Washington Commanders Win Sparked by Jamison Crowder's 'Huge' Punt Return vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Washington Commanders are in a solid spot in the standings as they get set for a two-game NFC East slate. After Sunday's 24-16 road win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Commanders sit at 3-3, and should be pleased but hardly satisfied with what they've done up to this point.
And while you can point to the continued growth of quarterback Sam Howell or the defense forcing three takeaways as reasons for Sunday's win, recently-signed veteran receiver Jamison Crowder deserves some major props for helping give Washington the lead for good early on.
Crowder's 61-yard punt return came early in the second quarter with Washington down 7-3, but it set up the Commanders in the red zone where they quickly cashed in on a one-yard touchdown grab from Antonio Gibson. They took a 10-7 lead and never looked back.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Jamison Crowder (83) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tre Flowers (33) after a long punt return during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
© Dale Zanine, USA TODAY
Howell admitted he told Crowder how important the return was in helping Washington get the win.
“I told him after the game that it was one of the big plays to help us win the ball game," Howell said. " ... Obviously, that punt return gave us a short field [advantage] and we were able to put seven points on the board off of that. So yeah, that was huge. Whenever you can get sparks from defense or special teams, it definitely helps the offense, especially against a defense like Atlanta."
Crowder hardly boasted about the play, instead crediting his teammates.
“The guys did a really good job of blocking and creating lanes for me, and I was able to hit it," he said. "The offense opened good right there.”
Crowder caught two passes for 21 yards in Week 5's 40-20 loss to the Chicago Bears and now has a highlight special teams play under his belt. He'll look to continue getting adjusted to the offense while providing Washington's special teams with big-play ability when the Commanders visit the New York Giants on Sunday.
