The Washington Commanders were one play away from ending a six-game losing streak and snapping the Denver Broncos‘ eight-game losing streak on Sunday night at Northwest Stadium. After wide receiver Terry McLaurin scored a touchdown with under three minutes remaining, head coach Dan Quinn made the call to go for the win. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury made the right call, but Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto got his hands up to knock down Marcus Mariota’s 2-point attempt, giving Denver a hard-fought 27-26 win.
Mariota and the Commanders overcome the odds to force overtime, battling questionable penalties and converting on third-and-long, and on fourth down to tie things at 20 to end regulation. The Broncos took the ball first in overtime and had no trouble scoring. Again, Mariota went to work, converting on several clutch throws. On the final drive, Washington had a Terry McLaurin touchdown called back due to a penalty, and tight end Zach Ertz dropped a touchdown pass. Yet, the Commanders kept coming.
Advertisement
It was a tremendous effort from Mariota and the Commanders, but it was not enough for Washington to snap its losing streak.
Final score: Broncos 27, Commanders 26 OT
Commanders vs. Broncos
Numbers to know
-
30: Washington had 30 first downs, as compared to Denver’s 23. It’s an impressive number against one of the NFL’s best defenses.
-
3.0: The Commanders allowed the Broncos to rush for only 69 yards, averaging three yards per attempt. It was key in forcing Sean Payton to almost abandon the running game. While the Broncos moved the ball through the air with ease, Washington did a good job of taking away the running game for the most part.
-
106: Zach Ertz had 10 catches for 106 yards. It was his best game of the season. There were two plays he’d love to have back: a deep shot that Denver knocked away and his dropped touchdown in overtime.
-
96: Terry McLaurin, in his return from injury, finished with 96 receiving yards and a touchdown. He had another touchdown called back due to a penalty.
-
2: The Broncos lead the NFL in sacks. Denver had 49 heading into this game. Against Washington, the Broncos had only two sacks. Making it even more impressive is that Marcus Mariota threw the ball 50 times—an excellent night for the Commanders’ offensive line.
-
143: Washington rushed for 143 yards against one of the NFL’s top defenses. It was a great bounce-back night for a ground game that had stalled in recent weeks.
It was over when……
Nik Bonitto got his hands up to knock down Mariota’s 2-point conversion attempt. This game was wild and literally came down to the last play.
3 stars of the game
-
QB Marcus Mariota: 28/50, 294 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 55 rushing yards
-
TE Zach Ertz: 10 catches, 106 yards
-
WR Terry McLaurin: 7 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD
Play of the game
This game was full of big-time moments, but Washington wide receiver Treylon Burks’ one-handed touchdown reception in the third quarter may be the NFL’s catch of the year. On a day of outstanding catches, Burks may have had the best one.
What’s next?
The Commanders head back on the road next week to face another struggling team, the Minnesota Vikings. Like Washington, Minnesota was one of the NFC’s best teams last season. Now, the Vikings are 4-8 and have major quarterback questions. In some good news, the Commanders could get quarterback Jayden Daniels back next week.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Instant analysis from 27-26 loss to Broncos
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
