Not even an hour after the biggest game of his career, Chase Young had to face one of his toughest critics. The Washington rookie’s mother, Carla, was on the phone over FaceTime. And they were still talking by the time the 21-year-old sat down to meet with reporters in an online video conference.
After Sunday’s electrifying performance by Young, mom was hard pressed to find much of anything to nitpick.
“Oh my gosh, I’m just so worn out,” Carla Young said, her son holding up his phone when a question was asked her way. “It was just insane. I was in shock.”
Carla Young was specifically reacting to Young’s touchdown run in Washington’s 23-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers. But the highlight was just one of the many spectacular plays that Young made in a historic day for the No. 2 overall choice earlier this year in the NFL draft.
On Sunday, Young became the first player in franchise history to return a fumble for a touchdown, force a fumble and record a sack. Not rookie. Player.
In the process, Washington (6-7) moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC East, thanks to a New York Giants loss earlier in the afternoon to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak with a 26-7 victory as the Giants fell to second place in the division. This was particularly huge given that the Giants have the tiebreaker over Washington, which needs to finish at least one game ahead of New York to win the East.
At four games, Washington now has its longest winning streak since 2016.
Young’s dominance helped Washington withstand the loss of quarterback Alex Smith, who left the game with an injury to his surgically repaired right leg just before halftime and did not return. Smith was battling a sore calf and was replaced by Dwayne Haskins, whose 51 yards (7 of 12) were unremarkable in his first action since Week 4.
Washington coach Ron Rivera said Smith could have gone back in an emergency, but did not indicate if the 36-year-old will be available for next week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
In the past, a shaky quarterback situation often led to Washington’s downfall. The team wouldn’t have the elite-caliber type of defense needed to produce a win largely by itself. But as opponents and spectators have come to learn, Washington’s defense hardly resembles previous disappointments.
Through this win streak — and with another dominant performance Sunday — Washington’s defense has solidified its status as a top-five unit. There are many reasons for that surge, but perhaps the most important can be traced back to Young’s addition.
“We’re not done yet,” Young said. “I like to think what would Kobe (Bryant) do? He wouldn’t be smiling. He’d put his head down and keep working until he achieved what he wanted to achieve. … That’s the vibe of the team right now. We’re not satisfied.”
Let’s be clear: Washington has defensive talent beyond Young. Lots of it. That can be seen in players like Jonathan Allen and late-round safety Kam Curl, whose 76-yard pick-6 in the third quarter off 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens proved pivotal as San Francisco threatened a comeback in the fourth.
There’s also a cohesiveness that can be found on the field, like when linebacker Jon Bostic and cornerback Ronald Darby made a tackle on fourth down short of the yardsticks to force a turnover on downs with 1:45 left.
But when Washington drafted Young back in April, the team saw the pass-rusher as a generational type talent capable of disrupting the game. That’s gradually happened over the course of the season before culminating Sunday.
Prior to his breakout game, some, including his mother, were frustrated with Young’s initial lack of sacks. Young was still getting used to opposing offensive lines, which sometimes sent two or three blocks in his direction. A late-game penalty on Young also swung Washington’s loss to Detroit, drawing some criticism.
Young looked like he solved all that against the 49ers. For his sack, his 5 ½ on the season, the 21-year-old dropped into coverage before reversing course to drag down Mullens. He was also disruptive, punching out a fumble that led to Washington’s first score (a 51-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal).
Young’s most impressive play, though, was his touchdown return in the second quarter. Daron Payne forced the ball on the ground and Young scooped it up for the 47-yard score. The touchdown gave Washington a 13-6 lead — a lead that Washington never lost after that.
“Guys that are taken as early as Chase, they have to impact the game and help the guys around them be better,” Rivera said. “And we have a group of those guys on that defensive line. They all help each other, be better, play better. “
For large portions of the game, Young was often matched up against former Washington tackle Trent Williams. To beat San Francisco, Washington had to overcome a familiar set of faces in Williams, tight end Jordan Reed and coach Kyle Shanahan. The latter served as Washington’s former offensive coordinator and his creative plays helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl last season.
The 49ers (5-8) posed a threat, and despite San Francisco’s injury-plagued season, Rivera warned his players not to take them lightly. Rivera admitted he was worried about a “lull” after last week’s upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Washington, though, more than responded. The team even overcame another poor start. It fell behind early when San Francisco running back Jeff Wilson punched in a one-yard touchdown.
Smith, too, was just 8-of-19 for 59 yards before he was pulled. Rivera said Smith’s calf strain was affecting the quarterback to step through on throws. That gave an opportunity for Haskins, who said he was in tears when he found out that he’d get another chance to play.
Together, Washington’s quarterbacks mustered just 95 yards. The run game, missing rookie Antonio Gibson (toe), wasn’t much better with 98 yards on 28 carries (3.5 yards per attempt).
But Washington’s defense got the job done. Though with three weeks left in the regular season, as Young referenced with a nod to the late NBA star, more work remains.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Rivera said. “(The defense) did a lot of good things. They really stepped up and helped out. They bowed their necks when they had to. … Those guys rose to the occasion.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.