Washington

Pittsburgh had opened the 2020 campaign with 11 consecutive wins – the 13th team to achieve the feat in the Super Bowl era – to stand alone in the NFL.

But the Steelers were handed their first loss of the season, upstaged by Washington after the visitors used a 13-3 final quarter to reign supreme in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Washington (5-7) became the first team with a losing record to win a road game against a side with an 11-0 or better record, according to Stats Perform.

The Steelers surrendered a 14-0 lead as Washington beat Pittsburgh for the first time since 1991, snapping a six-game losing streak, per NFL Research. In 1991, Washington finished 14-2 before going on to win Super Bowl XXVI.

Alex Smith was 31 of 46 for 296 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions for Washington, who have won three consecutive games to join the New York Giants atop the NFC East.

Steelers counterpart Ben Roethlisberger finished 33-of-53 passing for 305 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as Pittsburgh's bid for an undefeated season came crashing down in a boil over.

After his touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson in the second quarter, Roethlisberger has a passing TD in all 12 games this season, joining Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the only players to have one-plus passing touchdown in every one of their team's games this season.

Coronavirus protocols kept Roethlisberger away from Pittsburgh's team facility all week, but the star quarterback led the unbeaten Steelers to a 36-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Kyler Murray's throw saw the Cardinals claim a stunning last-gasp 32-30 success against the Buffalo Bills, while Cam Newton enjoyed a memorable outing as the New England Patriots upstaged the Baltimore Ravens.

STEELERS STAY PERFECT

There is no stopping the Steelers through nine games of the 2020 season.

Roethlisberger – one of four Steelers placed on the COVID-19 list at the start of the week – threw for a season-high 333 yards and four touchdowns, completing 27 of 46 passes.

The two-time Super Bowl champion connected with Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first half, before throwing TD passes to Chase Claypool twice in the second half.

T.J. Watt sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow twice – he had two sacks, four QB hits and two tackles for loss. T.J. Watt and J.J. Watt (2015) are the only players over the past 15 seasons to record nine-plus sacks, 25-plus quarterback hits and 10-plus tackles for loss in their team's first nine games of a season, per NFL Research.

It was a tough outing for number one pick Burrow, who was 21 of 40 for 213 yards, a touchdown and four sacks as the Bengals fell to 2-6-1.

CARDINALS CLAIM LAST-GASP WIN

Murray made NFL history after combining with DeAndre Hopkins for an incredible game-winning touchdown for the Cardinals.

Murray's 43-yard pass was brilliantly caught by Hopkins in the endzone with two seconds remaining to secure a victory for the Cardinals, who improved to 6-3 after scoring 17 unanswered points, having trailed the Bills 23-9.

The top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray's throw to Hopkins was his only touchdown pass, as he finished 22 of 32 for 245 yards.

According to Stats Perform, Murray became the first player in NFL history with a pass TD and a rush TD in five straight games, thanks to his pass to Hopkins.

Murray also joined Newton as the only QBs in NFL history with 6,000-plus pass yards and 1,000-plus rush yards in their first 25 career games, as per NFL Research.

NEWTON'S PATS SILENCE JACKSON AND RAVENS

The Patriots may be struggling following the departure of Tom Brady, but Bill Belichick's side shocked the Ravens 23-17 for back-to-back wins.

Newton became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with nine rushing touchdowns in his first eight games of a season, according to NFL Research.

The former MVP rushed for one TD and 21 yards, while he was 13-of-17 passing for 118 yards and another touchdown in New England, where the Patriots (4-5) rallied.

With seven weeks still remaining, 2020 is already the first season in league history in which two quarterbacks – Newton (nine) and Murray (10) – have each had nine-plus rushing TDs.

Baltimore star and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson was 24 of 34 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as the Ravens fell to 6-3.

RAMS TAKE DOWN WILSON'S SEAHAWKS, BREES INJURY OVERSHADOWS SAINTS WIN

The Los Angeles Rams smothered Seattle Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson and won 23-16.

Wilson did not throw a touchdown, finishing 22 of 37 passing for 248 yards and two interceptions as the Rams (6-3) stifled the high-flying Seahawks (6-3).

The NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints topped the San Francisco 49ers 27-13 but it came at a cost on home soil.

Drew Brees suffered a rib injury in the first half and is set to undergo an MRI and X-Ray after taking a hit from 49ers defensive tackle Kentavius Street before being replaced by Jameis Winston at half-time.

