{"id":100228,"date":"2020-12-22T08:28:10","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T13:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=100228"},"modified":"2022-02-02T18:43:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T23:43:29","slug":"week-14-illuminates-importance-of-antonio-gibson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/22\/week-14-illuminates-importance-of-antonio-gibson\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 15 Illuminates the Importance of Antonio Gibson"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Football Team<\/a>\u2019s furious fourth-quarter comeback fell short on Sunday as they lost to the Seattle Seahawks<\/a> 20-15 at FedEx Field. Washington fell behind early, down 20-3 heading into the fourth quarter, but Dwayne Haskins<\/a><\/strong> improved late to bring Washington within five with help from Montez Sweat<\/a> <\/strong>and Daron Payne<\/strong>. Haskins was driving on the final drive, but two late sacks stymied Washington\u2019s bid for a fifth-straight win. <\/span>Despite the comeback by Washington, one thing is clear: they desperately need Antonio Gibson<\/a><\/strong> back in the lineup. <\/span><\/p>\n

Washington<\/a> threw the ball 55 times on Sunday, while the running backs had 17 carries for just 56 yards. Most of this can be attributed to falling behind early, but the lack of balance was prevalent throughout the game. J.D. McKissic<\/a><\/strong> is an excellent pass-catching running back and a threat to run the football. However, he is far from an every down, between the tackles runner. Peyton Barber<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s role has been relegated to short-yardage situations, a role that he excels in. Help is on the way for Washington, as they signed Lamar Miller<\/a> <\/strong>off the Chicago Bears practice squad, but Antonio Gibson\u2019s return from a turf toe injury would be critical for Washington to clinch the NFC East this week against the Carolina Panthers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Importance of Antonio Gibson to the Washington Football Team<\/h2>\n

A Physical Runner Between the Tackles<\/h3>\n

One of the most unexpected revelations for Washington fans was Gibson’s ability to run between the tackles. His vision has improved remarkably over the course of his rookie season, especially on inside zone concepts. Against the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> on Thanksgiving, Gibson tore the Cowboys defense apart on these inside zone plays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Antonio Gibson waving to the defender as he runs by him is incredible pic.twitter.com\/lBWJokvNfe<\/a><\/p>\n

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) November 27, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n