Sunday’s game between the Washington Football and the Detroit Lions appeared headed into overtime tied at 27-27. However, Washington rookie defensive end Chase Young made a gaffe, drawing a roughing the passer penalty with six seconds remaining.
The penalty gave Detroit a first-down and more importantly 15 yards, pushing the ball to the 50-yard line. After a Matthew Stafford nine-yard completion to Marvin Jones, kicker Matt Prater nailed a 59-yard field goal giving the Lions a 30-27 win.
The loss drops Washington to a 2-7 record, but they remain 1.5 games back of first-place Philadelphia in the historically bad NFC East.
Following the painful loss, Young requested to talk to the Washington media to address his “rookie mistake.”
“I was going hard,” Young said per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “It was a split decision whether to go or stop. Rookie mistake. It happens.”
Young declined to criticize the officials for the flag, but his head coach expressed his disagreement with the call.
“He hit him too hard, I guess,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said per Jhabvala. “They hit our guy and knocked him to the ground and didn’t get a penalty. Just a little inconsistent.”
The gut-punching ending foiled Washington’s rally after trailing the Lions 24-3. Washington quarterback Alex Smith threw for a career-high 390 yards in his first start since his career-threatening leg injury nearly two years ago. Yet, it wasn’t enough.
While, the penalty was huge in leading to the loss, Young isn’t going to sulk about it. Instead he is taking the rookie mistake in stride and moving forward.
