Chase Young & WFT Squash 49ers 23-15
The Washington Football Team took sole possession of first place in the NFC East division on Sunday, shutting down the San Fransisco 49ers 23-15 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
It was the fourth straight win for Washington, which began the year 2-7, and now has the opportunity to control its own destiny, and secure a home playoff game in January.
It is indeed a remarkable turnaround for Washington, one that has been made possible by stable quarterback play and a tenacious defensive effort week-in and week-out. ... The latter of which was displayed in spades through the first three-and-a-half quarters of their win over San Fransisco.
Despite a less-than-ideal night from the Washington offense, in which they lost QB starter Alex Smith for the game in the first half due to a calf injury and amassed just 193 yards of total offense, the defense took matters into its own hands, scoring not one but two touchdowns off of Niners QB Nick Mullins turnovers.
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The first of those came courtesy of rookie phenom defensive end Chase Young on a fumble recovery, with the second coming on a 76-yard Kameron Curl interception return.
As a team, Washington forced three turnovers and held Mullins and the San Fransisco 49ers to 322 yards of offense, including just 108 yards on the ground.
The aforementioned Young played perhaps the biggest role in that defensive effort as well, finishing with four tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and the touchdown.
Said Daron Payne of Young: "He's a dawg. Our whole D-line is straight dawg."
Jon Bostic also had a solid outing, leading Washington in tackles with 10 total stops, while Montez Sweat continued his dominant play, ending the game with five tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.
On the other side of the ball, it was a clear struggle for Washington, who after losing Smith, could not find a way to move the football with Dwayne Haskins under center, even when deep in 49er territory.
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With Haskins unable to get things going, Washington stuck to the run game, handing the ball to J.D. McKissic 11 times for 68 yards, while led the team with six catches for 43 yards on 12 targets.
Following the win, the NFC East leaders will head back home to Landover, where a tough matchup with Russell Wilson, D.K. Metcalf and the explosive Seattle Seahawks will be waiting for them.
Coach Ron Rivera seemed to suggest that if Smith is well enough to go, he'll be back as the starter. But for the moment, an emotional Haskins was happy to be a part of WFT's fourth straight win.
"I'm just grateful and thankful,'' Haskins said. "I'm proud of how our team fought."
