ASHBURN, Va. -- Even as the Washington Football Team continued to win games, vaulting back into playoff contention, the injury losses mounted. And because of that, it will have a harder time earning a playoff berth.
Washington (6-7) currently holds the NFC's seventh and final postseason spot with four games remaining, but keeps losing key contributors. Its four-game winning streak ended Sunday and its hopes for an NFC East title all but vanished with a 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (9-4).
While some players might return for Sunday's road game (1 p.m. ET, Fox) against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-7), others -- notably receiver Terry McLaurin (concussion) and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (reserve/COVID-19 list) -- might be out. That revolving door has existed for much of the season. Washington has overcome it thanks to good depth, but how much more can this team take? It has 13 players on injured reserve, eight of whom were starters or key backups when the season began.
Other teams might have worse injury situations, but Washington might not have as much margin for error. While it was expected to contend for the NFC East title this season, few would have viewed the team as capable of more than 10 regular-season wins.
However, given its playoff position with four games left, the team can't dwell on who's missing.
"I wouldn't say it's insurmountable, but it will test your depth more than anything," coach Ron Rivera said. "That's where you get concerned."
The players don't buy injuries as a reason for a dropoff, either.
"We don't concern ourselves with that," safety Landon Collins said. "We just look at the next person like, 'We need you.' ... You never know when it is your opportunity to play."
In the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss, Washington was using its third quarterback of the season and its fourth center. Its top receiver, McLaurin, exited with a concussion. Its top tight end, Logan Thomas, was lost for the season with a left knee injury suffered the previous week. Third-down back J.D. McKissic missed his second consecutive game with a concussion.
Their starting right tackle, Sam Cosmi, is on injured reserve with an injured left hip. Their projected starting quarterback this season, Ryan Fitzpatrick, played two quarters in Week 1. His replacement, Taylor Heinicke, has had some solid games and some bad ones, including on Sunday, when he departed with a left knee injury in the fourth quarter. He said afterward that he expects to play against the Eagles.
On defense, the injuries and absences have been concentrated in one area: end. Chase Young already was lost for the season thanks to a torn right ACL. That injury occurred one game after fellow end Montez Sweat (jaw) was placed on injured reserve. But Sweat was expected to return this week -- until he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Which would have been OK had the replacement ends, James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill, not been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 within 24 hours of the game. That meant, in a pivotal game, Washington had no ends with previous starting experience. Smith-Williams and Toohill might return Sunday.
"We're asking like, 'Who can play on the edge?'" linebacker Cole Holcomb said. "'Who's ready to do it?' Because those are two great guys that we lost kind of late."
Washington's top three ends in Sunday's loss -- Shaka Toney, Daniel Wise and Bunmi Rotimi -- combined for 122 snaps in the first 12 games this season. They played a combined 153 snaps against Dallas.
"That's not an excuse," Rivera said. "Those guys are professionals. Other guys got their opportunities. They had their moments. They're young guys. They made some mistakes. But it gave them some experience and an opportunity to play."
It's not as if Washington’s defense was the issue Sunday. It held Dallas to 20 points (another seven came on a scoop-and-score fumble return) and 4.1 yards per play. Dallas QB Dak Prescott was intercepted twice; running back Ezekiel Elliott managed 45 yards on 12 carries.
But Rivera said a bigger factor Sunday was fatigue; Washington had played in Las Vegas last week after hosting a Monday night game the previous week.
He also said the issue isn't playing less-talented players. Rather, it's about experience. The silver lining for Washington is having to play multiple backups in big games should help its depth in the future.
During practices, Washington often rotates in multiple players, making sure guys at the end of the roster get reps with starters. The young offensive linemen often stay after practice for extra work, or receive extra on-field attention several hours before kickoff.
That's one way Washington's staff tries to lessen the sting of inexperience.
"You can see the guys playing have limited experience," Rivera said. "Sometimes those mistakes pop up and those are things you only learn through experience. I do think we have talented young players and they need to get experience. They need to understand what it takes."