The Washington Commanders' hot streak continues another week as their 19-13 home win against the Atlanta Falcons marks their sixth win in seven games, running their record to 7-5 and putting them right on the doorstep of an NFC wild card spot. Outside of a bad interception on a forced throw into double coverage at the end of the first half, quarterback Taylor Heinicke put together a solid outing on Sunday. He tied his season-high with two touchdown passes despite throwing for a season-low 138 yards on 14 of 23 passing. The Commanders have now won five of Heinicke's six starts this season since he took over for an injured Carson Wentz. Rookie Brian Robinson also shined with his first 100-yard rushing game, racking up 105 on the ground on 18 carries. He also caught Heinicke's first touchdown, a 14-yard checkdown that he took the distance thanks to a couple broken tackles through the Falcons' secondary.
The Falcons' loss drops their record to 5-7 as they lose critical ground in both the NFC South division race as well as the conference wild card competition. They continued to find success on the ground, rushing for 167 yards on 29 carries, 5.8 yards per rush. However, quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for under 200 yards, a commonality in six of their seven losses this season. The former second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft threw for 174 yards and a 10-yard touchdown to tight end MyCole Pruitt on 15 of 25 passing.
Both teams opened the game with some variation of a touchdown, a field goal, and a punt on their first three possessions while entering the half tied at 10. The difference in the second half was Heinicke's ability to find the end zone, tossing a 16-yard touchdown to tight end John Bates late in the third quarter. Mariota had an opportunity to give the Falcons the lead, trailing 19-13 with 1:03 remaining thanks to Commanders kicker Joey Slye missing the extra point on Heinicke's final passing touchdown.
Atlanta drove all the way down to the Commanders' 4, and on second and goal, the Falcons' worst nightmare occurred. Mariota dropped back to pass, but his throw was tipped by Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne, allowing cornerback Kendall Fuller to make a diving interception in the end zone. The Falcons defense came up clutch, forcing a critical three-and-out and using all three timeouts to get the football back with 44 seconds to go. However, Atlanta was called for running into the punter, which gave the Commanders the opportunity to maintain possession and kneel the clock out.
Why the Commanders won
The Washington defense was the definition of bend, but don't break Sunday. The unit allowed 332 total yards to the Falcons, Atlanta's fifth-highest total of the season, but only gave up one touchdown and intercepted Mariota 4 yards away from losing the lead. The Commanders have seven consecutive games with a takeaway, their longest such streak since an eight-game streak that stretched across the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
With the win today, Washington improves to 7-1 in 2022 when recording a takeaway. The 13 takeaways since Week 6 stand as the most in the NFL, and along with the stiff defensive performance, Heinicke made just enough plays while Robinson's career day allowed Washington to win the time of possession battle by about seven minutes. The formula of a strong defense mixed with a ball-control offense is exactly what Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, a former Chicago Bears linebacker in their 1980s heyday, envisioned. His plan is coming to fruition in the nation's capital.
Why the Falcons lost
The Falcons outgained the Commanders by 18 yards, but the difference in the game came down to red zone execution. Washington threw two touchdowns in three red zone trips while Atlanta threw a touchdown and the game-sealing interception in its two red zone trips. Most NFL games come down to execution near the goal line, and the Falcons simply couldn't come through with a touchdown down six with just over a minute left in the game. Atlanta had its opportunity, it just couldn't seize the moment.
Turning point
The turning point couldn't be anything else besides Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller's game-winning interception at the goal line with just over a minute left in the game. Had Fuller dropped this ball, there's a strong chance this game has a different outcome. After no picks in the first 10 weeks of the season, Fuller now has two big ones in consecutive weeks: a pick-six of Davis Mills in a win against the Houston Texans in Week 11 and now the game-winner in Week 12.
Play of the game
The play of the game was the best show of force at FedEx Field on Sunday, a powerful touchdown catch-and-run by rookie running back Brian Robinson. The third-round pick caught a swing pass and 14 yards later he was in the end zone after bowling over two Falcons defenders. It initially looked like his only options were to run out of bounds or go down about 4 yards short of the goal line, but Robinson chose Option C: go through the defense and get into the end zone.
What's next
The Falcons return home in Week 13 to host rookie Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Commanders hit the road next week for an NFC East showdown with the 7-4 New York Giants that may double as an NFC wild card elimination game.
