Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Week 2 vs Denver

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September 19, 2023

by David Earl

Down But Not Out

As soon as this game began it seemed to be over in a blink of an eye when Denver went up 21-3 after their first 2 possessions. During this span Washington’s offense was not in sync. The offensive line again allowed pressure on Sam Howell and the Broncos offense averaged well over 5 yards per carry. The second touchdown pass by Russell Wilson for 60 yards to Marvin Mims felt like a backbreaker, especially when that drive was followed up with yet another touchown pass. The fan base reacted by wanting Ron Rivera fired immediately and screaming at Sam Howell for holding the ball far too long (which he did at times).  People also wondered if this defense was just overhyped.

Then, Jamin Davis caused a fumble, and a subsequent momentum shift early in the second quarter changed Washington’s fortunes. Eric Bieniemy and Washington, offense behind a settled-in Sam Howell, was nearly flawless the rest of the way. The offensive line began to settle in, particularly the interior of the line where Sam Cosmi and Saahdiq Charles were very effective after a rough start. The tackles continued to be a liability but Howell’s mobility and awareness within the pocket countered a Denver edge rush that seemed to blow past these tackles on nearly every snap. While this team just refused to make it easy by giving up the Hail Mary for a touchdown, the grit and determination they showed after falling behind 21-3 was very encouraging. This team just does not have any quit and the adjustments in the game by Eric Bieniemy are something this fan base is just not used to seeing. It was a great win and the fans’ reactions throughout the game were certainly a complete range of all emotions. For this column, I kept the flow of comments relatively chronological, as I wanted to show the build from initial frustration and disappointment to thrill then capped with a crazy Hail Mary finish proving again this team just cannot make it easy for the fans.

The First Half

 

The game was turning into an embarrassing blowout after Denver went up 21 – 3 after the first drive of the second quarter. The Broncos had 10:43 in time of possession, running the ball at 5 plus yards per carry average clip, and Russell Wilson was lights out including a blown coverage 60 yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims. While the interior of the offensive line seemed to hold up well, the tackles were struggling against the Broncos’ athletic edge rushers, especially against Nik Bonitto who had 1 sack and multiple pressures in the first quarter alone. It also became clear that Howell gets into stretches where his release is too long which would have avoided some of these pressure situations. Overall, this first quarter was just about as ugly as it could get, particularly considering how ineffective the run game was early and the continued poor play of middle linebacker Cody Barton, who just gets swallowed up far too often when engaging with the opposing linemen. Even the idea of Washington being the typical “get right” game for a struggling offense came to light as this would be atypical for this organization over the years.

The first quarter was not a complete mess, as Howell and the offense moved the ball well on both drives into Denver territory. Unfortunately, the ineffectiveness early in the run game early, plus 2nd and long situations from penalties, the offense began to stall when the field became shorter entering Broncos territory. But then came the moment after the Broncos went up 21-3, completing a 16 yard touchdown pass to Johnson when Jamin Davis forced a fumble at the 6:46 mark of the 2nd quarter.

Washington then had a 9 play drive that went 49 yards, culminating in a 4 yard touchdown catch by Logan Thomas. That turnover and the following touchdown drive paved the way for a 32-3 run by Washington’s offense and a comeback that this fan base has not seen in quite some time. It was this sequence of events that resulted in a change in the fans, whose desire to see Ron Rivera fired, attacks on Cody Barton‘s play, and the common theme thus far in recognizing the poor play of the offensive line began to fade away. Honestly, the ending of this first half just felt different as the offense seemed structured, and the defense began to come together, which is not something I have personally seen for a long time. Usually, in a half that ends with the team being down in 21-3 type of score, Washington limps into halftime or has a single play that goes right that allows them to put points on the board. This was not the case in this game, as the team as a whole just seemed to have taken control of this game at all phases and entered halftime with clear momentum.