Brees threw a touchdown, the 41-year-old finishing eight of 13 for 76 yards as the Saints eventually improved to 7-2 for the season.

Week 10 scores:

Cleveland Browns 10-7 Houston Texans
Detroit Lions 30-27 Washington Football Team
Green Bay Packers 24-20 Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants 27-17 Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 46-23 Carolina Panthers
Pittsburgh Steelers 36-10 Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Rams 23-16 Seattle Seahawks
New Orleans Saints 27-13 San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals 32-30 Buffalo Bills
Las Vegas Raiders 37-12 Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins 29-21 Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots 23-17 Baltimore Ravens

For the first time in their history, the Steelers are 8-0 to start the season following Sunday's 24-19 victory against the Cowboys.

The Los Angeles Chargers suffered an agonising defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders and the Miami Dolphins topped the Arizona Cardinals.

STEELERS STAY HOT

The Steelers have won eight consecutive games to open the 2020 season, surpassing the 7-0 mark set by the 1978 team.

Pittsburgh, though, did not have it all their own after trailing by as many as 13 points against the Cowboys.

The Steelers used a big final quarter, scoring 15 unanswered points to take down the Cowboys in Dallas.

Ben Roethlisberger's afternoon almost ended early after hurting his left knee, but the star Steelers quarterback finished 29-of-42 passing for 306 yards and three touchdowns.

Roethlisberger became the second QB in NFL history to lead his team to an 8-0 start at the age of 38 or older (must have started all eight games), per Stats Perform. The other is Brady, who achieved the feat in 2015 and 2019.

Cowboys QB Garrett Gilbert was 21 of 38 for 243 yards, a touchdown and one interception as Dallas fell to 2-7.

SAINTS CRUISE PAST BUCS

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers were no match for the Saints in Sunday's blockbuster showdown, beaten 38-3.

The Buccaneers (6-3) had won three games in a row to top the NFC South ahead of the Saints (6-2).

But the Saints claimed top spot in the division thanks to Drew Brees' dazzling display in Tampa, where the star quarterback threw four touchdowns on 26-of-32 passing for 222 yards.

In contrast, Brady was 22 of 38 for 209 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions on a tough night for the Buccaneers, who were scoreless until late in the final quarter.

RAIDERS SURVIVE AT THE DEATH

The Raiders handed the Chargers a soul-crushing 31-26 loss.

Los Angeles thought they had claimed one of the most thrilling wins of the season when Justin Herbert (28 of 42 for 326 yards and two TDs) connected with Donald Parham for a game-clinching touchdown on the final play.

However, there was a review as the Chargers (2-6) celebrated.

The review went against the Chargers – Parham lost the ball as he went to ground and the Raiders (5-3) escaped with back-to-back wins.

Raiders QB Derek Carr was 13 of 23, finishing with 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Tua Tagovailoa impressed as the Dolphins took down the playoff-contending Cardinals 34-31 for their fourth successive triumph.

Tagovailoa ended the game 20-of-28 passing for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while Cardinals counterpart Kyler Murray was 21 of 26 for 283 yards and three TDs.

Week 9 scores:

Atlanta Falcons 34-27 Denver Broncos
Buffalo Bills 44-34 Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens 24-10 Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans 27-25 Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs 33-31 Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings 34-20 Detroit Lions
Tennessee Titans 24-17 Chicago Bears
New York Giants 23-20 Washington Football Team
Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins 34-31 Arizona Cardinals
Las Vegas Raiders 31-26 Los Angeles Chargers
New Orleans Saints 38-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Cleveland Browns, who could have been without as many as 20 players, were set to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, but that clash has been rescheduled for Monday.

The Washington Football Team were preparing to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the same day in which the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams were due to do battle, but both games will now take place on Tuesday.

The NFL announced the changes in a statement, which said: "We have made these schedule changes based on medical advice and after discussion with the NFLPA as we are seeing a new, highly transmissible form of the virus this week resulting in a substantial increase in cases across the league.

"We continue to make decisions in consultation with medical experts to ensure the health and safety of the NFL community."

Due to the changes, all six sides involved will have shorter breaks between Week 15 and 16. The Browns head to the Green Bay Packers on Christmas, while the Raiders, Eagles, Washington, Seahawks and Rams all have two days fewer to prepare for their next games.

The fixture alterations come after the NFL announced updated coronavirus protocols on Thursday, which include fully vaccinated players being allowed to return from quarantine a day after testing positive if they produce two negative tests within 24 hours and are asymptomatic.

