Washington Suffers Late Game Loss to Cowboys
A day after Washington’s loss to…yes—hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, I find myself indulging in that oft-snarked out tendency of Redskins fans: the telling of sweet little lies. At least we didn’t get run out of the stadium, as we did against the Patriots. At least we didn’t collapse stupidly, like we did against the Eagles. At least the team we struggled with was a quality team (insofar as anything the NFC produces this year can be termed “quality”), and not a woeful also-ran like the New York Jets. And, yeah, while I pretty much believe the right call was probably made, I find myself wondering if, indeed, the replays we saw of Rocky McIntosh’s interception actually provided “indisputable visual evidence” of an incompletion. Had the play stood, I tell myself, there would have been a different result.
But, a loss is a loss, and now Washington finds themselves the peer of the Arizona Goddamn Cardinals.
Ultimately, the game hinged on our inability to cover Terrell Owens when it mattered. Owens had a great day against us—eight catches, 173 yards, and four scores, each longer than the last. Strangely, I find myself willing to forgive the coverage breakdown that led to his third score, that was just great scouting of our defensive tendencies. It’s likely Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was waiting for the opportunity to run that play; Owen’s square in feint suckered the linebacker and froze the backside safety just the way Garrett thought it would, resulting in a touchdown in which Washington’s defenders seemed to just allow T.O. to get open. I’m less forgiving of the fourth score: I understand why Springs released Owens to the safety on the sidelines – but, jeez…the guy has already burned you for 21 points—could you stick with him for just a few more seconds?
If there’s a positive to be wrung from the defeat, it was the play of Jason Campbell. The Savior had his best day yet in the burgundy-and-gold, and with the running game all but shut down, found ways to get vertical. He’ll be remembered for his interception that all but ended our hopes of winning the game, but from a career trajectory standpoint, Campbell is making the sorts of game-to-game gains that you hope a young QB makes.
Of course, therein lies the rub: as some astute commenters have pointed out in recent weeks, Washington’s chief dysfunction is in the front office. With the lack of focused general management, Washington has had a historical problem balancing the needs of the future with the wants of the Now. And, amid all the sweet little lies I’m telling myself today, a nagging worry remains: my feeling is that if Washington cannot make the playoffs this year, we could be due for another one of those debilitating Dan Snyder system-wide reboots. And this time, the cost could be high: it could stop an emerging, maturing quarterback in his tracks.
Washington’s next game will likely decide its future. They’ll travel to Tampa to face the Buccaneers, who are currently a game ahead of Washington in the wild-card race. Win, and you leapfrog a dogged NFC competitor and earn a vital tie-break. Lose, and, well, there goes the last of the room for error.