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Colt McCoy steps in during the second half, leads Redskins to 19-17 victory over Titans Colt McCoy steps in during the second half, leads Redskins to 19-17 victory over Titans
(about 2 hours later)
After an abysmal first half in which Kirk Cousins threw his ninth interception of the season and fumbled the ball away as well while the offense continued to sputter, Redskins Coach Jay Gruden had seen enough. Colt McCoy gripped both sides of the podium and tried to control his emotions as he reflected on the 19-17 comeback victory he and the Washington Redskins engineered over the Tennessee Titans at FedEx Field on Sunday.
Cousins had come out of the tunnel at FedEx Field with his helmet on, and Colt McCoy his ball cap. Washington’s defense held the visiting Tennessee Titans to a three-and-out, and at the conclusion of the television timeout, it was McCoy that trotted out onto the field, greeted by a smattering of cheers from the same fans that had booed Cousins and the offense off the field at halftime. McCoy took over at the start of the second half and completed 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He was not intercepted and was a perfect five-for-five on the final drive, which culminated with Kai Forbath’s 22-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift Washington to a victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.
On his first attempt, McCoy completed a short toss to wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who juked cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and raced 70 yards to the end zone. McCoy bounced and high-stepped his way downfield after Garcon, celebrated and returned to the sideline with the home crowd whipped into a frenzy and “Hail to the Redskins” blaring over the sound system. McCoy began that drive by stepping into the huddle looked at a group of faces he hadn’t taken practice reps with since training camp.
[Best and worst moments from Redskins-Titans] “I looked them in the eyes and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to do my job, you do yours and we’re going to win this game,’ ” McCoy recounted.
A few hairy moments followed over the course of the second half, but the Redskins did just enough to win, 19-17, to snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 2-5. Job complete — and the Redskins improved to 2-5.
Washington mustered the victory after overcoming Cousins’s first-half turnovers, a spotty running game, continued red-zone struggles and drive-extending defensive penalties. Nearly three years had passed since McCoy’s last meaningful game appearance. The garbage time cameos with San Francisco last season and in 2012 with Cleveland didn’t count. He once was viewed as the franchise savior in Cleveland, but he lost his job with one month remaining in his second season, and spent the next two years charting plays and running the scout teams.
A blown coverage by E.J. Biggers while matched up with Titans wide receiver Derek Hagen resulted in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Whitehurst late in the fourth quarter. That play was one of many gaffes. Twice, the defense had sacks negated because of illegal contact penalties downfield. And two plays prior to the touchdown pass, the defense gave up a first down on fourth and one. “This league is very unforgiving, and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to still be able to play,” McCoy said, his voice cracking.
But with his team trailing, 17-16, with two minutes left, McCoy completed six straight passes (a seventh — a 38-yard pass to DeSean Jackson — was nullified because of offsetting penalties), and then a pass interference call on Tennessee’s Jason McCourty while covering Jackson put the ball on the Tennessee 7. McCoy signed with Washington back in April although chances of playing time looked bleak because of the heavy investments in Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.
After two kneels to run time off the clock, Kai Forbath nailed a 22-yard field goal to put his team in the win column. But there he was Sunday, trotting onto the field at the start of the third quarter, charged with leading the Redskins back from a 10-6 halftime deficit. Griffin remained on the shelf, still working his way back from the ankle injury suffered in Week 2, and Cousins stood on the sideline, helmet on, arms folded, benched after a first half that saw him lose a fumble and throw his ninth interception of the season.
McCoy finished the day completing 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Gruden had opted to stick with Cousins this week, even after he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss at Arizona. He believed that the third-year quarterback needed to continue to work his way through his turnover tendencies, and that eventually he would achieve a breakthrough.
The Garcon touchdown was the only one Washington scored, and Forbath made four field goals to provide the remainder of the Redskins’ points in a matchup of two anemic offenses. But the problems resurfaced, and when Cousins threw right to linebacker Wesley Woodyard, Gruden had seen enough.
The game started with promise for Cousins and the offense. On the second play of the game, the quarterback rolled out, beat the rush and connected with Niles Paul on a sideline pass that Paul took 50 yards to the Titans’ 29-yard line. “After the interception, we decided to go with Colt,” Gruden explained. “... I thought after the interception – turning the ball over – we talked about accountability, ball security. That was a standard pass play that we’ve run for a long, long time and he threw it right to him, unfortunately, and I decided to go with Colt in the second half.”
