Game Recap: OVERTIME on Sunday night – Commanders beat Falcons 30-24; move to 6th seed in NFC playoffs!!

Jayden Daniels finishes 24-36, 227 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT and 127 rushing yards

This Week 17 prime time Sunday Night Football game is a key matchup with significant playoff implications. With a win, Washington can lock up — at least — the 7th seed in the NFC playoffs. Combine a win today with the loss by the Packers against the Vikings this afternoon and the Commander would move into the 6th seed.

A loss to Atlanta will not eliminate the Commanders from playoff contention, but would create a lot of pressure for the team to win next week in Dallas since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Panthers today.

Atlanta is currently leading the NFC South where they are locked in a battle for the division title with the Buccaneers. Both teams came into Week 17 at 8-7. One of them will definitely be in the playoffs as division champion and either the 3rd or — more likely — 4th seed in the NFC. The only team that could potentially oust Washington from the 7th seed if the Commanders lose their final two games of the season is the Buccaneers.

The Falcons changed starting quarterbacks last week, benching struggling veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix, who notched a win over the Giants in his first-ever NFL start last week.

The Commanders 4th ranked scoring offense (28.8 ppg) will face the Falcons 19th ranked scoring defense (23.3 ppg allowed). Washington’s defense ranks 18th in points allowed, just ahead of Atlanta.

Like their defense, the Falcons offense is also ranked 19th, scoring 21.8 ppg, but the offensive effectiveness may be quite different with the QB change. The Falcons put up 34 points against the Giants last week, but that total included two defensive touchdowns; the offense accounted for 20 points, scoring 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals on 8 full offensive drives.

The Falcons appear to be relatively healthy for a late-season game, though they have speedy WR Rondale More on IR. More importantly, they recently put their talented kicker Younghoe Koo on IR, replacing him with Riley Patterson, who had a cup of coffee with the Commanders this summer. Patterson missed his first field goal attempt of the season (43 yards) against the Giants last Sunday, though he made two other field goals in the game (37 yards, 52 yards).

The Commanders are not really healthy. In addition to players like Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown on IR, Washington has ruled out 5 other players, including 3 starters — CB Marshon Lattimore, WR Dyami Brown, and RT Andrew Wylie.

Of the three, the injury to Lattimore is likely to be most impactful. His injury probably means that either Michael Davis or Benjamin St-Juste, who was sent to the bench when Lattimore played his first game as a Commander against the Saints in Week 15, will return to the starting lineup.

At RT, the Commanders seem to be in good shape, with Cornelius Lucas having already started and played well in place of Wylie in Week 13. Lucas may be the better run blocker of the two, and the 10-year veteran has 409 offensive snaps played at RT or LT this season.

The receiver position has been in flux all season. Near the end of training camp, the offseason presumptive #2 receiver, Jahan Dotson was traded away to the Eagles. Soon after Noah Brown was signed following his release from the Texans. Brown played well, but struggled with injury, playing in just 11 games before being put on season-ending IR.

Other players have stepped up in his absence, including Dyami Brown, who had 11 receptions over the past three games and is one of the few players on the roster, outside of Terry McLaurin, capable of threatening defenses deep. Kliff Kingsbury has kept a stable of second-tier receivers busy all season, with 5 wide receivers, 2 running backs and a tight end each being targeted at least 20 times by rookie QB Jayden Daniels. This week, KJ Osborn, who was claimed from waivers after his late-season release from the Patriots, will be active; perhaps it will be his turn to step up Sunday night. The Commanders also elevated WR Brycen Tremayne from the practice squad to add depth the the receiving group.

One other key player, starting defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, has been activated from IR for this game.

One area of the offense that has not been firing on all cylinders of late is the running game (outside of QB Jayden Daniels, who is Washington’s leading rusher for the season), and with the loss of Noah Brown, Dyami Brown and Austin Ekeler in the passing game, it seems important for the Commanders to get this part of the offense back on track. Starting running back Brian Robinson had perhaps the worst game of his NFL career last week, with 2 lost fumbles and just 24 yards on 10 carries against the Eagles.