Indeed, 32 players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday alone, after reports on Wednesday suggested around 100 NFL players recently tested positive for the virus across a three-day span.

Last season amid the ongoing global pandemic the NFL completed its season on time but had to reschedule 18 games.

In July, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell warned the 32 teams that no games would be rescheduled under such circumstances again and, instead, forfeits could happen.

The Bucs won their first postseason match since the 2002 campaign on Saturday, beating Washington 31-23 in their first playoff game in 14 years.

Brady threw for 381 yards and recorded his 75th career postseason touchdown after setting up Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin.

The 43-year-old, now the oldest player in history to throw a touchdown pass in an NFL playoff match, dropped deeper to pick his targets and frustrate a Washington pass rush that recorded 47 sacks in the regular season.

Brady, who led the regular-season standings for downfield passes of 20 yards or more, threw for two touchdowns over the same distance in a postseason game for the first time in his remarkable career.

Still, he was frustrated at certain missed opportunities, notably when he was sacked by Daron Payne and when Godwin made three drops, which allowed Washington nine unanswered points in a third quarter that threatened to derail the Bucs' endeavours.

"We hit some big plays, made some chunks," Brady said. "I think just not scoring enough in the red [zone] was probably the thing that bothers us, [we] missed a two-point play, had other opportunities to score but just didn't quite take advantage of it.

"We moved the ball okay. I think we had decent yardage. But at the end of the day, it comes down to points, and we've got to do a better job scoring more points - and we'll work on that next week."

Brady was full of praise for wide receiver Mike Evans, who recorded a team-high six catches on 10 targets for 119 receiving yards, all after recovering from a hyperextended knee in Week 17.

"Mike played his butt off," Brady said. "He got hurt last week. We weren't sure if he was going to go or not. [He] just did an incredible job fighting through it and made a bunch of big plays when we needed it."

The match mostly belonged to Brady, though, the six-time Super Bowl winner making history as he became the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in the playoffs, overtaking George Blanda in the 1970 AFC Championship game.

"Come on, that's Tom Brady," said team-mate Leonard Fournette said. "I haven't got to think too much about that. That's the boy. We've got faith in him. We're going to protect our butts off for him to make sure he gets that throw. That's our job."

Sweat, a first-round pick in the 2019 draft, played a starring role for Washington's defense last season as they made a return to the playoffs.

He registered nine sacks, helping Washington to an NFC East title and a first postseason berth since the 2015 season.

However, Ron Rivera's team have endured a steep decline on defense and appear destined to miss the playoffs this year, going 2-6 through eight games.

Washington have allowed 5.91 yards per play in 2021, the eighth-most in the NFL, though with four sacks to his name, Sweat has continued to find ways to get to the quarterback.

However, his pressure rate of 16.6 per cent is below the league average of 17.3 per cent for edge rushers, according to Stats Perform data.

Sweat will not have the opportunity to improve on those pressure numbers in the immediate future, with the injury expected to keep him out for four to six weeks.

Week 10 sees Washington welcome the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to FedEx Field on Sunday in a rematch of last year's Wild Card matchup.

Having played the last two seasons under the guise of the Washington Football Team, the name change was confirmed on Wednesday.

Washington abandoned their old moniker, widely viewed as racially insensitive to Native Americans, in July 2020.

That followed significant pressure in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent widespread protests, the name change coming about after a group of 87 investment firms and shareholders signed three separate letters to Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo threatening to end relationships with the team unless the old name was dropped.

FedEx, which sponsors the team's stadium, requested that action be taken by the franchise, and a review began the following day that ended with the decision to drop the name and seek a new one.

That name was announced on social media with a video featuring stars Chase Young and Terry McLaurin along with franchise legend Joe Theismann, who led Washington to a first Super Bowl title in the 1982 season.

"As an organisation, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital," said co-owner and co-CEO Dan Snyder.

"As we kick-off our 90th season, it is important for our organisation and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us.

"We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.

"Today may mark the first day for the Washington Commanders, but we are and always will be Washington."

A decision taken with an "abundance of caution" was announced by the franchise on Wednesday as the United States continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The USA has been the country hardest hit by COVID-19 with over five million confirmed cases.

A statement from Washington read: "With the health and safety of its fans and employees top of mind, the Washington Football Team announced today that NFL games at FedExField will be played without fans during the 2020 season.

"While the organisation had developed a comprehensive health and safety plan in close coordination with the State of Maryland and Prince George's County (MD), this decision, endorsed by local officials and partners, comes out of an abundance of caution due to the rapidly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The decision will be re-evaluated by all parties should the situation surrounding the pandemic improve over the course of the season."

