Late in the third quarter, when the Washington Commanders seemed ready to fall short again, quarterback Sam Howell changed the game with his mind. He saw the New England Patriots in an aggressive, man-to-man coverage look with zero safeties deep, which is known as cover-zero. The defense was about to blitz.
Earlier in Sunday’s game, Howell had countered zero by calling audibles to quick passes. This time, he barked out another “check,” and Patriots defenders crept closer to the line, readying to blow up another quick hitter. But then Howell dropped back, patted the ball and lofted a perfect throw into the outstretched arms of wideout Jahan Dotson, who had won a one-on-one matchup downfield.