Running against the Falcons will not be easy. Atlanta ranks 11th on the season in rushing yards allowed at 112 per game, but over their most recent 3-game stretch, which includes two victories, they have limited opponents to just 75 rushing yards per game. Kliff Kingsbury and running game coordinator Anthony Lynn have hopefully burned the midnight oil all week to figure out how to optimize the ground attack.

One pleasant surprise against the Eagles last week was the job done by rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the kickoff return game. Luke returned 7 kickoffs, giving the Commanders the following starting positions: 25 (yard line), 30, 33, 35, 37, 43, and Philly’s 43. His 30-yards-per-return average helped create a field position advantage for the Commanders that contributed greatly to the teams win last Sunday. Hopefully, he will be equally effective today.

The Commanders are 4.5-point favorites in this game. Everyone knows exactly what to expect from Jayden Daniels, who seems to have all but guaranteed the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but the expectations for Michael Penix Jr. in his second NFL start are a bit murkier. With the Buccaneers winning earlier in the afternoon, this will be a critical game for both teams, worthy of prime-time Sunday Night Football.

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First Quarter

Washington kicked off to Atlanta , who started the first drive of the game at the 30-yard line following the touchback.

The Falcons opened up with the ground game. Despite being hit behind the line, Bijan Robinson earned 7 yards on the opening play before Penix completed a catch & run to Hodge behind the line of scrimmage for the game’s initial first down.

After two passes, it was 3rd & 8 at the Atlanta 47-yard line. Michael Davis, the CB filling in for Marshon Lattimore was shaken up on the 1st down play.

On 3rd down, Penix threw deep, but the ball went straight to Washington safety Quan Martin for an easy pick.

Washington had the ball 1st & 10 at the ATL 38-yard line.

Jayden Daniels went to work, completing passes for 2 quick first downs to get the ball to the 16-yard line.

On 2nd & 9, Daniels hit Zach Ertz in the middle of the end zone, but the ball went right through the tight ends hands. On 3rd & 9, Jamison Crowder came up a yard short.

Dan Quinn went for it on 4th & 1, faking the dive to Robinson, keeping the ball as he rolled left, then throwing a strike to Olamide Zaccheaus for the game’s first score!

Zane Gonzalez hit the PAT to make the score 7-0; the scoring drive covered 38 yards in 7 plays following the interception. Good start for the home team in their quest for the #6 playoff seeding.

The Falcons took the field for their second possession at the 30-yard line after the touchback. CB Michael Davis is back in the game.

On 1st down, Bijan Robinson exploded for 13 yards straight up the middle of the defense, but on the next play, Penix threw incomplete deep in the middle to Khadarel Hodge, who got blown up by Jeremy Chinn. It was a beautiful throw by Penix, but a great play by Chinn.

Kyle Pitts was up next, with a 23-yard catch & run to the Commanders 34-yard line.

Two plays later, it was 3rd & 4 at the 28-yard line; on third down, Penix completely missed Drake London on the right side on a play that started with an early snap.

Riley Patterson came on to attempt a 46-yard field goal, which he drilled — BUT AN OFFSIDES penalty against Sainristil took the points off the board and gave the Falcons a first down at the 23 yard line.

This time, Penix hit London for 13 yards to the 10 yard line for 1st & goal.

Two plays later, on 3rd & goal from the 6 yard line, Michael Davis was called for pass interference in the back of the end zone to put the ball at the 1-yard line with a fresh set of downs.

Bijan Robinson took a direct snap and walked into the end zone for the Falcons first TD of the game. With the PAT, Atlanta tied the score at 7-7 with just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter. The drive covered 70 yards in 10 plays.

Washington took the field for its second offensive drive of the game following the touchback.

Brian Robinson’s frustrations continued as he was stopped for no gain. He has 2 carries for 3 yards so far. We need to do better in the run game.

The pass game isn’t going great right now either, as Jayden Daniels is sacked for a loss of 13 yards to bring up 3rd & 23.

Zaccheaus gained 12 yards on a catch & run, but the punt team came on facing 4th & 10.

After the punt and a 13-yard return, the Falcons took over at their own 27-yard line with 02:48 left in the first quarter. The momentum, which was with Washington early, feels like it has shifted. The defense needs to find a way to slow down Bijan Robinson.

