The Washington Football Team’s Most Important Game Of The Season Is Not Behind Them, But Ahead

The Washington Football Team does not have fond memories of State Farm Stadium.

The last time Washington played there was when they traveled to Arizona in Week 2 to take on the Cardinals. They lost the game, 30-15, and would go on to lose the next four.

Now in Week 14, Washington finds itself in a strange position. It is returning back to State Farm Stadium for the second time this season. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in San Francisco, the 49ers are hosting the Football Team in Glendale.

The Football Team did not have a memorable performance against the Cardinals in their last trip to Arizona. They were held scoreless in the first half, surrendered two key turnovers and committed six penalties. But the stakes are higher on this second trip as the Football Team’s biggest game is not behind them, but ahead. The Week 13 win over the Steelers was historic and rightfully earned a place in Washington lore as one of the franchise’s greatest games. But with a 5-7 record that puts Washington in second place behind the New York Giants because it lost the tiebreaker, stacking wins is more important than one statement upset.

One week ago, Washington was a part of a division that many considered to be the laughing stock of the league. Silencing remaining doubters is less about making noise with a stunning victory and more about achieving consistency. A win over the 5-7 San Francisco 49ers dismisses any notion of a fluke and suggests that success can become the norm in Washington.

One specific play in Washington’s last trip to Glendale seems particularly relevant as the team prepares to make its return.

Washington trailed the Cardinals, 20-0, on fourth down in the third quarter. “Riverboat” Ron rejected his usual tendency and elected not to go for it. Dustin Hopkins converted the 24-yard field goal but the play was highly criticized afterward. Washington was down three scores before it kicked and it was down three scores after.

Rivera provided an explanation of his decision after the game.

“I was considering it, but based on certain circumstances, I wanted to put points up,” Rivera said. “I wanted to give your guys something to have a little enthusiasm about. That’s why I elected to take the points.”

The Monday after, Rivera elaborated. Having already lost guard Brandon Scherff in the second quarter, he was concerned for his player’s health. Rivera was less focused on mounting a comeback than protecting the long-term health and morale of the team.

Heading into Week 14 of the season, Rivera’s then-questionable Week 2 decision looks pretty good. Washington is now riding a three-game winning streak and is poised to compete for an NFC East title. Given the significance of this final stretch of the season, Rivera is not concerned with how his team played the last time it was at State Farm Stadium.

“Things like this become a distraction,” Rivera said in his Friday press conference. “They become important when you make the interesting important. We’re playing a completely different team. We’re coming in on Saturday, we’re playing a game Sunday, we’re getting out. We’re staying at a different hotel. The approach is a little bit different.

“Like I said, is it interesting? Yes. Is it important? No.”

The differences between the Washington team that traveled to Glendale in Week 2 versus the team that will head there in Week 14 are notable. Since playing the Cardinals, Washington has fielded three different starting quarterbacks. Rivera completed his cancer treatment. Alex Smith earned his first win since suffering from his gruesome leg injury in Nov. 2018. Running back Antonio Gibson emerged as a real threat on the ground (despite being sidelined this upcoming week with a turf toe injury). And the defense has become a force, ranking fourth in the league overall in total yards allowed.

For Rivera though, these changes are merely signs of growth. Maintaining level-headedness in the face of success is a top priority. After Washington defeated the Steelers Monday evening, Rivera got to work preparing a presentation for his team for the next day.

The topic? Humility.

“I just said that we can’t carry this over and forget that we have to play a very good 49er team,” Rivera said. “I just wanted to make sure that we got our focus back after the win that we had Monday night.”

The 49ers have been without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for most of the season and backup Nick Mullens took over under center in Week 3. It would be easy for Washington to get over-confident as it prepares to face a displaced 49ers team that has lost four of its last five games.

Rivera, however, wants to avoid any sense of complacency.

“The big thing for me is always the focus, the focus, the focus,” Rivera said. “So if you stay focus on that one game and put all of your energy into that one game, I think you give yourself a pretty good opportunity. As we start getting ready for this last four-game stretch, really the focus is one at a time because to achieve what we hope to achieve, we’ve got to be able to play well against the 49ers.”

Just as it does not matter how the Football Team played the last time they were at State Farm Stadium, it makes no difference how Washington played against the Steelers last week. A return to Glendale might serve some poetic purpose as Washington looks to create better memories. But as Rivera explained, when it comes to the past, it’s not worth looking back.