Three plays later, on their first third-down attempt of the game, Cousins connected with tight end Jordan Reed for a seven-yard gain and the first down. Washington’s offense needed a spark. In addition to Cousins’s two turnovers (he almost had a third, but a Titans defender dropped one sure first-quarter interception), the unit had managed only 184 yards while converting only two of seven third downs. The defense didn’t provide much support outside of rookie Bashaud Breeland’s interception just one play before Cousins’s interception forced Gruden’s hand.
But DeSean Jackson got stopped short on the following third down, and Washington settled for a 31-yard field goal by Forbath. The defense couldn’t get off the field on crucial third downs, and safeties Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather whiffed on a red zone tackle that could have prevented Kendal Wright from scoring on a 14-yard reception from Charlie Whitehurst in the second quarter.
The defense forced the Titans to punt after six snaps, but Washington’s offense fell apart in three plays. But as his team headed to the locker room at halftime with the home crowd raining down a smattering of boos, Gruden believed that the lack of ball security stood out as the most concerning element of all.
Cousins had a would-be interception dropped on an errant throw over the middle. Garcon, the closest target to the ball, also had fallen down on the play. Washington got called for delay of game on the following play, and on third and 10 from the Redskins’ 25, Cousins got hit from behind while trying to throw the ball away. The blow from defensive lineman defensive lineman Derrick Morgan knocked the ball free, and linebacker Avery Williamson plucked the ball from the air. Because Cousins’s arm had not come forward, the turnover was classified as a fumble. And so, the coach went to his one-time third-string quarterback and told him he was getting the nod.
The saving grace for Washington was the fact that Tennessee’s offense is equally inept. The Titans got the ball at the Redskins’ 15 and actually lost three yards in three plays before having to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Ryan Succop. “I don’t know what the problems are right now,” Gruden said after the game. “ It was just a bad throw and a bad situation, and I just thought Colt has earned the right to get an opportunity if Kirk struggled in the first half turning the ball over. That’s the basic reason. Had I not thought Colt had been ready, I would’ve stuck with Kirk, but I just thought Colt was ready to go. I know he felt ready. He’s been chomping at the bit to play, but he’s always been a supportive backup in this time. When his number was called, he produced.”
Self-inflicted wounds served as the theme of the second quarter, and Washington trailed at halftime because of them. Describing his mind-set as his role suddenly changed, McCoy said, “I like Jay a lot, and when Jay came and told me to be ready to play, I just didn’t want to let him down. You’ve always got to be ready to play. If he goes with you and you go in there and turn the ball over or don’t start fast or don’t win the game or don’t play well, that just doesn’t look good.”
The defense appeared to come up with a crucial third-down stop at the Tennessee 25. But linebacker Trent Murphy, lined up along the line of the punt-return unit, jumped offsides on fourth down, and instead of the Redskins getting the ball at their own 40, where Andre Roberts fielded the punt, the penalty translated into a first down for the Titans. On his first attempt, McCoy completed a short pass to wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who juked cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and raced 70 yards to the end zone. McCoy bounced and high-stepped his way downfield after Garcon, celebrated and returned to the sideline with the home crowd whipped into a frenzy as “Hail to the Redskins” blared.
Tennessee briefly moved the ball thanks to the new life. But that drive ended when Whitehurst threw an interception to rookie cornerback Bashaud Breeland at the Washington 42. “After the play, I always want to do something with the ball, and I just ran. It felt good, but I just try to play like that regardless. You want to get the ball in your hand and I was just happy it came out. We need to stop any losing streak, but they were losing, so we are definitely glad against them, though.”
That represented only the third interception of the season for the Redskins’ defense. The Titans (2-5) took a brief 17-16 lead after Whitehurst completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Derek Hagan, but Washington got the ball back with 3:14 left and McCoy had the chance to orchestrate a game-winning drive.
But the celebration that stemmed from it was short lived. He went out and completed his next five passes. A sixth attempt – a deep ball along the sideline to DeSean Jackson – drew a pass interference call that placed the ball at the Tennessee 7.
Cousins dropped back and fired a pass — right to linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who had dropped into coverage and stood roughly five yards in front of Roberts. The Redskins milked the clock until calling a timeout with three seconds left, and on came Forbath, who had made his first three field goal attempts of the game and had never gone 4-for-4 in a game until Sunday.
The play upped Cousins’s season turnover total to 11 (nine interceptions, two lost fumbles) in four starts. Forbath said he told himself to approach the kick as if it was an extra-point attempt, and following a timeout by the Titans, he made the kick, delivering the victory
The Titans capitalized on the interception by going 37 yards in five plays, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Whitehurst to Kendall Wright.
Washington failed to muster a threat and went in at halftime down 10-6, a smattering of boos raining down from the stands as the players and coaches jogged off to the locker room.