The running back opened up with an 8-yard gain on a quick toss play. Washington looks like they don’t have answers for Atlanta’s run game so far.

After a penalty and a 1-yard gain by Robinson, it was 3rd & 8.

On third down, Penix threw incomplete on a deep pass to an open Bijan Robinson about 25 yards downfield.

Following the punt, which was initially muffed by Crowder before a 22-yard return, Washington took over at the 28-yard line with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The quarter ended on the 1st down play, a 9-yard catch & run to Zach Ertz in the middle of the field to bring up 2nd & 1.

Second Quarter

On the next play, Brian Robinson finally broke loose with a 12-yard run right up the middle, followed by a 7-yard gain to the right after a taking a direct snap.

The Commanders had a fresh set of downs at the Falcons 39-yard line, close to field goal range. Two plays later, was 3rd & 3 at the 33-yard line, with chants of “Terry…Terry…Terry” clearly audible on the broadcast.

The pass instead went to Jamison Crowder for 9 yards and a first down.

Two plays later, a similar play went to OZ for another 13 yards and another 1st down at the 12-yard line.

After a holding call, on 1st & 20, Jayden Daniels threw an interception directly to LB Kaden Ellis (his 4th in 4 games) for a brutal turnover.

What had felt like a sure scoring drive was killed by a penalty and a turnover. Another huge momentum swing.

The Falcons offense took the field with the ball at the Atlanta 29-yard line with 10:37 left in the half.

The Falcons changed backs, and Tyler Algier gained 8 yards right up the gut on 1st down, and then another 5 yards on the next play to earn a fresh set of downs.

Penix overthrew Hodge again on a deep ball down the left sideline on 1st down, but completed to Drake London for 14 yards to the Washington 45-yard line on 2nd down.

Bijan Robinson returned, and got 17 yards on the next two carries for 1st & 10 at the 28-yard line. The defense needs to stiffen here.

The Falcons went back to Algiers, who went straight ahead for 5 yards. On second down, Penix was under heavy pressure from Dante Fowler, who was called for roughing the passer for pushing him to the ground and touching his helmet. We’ve seen this before.

Two plays later, Bijan Robinson went wide to the right and walked into the end zone — apparently giving his team the lead, but replay took the points off the board and put the ball at the half-yard line.

The Falcons were stopped on a QB sneak on 1st down.

On 2nd down, Robinson strolled into the end zone; this time, the TD counted. Following the PAT, the score was 14-7. The scoring drive covered 72 yards in 11 plays.

Atlanta kicked off with 04:24 left in the half. The Commanders started their 4th offensive drive of the game at the 30-yard line following a touchback. Washington needs to score before halftime.

It started out great, with Daniels faking the handoff to Robinson and keeping the ball around the left side for a 25-yard gain to the Atlanta 46-yard line.

On the next play, offensive holding by Brandon Coleman pushed the ball back to Washington territory, 1st & 20. Tyler Biadasz was being looked at by trainers on the field as the broadcast went to commercial. He went to the medical tent and Michael Deiter came on to play center.

The effect was felt immediately, as Matthew Judon came off the left side of the offense for a 10-yard sack on Jayden Daniels in combo with an interior blitz.

On 2nd & 30, Kliff Kingsbury looked at his play sheet to find a play. What he found was an incomplete pass by Daniels, rolling right under pressure, to bring up 3rd & 30. After a 10-yard catch & run by Zaccheaus,

Before Tress Way punted, the two-minute warning was given.

Facing 4th & 20 at Washington’s 45-yard line, Way punted after the timeout. A holding call against Washington was enforced at the end of the kick — the Commanders’ 6th penalty of the half.

Atlanta’s fifth offensive drive started at the 28-yard line with 01:53 left in the half.

The Falcons gave the ball to Robinson on two plays, and then hit Drake London at the Washington 36-yard line to put themselves into field goal range with less than a minute to play.

Darnell Mooney caught a pass and ran for a 1st down at the 24 yard line. After a catch by Kyle Pitts, it was 2nd & 7 with 20 seconds left; Atlanta had 3 timeouts in hand.

On the next play, the ball was well-defended and bounced up in the air by Bobby Wagner in the middle of the field and ALMOST picked off by Noah Igbinoghene.

