GREATER LANDOVER, Md. — After a recent Washington Commanders victory, Montez Sweat said he and his teammates were “built” for close games and handling adversity.
It doesn't get any closer than a tie, and now they face a different kind of challenge moving forward.
Their 20-20 tie at the New York Giants on Sunday has the Commanders 7-5-1 going into their bye week with another game — next time at home — coming up against the NFC East rivals they're chasing for a wild-card spot. If nothing else, playing to a draw shows Washington's slim margin for error each week with the playoffs at stake.
“It really is kind of who we are: We play close games, we play tight games, you get some breaks, you don’t get some breaks,” coach Ron Rivera said. “ That’s our identity. We try to run the ball, be physical, keep them close and then see what happens.”
What happened against the Giants was enough mistakes to end the Commanders' three-game winning streak, from quarterback Taylor Heinicke's lost fumble to seven penalties that cost them 56 yards. Their rushing offense remains robust, but New York quarterback Daniel Jones exposed some holes in the defense along the way.
The result was a disappointing tie. Washington is set to host New York on “Sunday Night Football” on Dec. 18 in Week 15 after the game was moved into primetime.
“Over this bye week, we have to first of all get our minds right and our bodies better to get ready for this home stretch,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “We got them coming back to Washington in a few weeks. The film is right there to look at, and the good thing about is we have another opportunity at these guys.”
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is counting on the home field fans to give the team a boost, too.
"This game... means double. I mean, look -- I'm going to need the fans of the Commanders to really show out this next game. I'm going to provide as many free tickets as I can. We need everybody there. This game could be the season. We need full support. We need that stadium rockin'," Allen said.
Allen didn't provide details on how he plans to give away the tickets, but said he wants to give out 100 or 200 tickets.
"However many it takes to get that stadium sold out."
According to FiveThirtyEight, The Commanders have a 69% chance to make the playoffs. If the Commanders defeat the Giants at home, their playoff chances increase to 88%. With a loss, that chance drops to just 30%.
Washington currently ranks last in the league for attendance, but Allen knows how important knows how important the fans are. He apparently doesn't mind paying for it either.