to a new deal, knowing that he can serve as a solid backup if nothing else.

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