"Kick-off! The Commanders are now 46 yards behind the Eagles! »
As the announcer said indirectly, the defensive squad didn't give Jalen Hurst's teammates a chance and kindly gave the ball back to Washington. With four carries and two passes, the Commanders are eating up the clock, and it's working for the moment as they still lead "7:0 ».
But the Eagles are still one of the best teams in the NFL, so they're definitely going to respond. Jalen Carter thinks Shoya's life has been too easy from the start because he hasn't missed any passes or pressure.
His instinct told him when he saw the No. 2 step back with the ball: "It's a fake run!"
Beast instinct took over, and the Commanders' offensive lineman couldn't do anything, like a black bear attacking an ordinary human. And when he saw Shoya keeping the ball without knowing what was happening, he knew he had succeeded.
Shoya realized the crisis too late; he could only heavily protect the ball on his chest but could not save himself from the collision.
"Sack of the Eagles! The Philadelphia defense is finally waking up, and it's Jalen Carter, as always! Shoya watched the celebrated Carter from the floor and couldn't help but think: He played well.
And two plays later: "Second sack from the Eagles! This time, it's linebacker Nolan Smith who has just sacked Barthelemy! »
"The Eagles' defense finally returned to the game with two sacks! Now, the offense must also find its rhythm! »
"I've gotten acquainted with an oppressive defense," Shoya said, feeling sorry for the Commanders' opponents, who must be drooling. He saw Levis's eyes last week and is starting to understand his feelings.
Strictly speaking, the Commanders' defense is in the top 5 in almost every aspect, whether it's points conceded, yards conceded, sacks. But what sums up the team is that they have a negative differential turnover.
They also concede more points than they score, with 20.4 points allowed per game and 17.5 points scored. There are too few to hope for anything, and the defense is too good to deserve to finish at the bottom of the standings.
Justice is not for all, and the offense of the Commanders is not good enough to claim it. At the same time, the defense of the Commanders can take the law into its own hands as long as the offense supports it.
This is not the case at the moment and even now. Shoya can't carry a team on his back, and for the development of a rookie, a good racing game is almost mandatory.
So yes, some players have had to carry the weight of an offense by being a rookie, but if the team is not good, they are sent to run for their lives. The difference between Trevor Lawrence's rookie season with the Jaguars and Mac Jones with the Patriots is striking.
Coming out of the same draft, Jones had to prop up a good team, and Lawrence inherited a crumbling team and off-field problems. And despite the difference in trajectory, no one can deny that Lawrence's rookie season was disgusting and that Jones was able to lead the Patriots to the playoffs.
Shoya's situation is more like Mac Jones with fewer weapons but a better defense, although the Patriots' was good that season.
The same thing happened when the Eagles played again, as in the previous drive. The Eagles' offense was only on the field for 2:08 minutes for the entire first quarter. That means 1,2,3, Punt.
What happens is that every 3rd round, he gets sacked by a Commanders player. This time, it's Sweat who puts him on the ground. Chase Young, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat... No one knows why she's struggled in recent seasons, but since last year, they've gone back to elite, and Chase Young has been credible at DPOY.
It should have been this season, but the record doesn't speak in its favor, unfortunately (for obvious reasons, it's stronger than in history with the same core), and the rest is passable.
"The Commanders are coming back to the field. After two consecutive sacks, how will Barthelemy react? The commentator said excitedly. A rookie QB, against such a formidable defense, can lose confidence in his line and start running.
Shoya's reaction? A 17-yard long pass to Tooney. The punt's return had put Washington in a good starting position, and with a pass, they were already in the opponent's zone. But then, the offensive line will be penalized on the next play, and Shoya, who had gained a yard, will lose 10.
The Commanders are in "I" formation, which appears to be a running game. No one can read on Coach Johnson's intentions.
"Shoya turned around. Wrong run, no, it's really run. Barthelemy started running to the left." the Eagles caught off guard and couldn't stop Shoya from coming out of his pocket.
"Barthelemy for the race? No, the pass is complete!" The commentator's voice is clearer: "But who is the receiver? It's Caesar! Seeing Cesar come out of the scrum, he knew who had received the ball.
No one could see because Cesar was tackled by two players immediately and couldn't move forward. But that doesn't change as the Commanders are in 3rd & 9 despite a 4-yard pass to WR DeMarco.
Shoya gained enough ground for the team to score a field goal, and kicker Louie O'Galvin didn't miss. After being ejected from the Arizona Cardinals during his rookie season after missing 3 of 4 goals, he landed in Washington and became one of the best in the league.
Justin Tucker is still going strong, but he's certainly in the top 5, and he's not the fifth.
In short, the Commanders are making a splash and now lead "10:0" in Philadelphia. No one could have thought of this scenario before this match; Shoya's performance is more than convincing.
He hasn't missed a pass so far. Whether offense or defense, the Commanders are restricting the Eagles like no one has done this season. Another sack from Chase Young, and the Eagles had to punt again!
They haven't passed Washington's 50 yards yet.