Washington kept its season alive with an upset win. A patchwork solution may have been the reason

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LANDOVER — He wasn’t ready to admit defeat, but Amik Robertson had been around long enough to know where his team was trending.

After two weeks, and two dismal losses, the Commanders were close to hitting the eject button on this young season.

Robertson knew the facts. Since 2002, less than 16% of teams that have started 0-2 have made the playoffs. And those rare exceptions usually have a healthy quarterback.

But the feeling, not the facts, is what really troubled him. The Commanders were getting gashed on defense. They went to Philadelphia and were torched by a journeyman receiver who barely scratched the depth chart. Then they went to Dallas and gave up 37 points. It felt like they ran out of answers.

“We have to look in the mirror and fix the s--t,” Robertson said by his locker in the week leading up to this game.

If they didn’t …

Well, at least for one day, Washington won’t have to answer that question. Without quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders pulled out a 33-31 win over the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday.

It wasn’t perfect. They were outgained by nearly 200 yards. They had 11 fewer first downs. They went 1-of-11 on third down (until the final, game-sealing drive).

But that much-maligned secondary, which threatened to tank Washington’s season before it even began, held on just enough to keep it from capsizing.

“The 0-3 test and 1-2 test, both don’t sound great on paper. But they feel a lot different,” coach Dan Quinn said.

Or, as Robertson would tell it.

“Enjoy this one,” he said with a grin. “24 hours, let’s enjoy it.”

The secondary likely won’t be where most people start in remembering this win. Instead, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will get the credit as he plodded around the field and eventually had the game-clinching run. Quarterbacks usually grab the attention, and Robertson is fine with that.

But the secondary shouldn’t go unnoticed. In the first two weeks of the season, it didn’t matter how many points the Commanders scored — the defense would allow more. It was the flaw that Washington couldn’t overcome.

The whole back end of the defense was seemingly lost. Starting cornerback Mike Sainristil ranked 89th of 89 players at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. Starting safety Nick Cross was 68th of 79. Jeremy Reaves came in 47th.

With that many holes in the secondary, was there anything defensive coordinator Daronte Jones could do?

“It’s out of the ordinary,” Jones said.

But, in response, Jones did the only thing he could do: shake up the lineup and restart. He benched Sainristil in favor of Rasul Douglas, a veteran Washington signed in training camp. He asked Fabian Moreau to play his first snaps of the season. He called on Robertson, the lone standout in the first two weeks, to play a bigger role.

And, when it came to calling the game, he simplified.

“We’re dialing that back and saying, ‘Hey, OK, these are our only [two] options for that communication. It’s either this or that,’” Jones said.

For just long enough, it worked.

Even as Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold kept evading Washington’s pass rush, there weren’t many receivers to go to. Robertson had four timely pass breakups, and Darnold seemed frustated by the three-and-outs.

For three quarters, Seattle was held to 17 points and its leading receiver to under 60 yards. It was the first time Washington held a lead beyond the first half.

“We were able to settle down and play a little bit,” safety Quan Martin said.

The patchwork solution eventually gave out in the fourth quarter, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba had two contested touchdowns and 128 yards. Darnold finished with 379 yards on 31-of-45 passing. But the secondary at least gave Washington a chance.

“Good coverage, they put it in the right spot like the touchdown, I can live with that,” Quinn said. “We’ll continue to tweak anything we have to. But it was good.”

After the game, Robertson thought of the upcoming trip to London. Seven hours on a plane, at 0-3, would have felt like the season was over.

And, although the defensive solutions are far from perfect, at least Washington can travel across the ocean in peace.

“I think that flight is going to be cool,” he said, laughing. “Now we got to build on this one.”