CHICAGO — One yard was the difference between winning and losing on Thursday night, as the Chicago Bears came up just short of a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes.
Their agony breathed life into the Washington Commanders’ season though, and a festive locker room was followed by what quarterback Carson Wentz said would be a festive flight back to Ashburn.
After slogging through a four-game losing streak, the Commanders’ 12-7 victory was a breath of fresh air, and was celebrated with a number of postgame tributes to coach Ron Rivera.
“I mean, he really cares,” receiver Terry McLaurin said. “There’s a lot of things that obviously have been going on, but at the same time, just to get another win, when they’re hard to get in this league — and he has a history [having played] in Chicago ... there were a lot of things riding on this.”
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Rivera showed his emotion postgame with a passionate defense of quarterback Carson Wentz. On Friday, he said he’s hopeful the focus can be on the game itself going forward.
“Last night, my frustrations got the best of me, and it’s because this should be about playing football for our guys, OK?” Rivera said. “And I really want that for them. I mean, we’ve had some really tremendous play this year.
“We have three guys that are in the top 10 of [getting quarterback] pressure, and I think that’s the stuff you want our guys to be celebrated for ... as opposed to all the other stuff, you know what I’m saying? I just wish we could be able to focus on those things for our players, because for them, it should just all be about what’s going on in the field and in the locker room.”
Wentz said he was thankful for the support.
“Coach Rivera, he’s awesome,” Wentz said. “I’ve always had a ton of respect for him from afar, but playing for him is even better.”
The good vibes were in stark contrast to an ugly game, and while Washington’s defense can enter the long weekend feeling great about where it’s at, the offense is still struggling to reach its potential.
Penalties also continue to be a major issue, and Rivera was rankled by a pair of 12 men on the field calls, as well as one play where the team only fielded 10 men defensively, declaring: “That will be addressed.”
But it’s the final score that matters most in the NFL, and Washington was on the winning side, providing at least a momentary reprieve from the drama.
Wentz made the highlight reel with a vicious block of Chicago’s Roquan Smith, part of a second half where the running game carried the team.
“You know, there’s a toughness about him,” Rivera said of Wentz. “The thing I don’t think a lot of people understand, he’s a very resilient man. He wants to win in a bad way.”
The players said the same of Rivera, providing a feel-good moment in a season that has been largely devoid of them, and sending the players into a four-day weekend before they return Tuesday to prepare for Green Bay.
“We know Coach cares about us,” receiver Curtis Samuel said. “Each and every week, in our practice and games, we just want to go out there and give it our all and play hard for him.”
Note: Rivera said he was not yet sure if defensive end Chase Young (knee) would return to practice on Monday. Young has not yet played this season.
THURSDAY
Washington 0 3 0 9 — 12
Chicago 0 0 7 0 — 7
Second Quarter
Was-FG Slye 38, :46.
Third Quarter
Chi-Pettis 40 pass from Fields (Santos kick), 7:16.
Fourth Quarter
Was-FG Slye 28, 14:51.
Was-Robinson 1 run (pass failed), 7:21.
A-61,873.
Was Chi
First downs 14 20
Total Net Yards 214 392
Rushes-yards 28-128 37-238
Passing 86 154
Punt Returns 3-35 3-15
Kickoff Returns 1-27 1-22
Interceptions Ret. 1-1 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 12-22-0 14-27-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 3-13 5-36
Punts 6-51.167 4-46.25
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 7-36 4-42
Time of Possession 27:48 32:12
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing-Washington, Robinson 17-60, Gibson 5-35, McKissic 2-20, McLaurin 2-11, Wentz 2-2. Chicago, Fields 12-88, Herbert 7-75, Montgomery 15-67, V.Jones 1-8, St. Brown 1-1, Smith-Marsette 1-(minus 1).
Passing-Washington, Wentz 12-22-0-99. Chicago, Fields 14-27-1-190.
Receiving-Washington, McLaurin 3-41, Gibson 3-18, C.Turner 2-23, Samuel 2-6, Sims 1-6, Milne 1-5. Chicago, Mooney 7-68, Pettis 4-84, Kmet 1-15, Montgomery 1-13, V.Jones 1-10.
Missed FG-Washington, Slye 48.