On 3rd & 7, Penix missed Drake London on the left side of the end zone to force the field goal attempt.

Patterson hooked the ball, but it went through the uprights to pad the Falcons’ lead.

The score was 17-7 with 2 seconds left in the half. The scoring drive lasted 8 plays and covered 51 yards.

Jayden Daniels kneeled down to end the half.

Washington will get the ball to open the second half, and they will need to get a touchdown on the board to get control back in this critical game.

Halftime Stats

Statistics via ESPN

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Third Quarter

Bijan Robinson has 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. To win this game, the Commanders are going to have to find a way to stop him, or at least slow him down.

To open the second half, Atlanta kicked off. Washington took over at the 31-yard line following Luke McCaffrey’s first return of the game.

It was a bad start with another penaltyy — offensive holding against Cosmi – to make it 1st & 20. The penalties have kept Washington behind the chains for the entire game.

On 2nd & 15, Daniels was sacked despite looking like he was about to escape to bring up 3rd & 22.

It looked like another sack on Daniels on 3rd down, but an untimely penalty on the Falcons secondary for defensive holding gave Washington a 1st down at the 24-yard line.

Kliff and Jayden need to figure out how to take advantage of the lucky break.

After an incomplete pass, Brian Robinson got the first positive play of the half for Washington with a 10-yard run to the 34-yard line.

On the next play, an 11-yard catch & run by Zaccheaus was erased by a holding call against KJ Osborn to make it 1st & 20 (again) at the 24 yard line.

The next play was a highlight — Zach Ertz caught a pass on the left. Jayden Daniels, under pressure, found the tight end about 9 yards downfield and no-YAC-Zach got a 37-yard gain to the Atlanta 39-yard line.

McNichols has been the back so far this half. He carried for 5 yards to bring up 3rd & 5, and then Jayden Daniels saw the opportunity to scramble against a 3-man rush and went 9 yards for a 1st down at the Atlanta 25-yard line.

Terry McLaurin dropped a pass on a quick slant on 1st down.

Daniels went back to Terry in the middle of the field on 2nd down, but they couldnt connect.

With great protection on 3rd down & 10, Daniels hit Crowder for a gain of 9 in the middle of the field. Dan Quinn sent his offense on the field on 4th & 1.

It was no surprise when Daniels ran a QB keeper right for the first down.

Two plays later, it was 3rd & 8 at the 9 yard line.

On 3rd down, Daniels had all day to find Zach Ertz about 1 yard inside the end zone for a huge touchdown!

The extra point was good; 17-14 with 07:13 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The drive covered 69 yards in 15 plays. We have a ball game.

Following the kickoff, Atlanta started their next offensive drive at the 29-yard line. Washington’s defense needs to join the party. Robinson can’t be allowed to repeat his first half performance.

They started well. Robinson was stuffed on first down; Drake London got 4 yards on 2nd. On 3rd & 5, the crowd made their presence known.

On the 3rd down play, Dante Fowler knocked the ball out of Penix’ hand; the QB jumped on his own fumble. The defense indeed joined the party, forcing the 3 & out.

After the punt, Washington’s offense took the field at the 30-yard line with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Another momentum swing; this time in the right direction. The offense needs to build on the opportunity as the 3rd quarter winds down.

It was an auspicious start as Jayden Daniels tucked the ball and scrambled up the middle for 13 yards.

Sam Cosmi picked up penalty #9 with a false start to make it 1st & 15 at their own 38-yard line. After another incompletion to McLaurin, JD5 scrambled right for 18 yards and another first down. Right now, it’s the Jayden Daniels show.

With 2:21 left in the quarter, on 3rd & 5 at the 39-yard line, Daniels tried to hit Terry McLaurin on a corner route inside the 5 yard line, but the ball was a yard overthrown.

On 4th & 5, Daniels hit McNichols in the middle of the field who with a 2nd & 3rd effort broke a tackle to (just) reach the line to gain.

With 01:38 left in the quarter, Daniels hit OZ on the right side for a 6-yarrd catch & run. Zaccheaus is having another good game. On 2nd down, McNichols ran 5 yards for another first down, followed by another keeper-right by Daniels for another 5 yards to bring the quarter to an end with Washington facing 2nd & 5 at eh Atlanta 14 yard line.

