Hogs Haven
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Before last night, I had seen some highlights of the Giants games over the past two weeks, but the game against Philly on Thursday Night Football was the first time I watched Jaxson Dart play a football game from beginning to end.
I was seriously impressed. This kid looked like the same kind of nightmare for defenses that Jayden Daniels is. I’m not looking forward to having him in the division for the next decade.
The young man certainly has a lot to learn, starting with the idea that, in the NFL, he can’t play his position as though he were a fullback, but he appears to have the full package of arm strength, accuracy, mobility, coolness, and processing required to succeed at this level.
It looks to me as if the competition in the NFC East just leveled up.
I watched a podcast this week in which the podcaster stated rather unequivocally that the Commanders offense was dominated by the LA Chargers offense in the first third of Sunday’s game.
His view was not unique. I’ve read lots of criticism of Washington’s defensive unit based on the early 10-0 score and the fact that, barring a penalty for roughing the kicker, Washington would have fallen behind by a score of 17-7.
I’d like to offer an alternate view of what took place in that game.
I think the Commanders defense, while not perfect, did a pretty good job from the outset of Sunday’s game to the final whistle. The offense (literally) stumbled early before finding its footing (pun intended), and the critical errors in the first half were made by special teams — a unit that I spent a lot of time praising yesterday.
Let me state my case.
I hear the shouts of indignation already — “The Chargers scored a touchdown on the opening drive!!”
It’s true that LA did put up a touchdown, but only AFTER Washington’s defense had stalled the drive by forcing an incomplete pass on 3rd & 5 at the Washington 11-yard line. Coach Harbaugh sent on his field goal unit to kick the field goal — a kick that was actually successful, but which was taken off the board when Mike Sainristil was flagged for an offside penalty on the kick, setting up the Chargers with 1st & goal at the Washington 6 yard line.
The gaffe was committed...
