3 Takeaways from WFT's Week 1 Loss

Not much went the way the Washington Football Team hoped it would Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field. As a result, its 2021 season—one in which it has big goals and lofty expectations—began with a disappointing loss.

Washington fell 20-16 to the Los Angeles Chargers, who iced their victory by using up the final six minutes, 43 seconds with a 72-yard drive that spanned 15 plays, ending with a trio of kneels by quarterback Justin Herbert. It was indicative of the sustained offensive success that Los Angeles had all day against the strong Washington defense.

Meanwhile, Washington's offensive plans were forced to change when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury in the second quarter in his debut for the team. The 17-year NFL veteran never returned, leaving the offense in the hands of backup QB Taylor Heinicke, who started the NFC Wild-Card Round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.

WFT is one of three NFC East teams to start the season 0-1. That includes the New York Giants, who Washington will host for the opening matchup of Week 2 on Thursday night.

But before the team moves on, here are three takeaways from its Week 1 loss.

The 3rd-Down Defense Needs to Be Much Better

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Washington's defense briefly flashed its playmaking ability with a pair of big plays.

Late in the third quarter, edge-rusher Montez Sweat sacked Justin Herbert and forced him to fumble through the end zone for a touchback. On Los Angeles' next possession early in the fourth, cornerback William Jackson III notched an interception in his Washington debut.

However, those plays were only momentary bright spots. For the most part, Washington couldn't prevent the Chargers from driving down the field with ease. That was especially the case on third downs, on which Los Angeles successfully converted 14 of its 19 attempts.

"Blown assignments, rushers not doing the little things that we've practiced leading up to this point," Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said, per Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic. "Defensively, especially the defensive line, we just got to play better."

The Chargers compiled 424 total yards, with Herbert airing it out for 337. Keenan Allen had nine catches for 100 yards, while Mike Williams had eight receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Washington couldn't stop any of them, as L.A. racked up 27 first downs.

Perhaps this was just a case of Washington going up against one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks. Regardless, its overall success for 2021 largely depends on whether its defense can play like it did in 2020, which it didn't in Week 1.

Heinicke Is Capable of Leading the Offense to Success

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Ryan Fitzpatrick's debut wasn't going too great even before he left injured. He went 3-for-6 for 13 yards and consistently had Los Angeles defenders in his face, as Washington's offensive line struggled to contain Joey Bosa and the rest of the Chargers' pass rush.

But Taylor Heinicke brought a jolt to Washington's offense. With 45 seconds to go in the first half, he led the team 45 yards in five plays without any timeouts, setting up a Dustin Hopkins field goal that cut Los Angeles' lead to 13-9 before the break.

Then, the quarterback opened the second half by leading an eight-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Logan Thomas.

"We've got supreme confidence in him as well," Thomas said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "Business as usual. We've been in this situation before. Taylor is a little bit more mobile than Fitz is."

After starting four quarterbacks (Dwayne Haskins Jr., Kyle Allen, Alex Smith and Heinicke) in 2020, Washington may have two different starters in the first two weeks of this season. Fitzpatrick could miss some time, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the 38-year-old has a hip subluxation and will undergo an MRI on Monday.

If Washington has to start Heinicke, that may not be a bad thing. He's proving he can spark the team by making big plays with both his arm and his legs, which could lead to a big showing against the Giants on Thursday night.

'Riverboat Ron' Didn't Live Up to His Nickname

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Washington's defense briefly flashed its playmaking ability with a pair of big plays.

Late in the third quarter, edge-rusher Montez Sweat sacked Justin Herbert and forced him to fumble through the end zone for a touchback. On Los Angeles' next possession early in the fourth, cornerback William Jackson III notched an interception in his Washington debut.

However, those plays were only momentary bright spots. For the most part, Washington couldn't prevent the Chargers from driving down the field with ease. That was especially the case on third downs, on which Los Angeles successfully converted 14 of its 19 attempts.

"Blown assignments, rushers not doing the little things that we've practiced leading up to this point," Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said, per Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic. "Defensively, especially the defensive line, we just got to play better."

The Chargers compiled 424 total yards, with Herbert airing it out for 337. Keenan Allen had nine catches for 100 yards, while Mike Williams had eight receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Washington couldn't stop any of them, as L.A. racked up 27 first downs.

Perhaps this was just a case of Washington going up against one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks. Regardless, its overall success for 2021 largely depends on whether its defense can play like it did in 2020, which it didn't in Week 1.