Owner Dan Snyder said: "We are fortunate to host the best fans in the NFL year after year, but the well-being of those supporters, along with that of our players, coaches and each and every member of our gameday staff is simply too important, and the current knowledge of COVID-19 too unpredictable, to welcome our fan base to FedExField to start the season.

"We were the first team in the league to recall our scouts and other personnel from the field back in mid-March and have been monitoring this evolving situation ever since.

"This decision was not an easy one, but after several discussions with federal, state and local officials – along with input from some of the nation's foremost medical experts, based right here in the nation's capital – we are confident that it is the right one.

"We are working to find ways to make our fans' presence felt in new and innovative ways for 2020 and can't wait to welcome the community through the gates as soon as it's safe."

Washington are scheduled to host the Philadelphia Eagles in their season opener on September 13.

Team President Jason Wright released a statement on Tuesday saying, despite the preference appearing to be to use the name Wolves, trademarks by other teams meant that this, and the variation RedWolves, were not feasible.

"Early on we understood Wolves - or some variation of it - was one of our fan favourites," he said. "As I've said all along, we take feedback from our fans seriously, and because of your interest in this name, we put Wolves on a list of options to explore fully.

"Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn't have been viable either for these and other reasons.

"We can't wait to hit the ground running with our team name and identity on a clear path - one without distracting obstacles, legal or otherwise.

"And while we've always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans."

Washington have been known simply as the Washington Football Team since July 2020 after dropping the previous name of the "Redskins".

The organization had been called the Redskins since 1933, but in July 2020, a group of 87 investment firms and shareholders signed three separate letters to Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo threatening to end relationships with the team unless it dropped the racially insensitive moniker.

FedEx, which sponsors the team's stadium, requested that action be taken by the franchise, and a review began the following day that ended with the decision to drop the name and seek a new one, which is finally set to be announced next month.

Washington sit third in the NFC East and out of playoff contention on a record of 6-10 after losing 20-16 to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

Their final game of the season is a trip to the New York Giants on Sunday.

The Washington Football Team came through the worst division in football with a 7-9 record before falling at the first hurdle in the playoffs, battling hard before being beaten by eventual Super Bowl champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But as well as scraping together the most wins, a strange season provided Washington with greater cause for optimism than their divisional rivals.

Ron Rivera's team were particularly strong on defense, as a lack of top-level production at the quarterback position prevented them from being anything more than the best of a bad bunch.

That is evidenced by Stats Perform data, but Washington's offseason moves to date suggest they should get better in 2021.

Offense

Washington had three different starters at quarterback last year, rarely the sign of an effective offensive unit.

And none of Dwayne Haskins (six starts), Alex Smith (six) or Kyle Allen (four) are set to line up under center in the coming campaign following the recruitment of Ryan Fitzpatrick. The new QB ended 2020 as a backup on a non-playoff team in Miami but still undoubtedly offers an upgrade, having played some of the best football of his career in recent seasons.

Washington ranked 25th for net passing yards per game (216.6), albeit that still had them second in the division in that regard.

Haskins, a first-round pick in 2019, was released in December after he was pictured partying without a mask at a strip club following a defeat to the Seattle Seahawks and then completed just 50.0 per cent of 28 passes, with no touchdowns and two interceptions, against the Carolina Panthers, earning a wretched passer rating of 36.9.

Among qualifying QBs - 224 attempts for the season - only Nick Foles (5.94) trailed Haskins in yards per attempt (5.97), while his passer rating of 73.0 was third-worst behind Sam Darnold (72.7) and Carson Wentz (72.8).

Haskins was only playing against Seattle and Carolina because Smith, back from his awful, life-threatening leg injury, was out again. Smith won his final five starts of 2020 but finished the year close behind Haskins, with a seventh-worst 6.28 yards per attempt and fifth-worst 78.5 passer rating, and has since been cut.

For Fitzpatrick, this is a low bar to clear.

But the former Dolphins QB should also have the benefit of greater talent on the end of his passes, with wide receiver Teddy McLaurin carrying the load for Washington in 2020 with 87 catches on 134 targets for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns.

McLaurin ranked 14th in the league for receiving yards per game (74.5), with Logan Thomas the team's next best performer in 64th (41.9).

On the ground, Antonio Gibson found more help, effectively protected by his offensive line as he rushed for 170 carries, 795 yards and 11 TDs.

