Victorious takeover
After consoling Burrow, Young helps Washington edge closer to NFC East lead
Following a knee injury, Joe Burrow’s departure allowed the Washington Football Team to gain momentum and beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-9
to stay in the thick of the NFC East race.
LANDOVER, MD. — Chase Young told college teammate Joe Burrow he loved him and to get well after the top pick’s scary knee injury Sunday. Then, the No. 2 pick and Washington got going on defense, and the quarterback taken first overall 15 years ago led a comeback victory. After Burrow was carted off with a likely season-ending left knee injury, Young and 36-year-old Alex Smith helped Washington beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-9 to stay in the thick of the NFC East race.
“We definitely took over after that,” said Young, selected one slot after Burrow in this year’s draft. “Sacks started coming. Everything just started falling into place.”
Burrow, Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback, was injured early in the third quarter when he was hit high and low by two Washington linemen after throwing a pass. His left leg bent awkwardly, and he couldn’t put any weight on it, ending his day at 22-of-34 passing for 203 yards and a touchdown. Rams at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
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“That’s an injury right there to a team leader that can take the wind out of your sails,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s not fun. He was making improvements every week, and we were getting the offense headed in a direction that we thought was exciting.”
While Tay l o r wouldn’t acknowledge it, Burrow’s season appears over, too. He tweeted: “Thanks for all the love. Can’t get rid of me that easy. See ya next year.”
Burrow’s departure allowed Smith and Washington (3-7) to seize momentum and move a half-game behind Philadelphia for first place in the NFL’s weakest division. Just after Burrow left, Smith — who broke his right tibia and fibula on the same field just more than two years ago —
led a go-ahead, 55-yard scoring drive that ended with a 3-yard TD pass to Steven Sims.
In his second start since that gruesome injury Nov. 18, 2018, Smith was 17 of 25 for 166 yards and had a pass intercepted after it was tipped late in the first half. This was his first win since that day, wearing the same vintage uniform that doesn’t carry any happy memories.
“The last time I wore them, I got them cut off me in an ambulance. So fun to be where I’m at now,” Smith said. “Another step, another thing I never thought I’d be doing again. Amazing to get a win.”
Washington rookie running back Antonio Gibson ran for 94 yards and a TD.
Burrow ’s repl a c e ment, former N.C. State quarterback Ryan Finley, couldn’t do much for Cincinnati (2-7-1), which didn’t punt in the first half with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at the helm.
Finley was 3 of 10 for 30 yards and an interception in the final minutes.
“To lose your quarterback is tough, but that’s the way it goes,” Taylor said.
“Next man up and Finley came up, and we’ve got to help him and I’ve got to put him in some better situations there to give some confidence early. We just didn’t get it done all the way around.”
Young’s big play
Pandemic absences
Cincinnati was without three assistants for COVID-19-related reasons: wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell, cornerbacks coach Steve Jackson and safeties coach Robert Livingston. The team also had assistants out last week at Pittsburgh.
Washington had its first coronavirus positive this week and put defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis on the COVID-19/ reserve list, but wasn’t missing anyone for the game. Ioannidis has been on injured reserve since Sept. 29 and didn’t travel for the game last weekend at Detroit.
Odds and ends
Washington backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins raised his left fist in the air during the national anthem.
Tight end Logan Thomas, a former Virginia Tech quarterback, stayed in the bowels of the stadium for the song, emerging after it was over. ...
Washington was without starting left tackle Cornelius Lucas and free safety Deshazor Everett because of ankle injuries.
If Burrow’s rookie season is over, he was 264 of 404 for 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games.
“The players have responded to him, the coaches have responded to him, the city has responded to him and all that is equally as important,” Taylor said.
“He energizes this team. He’s been a tremendous player, everything we’d hoped he’d be, and we’ll get him back at some point. We don’t know when that is.”
Burrow had been sacked 32 times this season, but this injury happened after he got rid of the ball.
Washington linemen Montez Sweat and Jonathan Allen hit Burrow high and low. The QB’s left leg bent the wrong way.
“Seeing that sucks, especially when you know the person,” said Washington receiver Terry McLaurin, who played with Burrow for Ohio State.
“One thing I do know about Joe, he’s a resilient guy. I’m praying for him.
He’s a guy that when he gets knocked down, he comes back stronger.”