WASHINGTON — The Washington Football Team has officially put the NFL on notice over the past month.
The team that started out 2-6 on the year, playing way below expectations, is now 6-6 and second in the NFC Wild Card race.
They're also just two games out of the NFC East lead all of a sudden with a chance to get within one game this weekend if they can defeat the Dallas Cowboys at home.
On Thursday's Locked On Washington Football Team podcast, former Washington tight end Vernon Davis joined the show, as part of Yahoo Sports' Fantasy Football Championship promotion, and he spoke about what he's seen from Washington's turnaround this year.
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Washington's turnaround
"I think they're onto something, I think they're doing a terrific job," Davis said. "In the beginning, they were having problems with everything...All the coaches are coming together and they're really building the camaraderie that they need to build with that team so they can win games."
Washington is riding a four-game win streak which included a huge momentum-boosting win in primetime on Monday Night Football in Week 12.
"I was at that Monday Night Football game and they played together," Davis said on the Locked On WFT podcast. "They played fast, they played smart and they were on the same page. In the beginning of the season, it wasn't like that. But, you can tell a switch went off and they're coming together."
Is Taylor Heinicke the QB of the future for Washington?
Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke has certainly had some shaky, up-and-down play this season, but on this 4-game win streak, he's been playing some of his best football, leading Washington to big wins.
Some of that has to do with the shifting of the focus to the run game and having the defense do a lot of heavy lifting. But, what is Heinicke's future with the team? Davis said he could see him being around for a while.
"With the inexperience he has, he needs more," Davis said on the Locked On WFT pod. "He needs more starts, more time. Right now, this is a space for him to prove that he has what it takes to be a full-time starter. I think Washington is going to go to him at some point and offer him a bigger deal because they're going to want to keep him around...If you watch him, he's so excited to be out there. He's a team guy, he's a leader and he really vibes well with the team. You can tell they have something that a lot of teams don't."
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What does Davis see in Washington tight end Logan Thomas?
Tight end Logan Thomas has been a big key for the Washington Football Team as a player and a leader this season. Unfortunate news came out after the Raiders game that Thomas will end up missing the rest of the season with a knee injury.
"I think Logan is a tremendous asset to that team. If you look at him the way he's built, he's tall, he's muscular, he's everything you want and desire in a tight end," Davis said.
Davis gives a lot of credit for Thomas' success and Washington's tight end success in general to their veteran tight ends coach Pete Hoener.
"Pete Hoener was my coach in San Francisco and his coaching style he's great for young guys that are building their career and starting off, he's great for anyone. Coming in, me going in as a rookie, I'm so lucky he was there for me. And Logan has an advantage over a lot of tight ends, because there's not a lot of coaches out there like Pete."
Do Cowboys games just mean more?
As they're riding their four-game win streak, Washington comes into Week 14 against the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys at home in what will be a game with great implications.
If Washington can get the win, they'll be within one-game of Dallas for the NFC East lead.
Davis, who played his final four NFL seasons in Washington, was asked if the week leading up to games against Dallas has a different feel than others.
"Whenever we faced the Dallas Cowboys, we always made sure that we gave our best to try and win that game. We know about that rivalry," Davis said. "Washington being able to come out victorious in that means a lot. It's one of the biggest games of the year...we treated that game, we put a lot on the line for that game."
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