LANDOVER — Scot McCloughan looked on anxiously as the final minute approached. The Washington Redskins’ general manager stood even with the goal line, his hands on his knees and his head down as he stared at the FedEx Field turf.
In that moment, McCloughan looked as if he could hardly stomach the prospect of the Redskins losing a second consecutive NFC East game, this one at home, against a Philadelphia Eagles team they dominated in the first half.
Three plays later, that feeling had passed. With 31 seconds remaining, quarterback Kirk Cousins threaded a pass between two defensive backs, and wide receiver Pierre Garcon stretched to his right, collided hard with cornerback Eric Rowe and secured the catch to lead the Redskins to a 23-20 win against the Eagles on Sunday.
When Garcon got up, he was unsure if he had scored. Once he saw the Redskins’ offensive linemen run toward him, he figured he would join the celebration.
“He’s one of the greatest competitors on this football team, and people feed off of that,” coach Jay Gruden said. “Those are some tough catches he made today. You know, he probably didn’t have the type of numbers that he wants after a game, but because he’s such a great competitor, when the ball’s in the air, he’s going to go get it.”
The Redskins had plenty to cheer about — most notably the idea that they could overcome a difficult situation. A week ago, in a 32-21 loss to the New York Giants, they fell behind, 12-0, in the first quarter and never recovered.
On Sunday, the Redskins trailed the Eagles, 20-16, during the fourth quarter of a game they had once led, 13-0, at halftime.
SEE ALSO: LOVERRO: Redskins’ go-ahead drive offers answers, yet other questions still remain
With 6:05 to play, Cousins and the Redskins offense responded with a methodical 15-play, 90-yard scoring drive. Running back Alfred Morris rushed four times for 38 yards. Cousins completed six of 10 passes for 42 yards. Garcon made tough catches in traffic despite being hobbled by a knee injury.
“It was a group of men playing together for 60 minutes and overcoming a lot of adversity and some guys making big-time plays in big-time situations, and I’m proud of each and every one of those guys, man,” Gruden said. “They fought their tails off ’til the end.”
Garcon fought as hard as anyone, catching seven passes for 55 yards. He reeled in a six-yard pass on first-and-10 in the fourth quarter and received a late hit out of bounds from Rowe, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Although he left the game briefly during that drive because of the injury, something he said he has been dealing with “for a while,” he knew there was no way he was going to stay out of the game.
“I definitely want to, you know, go out there and give it everything I’ve got,” Garcon said. “You know, try to make sure I leave it all on the field, and I’m glad it didn’t give out on me right before the end of the game.”
Left tackle Trent Williams has been Garcon’s teammate for four years. Free safety Dashon Goldson has been Garcon’s teammate for four games. Both had the same reaction when asked about the receiver’s toughness:
SEE ALSO: SNYDER: Washington’s resiliency, determination hint at hope for the future
That’s Pierre.
“He doesn’t shy away in practice,” Goldson added. “Ever since I got here, I appreciate him and love his work ethic out there. He goes in there and he’s a tough football player and he displayed that to everybody today, especially when he was hurt.”
Garcon’s performance on the final drive — catching a 12-yard pass on second-and-10 to get the Redskins to the four-yard line, then catching the winning touchdown pass — was reminiscent of the player who set a franchise record with 113 catches in 2013.
He was somewhat overshadowed by DeSean Jackson last season, as the speedy receiver hauled in 56 catches for 1,169 yards and six touchdowns. Garcon caught 68 passes, but only for 752 yards, a little more than half of his 1,346 yards in 2013.
The grit that Garcon showed on Sunday was a reminder that he is the team’s most reliable receiver.
“I’m always trying to prove myself every time I get an opportunity to go out there,” Garcon said. “No matter if it’s after a big game or a small game, just happy to be out there and have the opportunity to play. I want to keep playing hard no matter what I go through. I’m always satisfied. I can always get better, but it’s a team sport, it’s not all on me or one person.”
On Sunday, when the Redskins needed a score most, it was all on Garcon.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.