The “Hail Mary” was wonderful!
It brought such ecstatic joy and instant happiness to the players, coaches, staff, ownership group, and fan base. Jayden Daniels had been part of a miraculous finish, with his pass being tipped and then caught by Noah Brown!
The Commanders are indeed 6-2 for the first time since 2008. The “Hail Mary” was great to talk about Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. But the Commanders need to literally put the heroic play behind them because this is the NFL, and nothing lasts for long in this league if you are not preparing diligently, taking care of yourself, and being wise.
Frankly, their next opponent, the New York Giants, is a team that has repeatedly convinced this franchise that its football team is not as good as we think it is. You say, well, that was with the last administration of Ron Rivera as both GM and head coach.
Yes, it is true Rivera did not defeat the Giants in either game of 2020, 2022 and 2023. He did win both times in 2021. Yes, Rivera was only 2-5-1 in his eight games against the Giants in his four years as GM/HC in Washington.
Some Michael Davis slow-mo for y’all
pic.twitter.com/3NcxObZijZ
— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) September 16, 2024
But even this year’s team, led by Jayden Daniels, Dan Quinn, Adam Peters, and 30 new players, needed Giants kicker Graham Gano to get injured, or this team would have started 2024 with two losses.
Coming off such a huge emotional win, it is only natural that the players and coaches have been talking about this win, how they felt, how they responded, etc.
Consequently, it is only natural to have a letdown the next week. In addition, this will be a road game at New York. The Giants aren’t sitting around talking about the “Hail Mary” escape with a win. The Giants are doing their homework, looking to avenge how they lost 21-18 in a game they had opportunity to win just as much as Washington.
It won’t be as easy as many are thinking it will be.