 

Heading into the second quarter, it became clear that fans were ready for a complete restructuring of this team’s roster. From Ron Rivera being rightfully held accountable for the overall poor linebacker play and the neglect in the offensive line investment to the doubts in Howell being the guy, as he holds onto the ball too long at times. Before the aforementioned turnover by Jamin Davis, this fan base, including me, just saw what has been far too normal under Ron Rivera and his staff. We watched the opposing coaching staff outcoach Washington’s staff.  The underachieving defense with its number two overall pick back in the lineup in Chase Young just seemed to be outclassed in talent across the board. Well, to much amazement, not only did this team not quit but their finish in this second half was not attributed to a few lucky breaks. The defensive line dominated the trenches and the offense ran like a well-coached unit entering halftime, thus bringing that unusual sense of optimism this fan base has not had for quite some time.

 

The Second Half

Talk about a complete turnaround – the second half was exactly what many had hoped for from the opening kickoff.  The Denver running backs totaled 9 carries for 47 yards at a 5.2 yards per carry average in the first half, but in the second half saw a 1.7 yard per carry average drop to 3.5. Granted, the Broncos were playing catchup late in the game, but the start of the 3rd quarter saw them having a full touchdown lead yet could not establish the run. Part of that was the pressure applied by Daron Payne as he sacked Wilson for a loss of 9 yards on 1st down. Then, he forced an incompletion with pressure applied on 3rd and long forcing a punt. The defensive front was immovable for most of the second half, as evidenced by the fact that all 7 sacks and 14 total quarterback hits came in the second half.

Even after a poor decision by Rivera on Washington’s opening drive of the half  to go for a 65-yard field goal, the defense still responded with a quick 3 and out for the Broncos offense. Taking away the Hail Mary completion for a touchdown,  Wilson completed 11 passes in 23 attempts for 104 yards and no touchdowns. This caused a decrease in completion percentage from 75% to 47.8%, and yards per completion from 25.6 to 9.4 from the first half to the second half respectively.

While Washington’s defense exerted its will on the offense, Washington’s offense saw its own swing. Brian Robinson Jr. improved on a terrible 1st half yards per carry attempt (2.6) and ran with ease, culminating in a 5.6 yards per carry average and 74 yards in the second half. It was the run game that allowed Washington to keep Howell to minimal attempts of 8 in the second half compared to 30 in the first half. The effective run game allowed Eric Bieniemy to open the playbook to make Washington’s offense the most efficient we’ve seen in a long time. In addition, the fanbase took immediate notice of the dominant defensive performance led by Daron Payne. While Ron still showed a tendency to question football decisions in this half and the offensive tackles still had their struggles, the team put together a complete two and a half quarters of football. Of course, Washington just can’t make it easy, allowing the Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the game.

 

Conclusion

This was certainly a great win for Washington and could be the turning point in this very young season, but let’s not get too excited. There are still prevalent issues on the offensive line, along with the lack of quality linebacker depth, and a young quarterback who will still be prone to mistakes. The second half defensive performance will be needed for 60 minutes next week against Buffalo, as that offense will not allow a 21-3 lead to slip away like Denver. I am not going to godown the “What if” scenario heading into week 3 against the Bills, as this win doesn’t yet move the needle for me at this time. Washington’s next 2 games against Buffalo and Philadelphia will go a long way to determine where exactly this team is headed and just how good they really are in this young season. Josh Allen may not be at Russell Wilson’s level of passing ability, is but Allen’s ability to shed tacklers and extend plays is going to be a problem for Washington.

Defensively, Buffalo is certainly off to a slow start, allowing 5.3 yards per carry and a sack percentage of 6.12% which is about middle of the league rank. Therefore, the defense is susceptible but it is also early in the season and week 3 is typically the time teams begin playing to near their full potential. While this win is great and I will certainly enjoy the 2-0 start, the reality could be very painful come this Sunday; however, I do carry a little more optimism than before the season starts. While my prediction of a loss to Buffalo this offseason still remains, I am leaning towards a more competitive game than the 31-18 final I predicted. I think the result will be a closer game in the area of a 23-21 final and carry some momentum into Philadelphia week 4.