Antonio Gibson’s career day shines a spotlight on Washington’s promising young core
Antonio Gibson #AntonioGibson
ARLINGTON, Tex. — After Antonio Gibson got the edge, after he knew he could outrace the defense to the pylon, he allowed himself a glance back. The rookie running back saw Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson giving chase. In moments such as these, when he is putting the exclamation point on a win, Gibson usually flashed the peace sign. But this time, he switched the ball from his right hand to his left and waved, a farewell to the Cowboys, a hello to the national TV audience and a swaggering statement about what this team believes it can be.
For all its miscues and mistakes, the Washington Football Team has proved to be a tough and resilient unit — and the promise finally shined through in the 41-16 Thanksgiving thumping. This was the clearest example yet that Coach Ron Rivera is molding the team in the image he promised, and the play of several of his young players — Gibson, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive end Montez Sweat — illustrated it.
What Gibson said after the game perhaps best embodies the mind-set of a team that, at 4-7, jumped into first place for the NFC East.
“Our record isn’t the best; our conference isn’t the best; but we’re still in it,” Gibson said. “That gives us hope. If we can make the playoffs, why not?”
Gibson’s career day — 25 touches, 136 yards, three touchdowns — put him in a special category. He was the first player with 100 or more rushing yards and three or more rushing touchdowns on Thanksgiving since NFL legend Barry Sanders in 1997. Gibson himself couldn’t help but think back to a year ago.
In November 2019, at Memphis, he set a school record against then-No. 14 Southern Methodist with 386 all-purpose yards, including a 50-yard receiving touchdown, a 78-yard rushing touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown. He couldn’t believe the symmetry, another breakout game on another national stage against another team from Dallas.
“It’s the story of my life,” he said. “Every time the spotlight come on, it seems like God’s always watching on me. … The SMU game put me on the map.”
Four takeaways from Washington’s 41-16 blowout win over Dallas
Since then, no one embodies the progress and maturation of the team better than Gibson. Washington drafted Gibson in the third round as a project, a young weapon who had played a little running back and a little receiver in two seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Rivera compared him to Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey, the league’s highest-paid running back, and put him in the running backs room full time.
Early in the year, Gibson looked like a wide receiver playing running back. He missed holes; he misjudged linemen; he confused protections. Slowly, though, he made strides. His role expanded, and he lined up in two-back formations with J.D. McKissic. He used his athleticism to help the Air Coryell-based offense, extremely dependent on running backs, turning check-downs into first downs.
On Thursday, Gibson’s progress was evident. He proved too tough for one tackler in the running game and too slippery for Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to cover one-on-one in the passing game. He earned the respect of the Cowboys, helping attract the defense before tight end Logan Thomas connected for a big gain on a trick-play pass. He stood strong in blitz protection in the third quarter to key a third-down conversion for quarterback Alex Smith.
Gibson’s first touchdown illustrated his growth as a power back. In Week 1, the team used Peyton Barber almost exclusively in short-yardage situations; but now, it leaned on Gibson, and he plowed into the end zone to give Washington a lead it would never relinquish. He clinched it early in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys tried a disastrous fake punt deep in their own territory and Gibson turned around to deliver a 23-yard touchdown on the first play of Washington’s next possession.
“He’s still growing,” Rivera said. “He had some really good runs today — popped a couple for touchdowns — and there’s more [to his game]. … Pretty excited about who he’s developing into.”
Nine minutes later, driving to bleed the clock, Gibson burst up the middle and into daylight, outrunning the defense again, this time for a 39-yard backbreaking touchdown. By then, even Fox broadcaster Joe Buck had to admit, “This kid’s good, man.”
“I like everything I see from Antonio Gibson,” agreed Troy Aikman, Buck’s broadcast partner and former Cowboys quarterback.
Afterward, a few young players mingled on the field. Wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. and linebacker Cole Holcomb, two important second-year players, were close by. Gibson lingered for a moment, too, looking around, soaking in the career day, standing on the star.