After several regular season games, Shoya has gradually stabilized his place in the team's medium-term plan. Not in the long term, because we will have to wait for progress over the next two seasons.
At the same time, opponents aim directly at it with strict analysis and specially designed schemes to extinguish it. Since his first match, he has constantly worked to improve his skills, step by step.
He can't take away his rookie status, but other than the game against Buffalo, he's never been catastrophic. He's become a skilled quarterback and is showing that progression is going in the right direction.
The changes happen week after week, but it's hard for him to feel the changes. But if they don't see each other for a year, the changes become apparent.
The loss to the Raiders is history. For the Commanders, the most important thing is the next opponent, the rival of the same division, the New York Giants.
According to the NFL format, as long as a team can win the division, they can make the playoffs regardless of the record. The Giants and Commanders are not in this situation because the Eagles will not be able to be caught by them.
For this reason, opponents in the same division are the most important!
They are direct competitors for a spot in the playoffs, but also because the record in the division is an important determinant of the playoffs.
Despite a negative record, the Washington Commanders have a positive record in the division, with three wins and two losses. They have a favorable tiebreaker against the Giants thanks to this, in the event of a New York loss, Washington will get back to even on the record and move ahead of them no matter what.
That's not what the Giants want to see. They are already in a bad position to qualify for the playoffs and do not have their destiny in their own hands. It is de facto certain that the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have already qualified, as are the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers. Only the Panthers are not yet assured of the division title.
There are only two wild card spots left, and the Detroit Lions will qualify if they beat the Minnesota Vikings. For New York, it would take a Detroit loss, a New Orleans loss, and an Arizona Cardinals loss.
And again, these are conditions to get back to a tie, and then we will have to beat Philadelphia in the final week. Isn't that too much to ask?
The entire RFK Stadium in Washington was loud, and the screaming never stopped. It's hard to imagine it's January. Despite the cold, there is no snow, but in the stands, it is boiling.
The Commanders and Shoya start on the pitch at kickoff. As with every division match, and given the disposition of both teams, it is to be expected that each mistake can result in the loss of the game.
Shoya and the Commanders are in no hurry; the game has just started, and the first thing to do is install the racing game. That's why Robinson ran with the ball early and was tackled by opposing defenders seven yards away.
After kickoff in 2nd & 3, Shoya adjusted his legs and prepared his pass. It only took him a second to find a free receiver, and Robinson just came out of the backfield. That was his goal from the get-go. The receivers went a mid-pass route, but because of that, no one was present when Robinson caused the overrun.
And after taking out a defender, Robinson gave the Commanders offense 18 yards to the middle of the 50-yard line. The Giants woke up and forced Washington 4th & 1 into New York's 41-yard line.
Interim coach Devin Rogers says into the headset, "Hey, let's try a run." He decided to take the risk. If he failed, the Giants would find themselves in a good starting position. With power runner Foreman out today, Robinson is the primary running back.
Rogers isn't a coach who uses a running back like Jarrod Johnson, even though the two styles are similar outside of that. As noted, even the Giants' defense knew Washington would run, but preventing them from gaining the remaining yard is another matter.
Robinson took advantage of the offensive line's good blocks to run for 5 yards and allowed Shoya to continue to lead the team on the field. Shoya and the Washington players are improving, but you can't play with the nerves of a team.
Running back Romeo Williams will lose 3 yards after a tackle for loss by Kayvon Thibodeaux. The defense of the Giants and Commanders look similar, collectively, Washington's is superior, but everyone knows that doesn't mean anything.
Then, Shoya found Tooney with a short, quick pass and earned a four-yard gain. With nine yards left with only one attempt remaining, it's obvious the Commanders need to make a pass.
The Giants understood this and heavily protected the defense against the pass. The defense was oppressive by the receivers, which gave Shoya time. But he had too much time, so much so that he understood that he had to run.
But before he could accelerate, the Giants finished the sack, the rookie Cooper Andersen took Shoya down and, at the same time, stopped the offense, forcing Washington's punt.
After holding onto the ball for more than six minutes for nothing, the Commanders gave way to the Giants. The Giants' offensive team is on the field; one name comes up when talking about the Giants: Saquon Barkley. He's the barometer and key player for the Giants, while Daniel Jones is content not to make mistakes.
Don't expect him to transcend this team, but he has his ups and downs. His ceiling is obvious, but he just signed a two-year extension with the Giants this summer. Now 30 years old, he will no longer progress.
And they're not going to do anything at all. Fifty seconds is the time allowed to Daniel Jones and his team to sit on the bench. Shoya hadn't even begun to analyze the Giants' defensive schemes as he was forced to put his helmet back on and head back to the battlefield.
Washington returns to their thirty-yard line, which is a good starting position. The farther away the distance is from the goal line, the better. And it starts well, and the Giants will be penalized with a zone infraction that saves 5 yards.
Thibodeaux is at fault, and Shoya will pass the ball to Robinson, who is running to the right. He finds an opening the offensive linemen have prepared for him and accelerates. The play was perfectly executed; he passed the opponent's first curtain and gained 15 yards.
The Commanders in one game are in the 50 line. Rogers is a pragmatic coach, and he decided to tire the defense with powerful and relentless runs.