Fourth Quarter

The commanders opened the final quarter with Rodriguez getting hit behind the line of scrimmage, but bulling his way through several tackles to earn 4 yards. On 3rd & 1, CRod carried the ball on another tough 2-yard run to earn 1st & goal at the 8-yard line.

1st down – Rodriguez 6 yard carry to the 2-yard line straight up the middle

2nd down – Rodriguez, lined up 8 yards deep, takes a pitch left and evades AJ Terrell to get into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

This was a running clinic by Washington’s running backs and Jayden Daniels.

Daniels leads all Washington players with 76 rush yards. Robinson has 36 and Rodriguez has a tough 16 yards on 5 carries for a key touchdown.

The 14-play, 70-yard drive took more than 7 minutes off the clock.

With 13:03 remaining, this game isn’t over, but the home team has re-taken control in the second half after giving it up in the second quarter.

The Falcons start their first drive of the 4th quarter at the 30-yard line.

A short pass completion and a 2-yard run by Bijan Robinson brought up 3rd & 2 at the 38-yard line.

On 3rd down, Penix hit McCloud for a short pass. After a broken tackle, McCloud earned 13 yards.

Two plays later, Dorance Armstrong sacked Michael Penix on 3rd & 10. The QB fumbled but an Atlanta lineman fell on the loose ball. Great defense by the burgundy & gold.

Crowder showed up with a 17-yard return on the punt to set up his offense at the Washington 36-yard line.

With 10:02 remaining, a scoring drive here would be a big step towards putting this game away. Daniels spent the 3rd quarter putting the offense on his back. Can it be more of a team effort in this final quarter?

Things started well with another completion to Zaccheaus for 18 yards. He now leads the team with 8 catches for 84 yards.

Now across midfield, Daniels kept the ball, ran left, and broke a tackle to earn 7 yards and set a new record for most rushing yards by a rookie QB, breaking the old record held by RG3.

Brian Robinson must have been inspired by the broken record, because he ran for 11 yards on the next play, and followed it up with another 12 yards on the next. This is an offensive clinic on this drive so far.

With about 7 minutes left in the game, Daniels hit TE John Bates for his 8th catch of the season — a 14 yard catch and run to the 3-yard line. He was all by himself in the middle of the field.

First & goal at the 3-yard line, and Washington, with the play clock winding down, burned a time out.

Daniels kept the ball on an inside run on first down for 2 yards.

Somehow, the offense couldn’t get organized on the play and had to burn another time out before the play clock expired on 2nd & goal at the 1-yard line.

When they finally ran the 2nd down play, a heavy formation run by Robinson up the middle, they lost 2 yards.

On 3rd & goal, with 4:46 on the clock, it looked like Olamide Zaccheaus put the cherry on top of his career day with a touchdown reception, but it was erased by a holding call on Sam Cosmi, Washington’s 10th penalty of the game.

On the replay of 3rd down, Daniels threw the ball away. This drive can still end with points, but an opportunity to open a 2-score lead was squandered by penalties and disorganization.

Gonzalez hit the 31-yard field goal to open a 7-point lead on the Falcons with 04:32 left in the game. The scoring drive covered 52 yards in 10 plays.

Atlanta started what is likely it’s final offensive drive of the game at the 32-yard line.

Following a 5-yard run and an incomplete pass, it was 3rd & 5 at the 37-yard line with Atlanta perhaps ready to run 4 plays if needed. We’ll never know. Drake London gained 14 yards to get a fresh set of downs at the Washington 49-yard line.

Remember that the Falcons need a touchdown to tie or take the lead.

An offensive holding call pushed the ball back to the Atlanta 39-yard line, 1st & 20.

A checkdown to Bijan Robinson was followed up by a short scramble by Penix to bring up 3rd & 11 at midfield. A key play.

On the money down, Penix threw deep to Kyle Pitts on the right sideline who was blanketed by Jeremy Chinn — incomplete!

On 4th & 11, Penix came up with a huge play to Drake London on the left sideline; the big receiver caught a pass, broke a tackle, and ran to the Washington 19-yard line. Great play by Atlanta, poor defense by Washington.

