WFT's Chase Young Says Costly Roughing Penalty vs. Lions Was a 'Rookie Mistake'

Rookies make rookie mistakes—hence the name. It's part of the game and something teams can typically live with as long as the player continues to develop into a franchise cornerstone.

Unfortunately for the Washington Football Team, Chase Young's rookie mistake was a costly one in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Detroit drove down the field for Matt Prater's winning field goal in the final seconds largely because of a roughing-the-passer penalty on Young. He hit Matthew Stafford well after the quarterback released a pass that fell incomplete, and that helped set up the Lions score. 

Young summed it up when he called it a "rookie mistake," per Ben Standig of The Athletic.

There is little doubt that the Ohio State product will be an anchor for Washington's defense for years to come. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 draft has 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble and often requires double-teams even at this stage of his career.

This should be a learning opportunity for Young, but it undercut an impressive comeback for Washington. The visitors fell behind 24-3 before Alex Smith led them to tying the score at 24-24 and 27-27 before Detroit's final drive.

It was Smith's first start since he suffered a serious leg injury in 2018 that ultimately required 17 surgeries.

If there is one silver lining for Washington, the team is still in playoff contention. At 2-7, it's within striking distance of the 3-5-1 Philadelphia Eagles atop the division. 

Young figures to be a major part of any winning streak even after Sunday's penalty, especially if he uses the rookie mistake as a learning experience.