The next play— a run by McCloud, went for 14 yards to earn 1st & goal at the Washington 5 yard line.

Unbelievably, lined up with Bijan Robinson in wildcat formation, the snap went high over his head. Robinson chased it down and was tackled for a 21-yard loss by Jalyn Holmes as the game reached the two minute warning.

Following the timeout, Atlanta had the ball 2nd & goal at the Commanders 26-yard line, needing a touchdown.

2nd down – 13 yard gain on pass to London to 13-yard line

3rd down – Penix overthrows London in the right corner of the end zone

4th down – Penix hit Kyle Pitts in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown!

With 01:19 left in the game, Raheem Morris sent his kicker out to try to tie the game.

The PAT was good, and the score is tied at 24-24 on the first-ever TD pass from Michael Penix. He converted two huge fourth downs on the drive.

With 79 seconds on the clock and the Commanders needing just a field goal to win, and with Jayden Daniels at QB, Washington fans have to feel pretty good. We’ve been here a lot this season, and the rookie has delivered nearly every time.

After the kickoff, Washington started their final offensive drive of the 4th quarter with only one timeout. Daniels and the offense had the ball 1st & 10 at the 30-yard line, needing perhaps 40 yards to set up a potential game-winning field goal attempt by Zane Gonzalez.

After a 1-yard sack on a Jayden Daniels scramble, the 2md down pass missed Terry McLaurin in the middle of the field.

The Commanders faced 3rd & 11 with 53 seconds on the clock. Daniels delivered a beautiful pass to Zaccheaus near midfield, but it skipped off the receiver’s hands to force 4th down and a Washington punt.

Good coverage by Percy Butler put the Falcons at their own 19-yard line with two timeouts in hand.

They gained 26 yards on first down on a pass from Penix to Mooney. On 2nd down, the pass to Mooney was incomplete downfield.

With a stopped clock, Atlanta had the ball at their 44-yard line with two time outs and needing a field goal for the win. On 2nd down, London seemed to fall down, and the pass hit the grass in the middle of the field.

With 7 seconds on the clock, on 3rd & 10 at the Atlanta 44, Washington was flagged for an offsides penalty, moving the ball across midfield.

On the 3rd down play, Penix was under heavy pressure. He threw incomplete downfield, but a flag was thrown against CB Michael Davis, putting the ball at Washington’s 38 yard line.

Riley Patterson came on to attempt a 58-yad field goal.

His kick was short!

No good!

Overtime!!!

OVERTIME

Washington can clinch a playoff spot with a tie, but a win will push them to the 6th seed.

The Commanders won the toss and elected to receive. Hopefully, they’ll have more success than they did on their final drive of the 4th quarter, which resulted in 3 & out.

With Jayden Daniels in the game, there’s always a chance until the clock reads 00:00.

Following the kickoff, the Commanders started the overtime period on offense at the 30-yard line.

Bad news with another false start penalty, this against Brandon Coleman. D’oh!!

On 1sst & 15, Daniels scrambled for another 7 yards, and then hit Zach Ertz for 10 yards on 2nd down to reach the 41-yard line.

It was another 7-yard scramble on first down for Daniels (he now has 99 yards rushing).

A 1-yard run by Brian Robinson brought up 3rd & 2.

No surprise, on 3rd down, Jayden scrambled right for 16 yards. He is the leading rusher for both teams with 115 yards.

The ball is already at the Atlanta 34 yard line, so, the team is in field goal range if it comes to that.

It won’t right away; on 2nd & 6, Chris Rodriguez had a catch for 12 yards and a first down at the 18-yard line.

Two plays later, it was 1st & goal following a Jayden Daniels run inside for 6 yards.

1st down – Daniels called run left for no gain.

2nd down – Daniels scrambles for 6 yards to the 2-yard line

The crowd starts chanting “MVP…MVP…MVP”!

3rd down – Jayden Daniels hits Zach Ertz for the touchdown, the win, and a guaranteed playoff spot!!

A huge win for the Commanders to reach 11-5!!!

Playoffs and the 6th seed in hand!!!

Jayden Daniels has done it again!!

Full Game Stats

Statistics via ESPN

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