But Washington's total offense put up just 317.3 yards per game and 4.83 per play, ranking 30th and 31st. Improvement should come easy but is desperately required.

Defense

If those offensive yardage numbers effectively sum up Washington's woes on that side of the ball, the figures going the other way do a similar job.

Washington allowed a meagre 304.6 yards per game and 4.85 per play, totals only undercut by the Los Angeles Rams' outstanding defensive unit. Opponents scored just 329 points, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.

Blessed with the star performers that were absent elsewhere in the team, the defense made light work of the other similarly poor NFC East offenses.

Washington have found incredible value up front, where defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young and defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen are all still on their rookie contracts.

Sweat led the team in sacks (9.5 for 83.0 yards), QB hits (20) and tackles for loss (12) and scored a defensive TD on his only pick, while Young was not far behind (7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 10 TFL, four forced fumbles and three recovered). Payne had 3.0 sacks, eight QB hits and seven TFL, as Allen had 2.0, 14 and three.

Sweat, Young and Payne also combined to stuff 16.0 runs, contributing to Washington's impressive record in forcing stoppages. Only Pittsburgh's defense (25.0) allowed a lower percentage of conversions on fourth down (37.5).

These players will have to be paid eventually if a talented quartet of the future is to stay together, but these are not worries for this year.

The big defensive offseason questions instead lay elsewhere, notably how would Washington replace cornerback Ronald Darby's production with 16 passes defensed? The signing of William Jackson III has already answered that query.

Offseason

Jackson's three-year, $40.5million signing has been Washington's biggest outlay in free agency, his 11 passes defensed ensuring they should again have a top performer at corner.

The team clearly recognised they could not afford to weaken the strongest area of their roster.

Another safety could yet be of use, although Kamren Curl (63 tackles, three interceptions and a defensive TD) and Landon Collins, recovering from a torn Achilles, are both on the books.

On the offense, Fitzpatrick's one-year, $10m deal showed exactly how Washington see his signing. The 39-year-old is neither a long-term solution nor a game-changer but should instead do enough to keep his new team at the top of the division.

To help the veteran - and McLaurin - the team made a big pick-up at receiver in the form of Curtis Samuel, a second-round draft pick during Rivera's time with the Panthers.

He arrives for three years and $34.5m, having posted a career-high 1,051 yards (851 receiving, 200 rushing) in 2020, along with five TDs.

But Washington still have not quite gone all in - not that they need to.

Even if they do not look a genuine contender at this stage, the team's defense will keep them in most games.

With $20.9m of cap space remaining and their first-round pick at 19, Washington are instead well positioned to seize on any unexpected opportunities that come their way.

It might only take a crazy trade from a team in turmoil or a lucky bounce in a big game to bring the NFC East champions to the fore.

The team announced on Thursday they will be called The Washington Football Team until a decision is made on a name to replace the Redskins moniker that was formally retired earlier this month amid heavy pressure from sponsors and activist groups. 

"For updated brand clarity and consistency purposes, we will call ourselves the "Washington Football Team" pending adoption of our new name," the team said in a statement. "We encourage fans, media and all other parties to use "Washington Football Team" immediately. The Redskins name and logo will officially be retired by the start of the 2020 season. 

The team added they will unveil new uniforms in time for their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13.

Washington will keep their traditional burgundy and gold colour scheme, but will remove the Indian head logo on their helmets as well as any displays at their home stadium of FedExField. 

"Starting tomorrow and over the next 50 days, we will begin the process of retiring all Redskins branding from team properties whether it be FedExField, Redskins Park, other physical and digital spaces. We hope to complete this process in full by the team's home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13," the team stated. 

The franchise announced on July 13 they will relinquish the Redskins name used since 1933, their second season in the NFL. The decision was influenced by several major sponsors such as FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo requesting that majority owner Daniel Snyder change the name, widely viewed as being offensive to Native Americans. 

The change has been part of a tumultuous month for the franchise and Snyder, who recently hired a Washington-based law firm to review the organisation's culture after the Washington Post reported last week that 15 former female employees said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team.  

The women, only one of whom - Emily Applegate - was willing to go on record, made accusations against former scouts and members of Snyder's "inner circle" in an article by The Washington Post.

Attorney Beth Wilkinson confirmed her firm, Wilkinson Walsh, had been hired by the team to review the allegations.

In a statement, Snyder said: "The behaviour described in yesterday's [Thursday] Washington Post has no place in our franchise or society.

"This story has strengthened my commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach [Ron] Rivera earlier this year.

"Beth Wilkinson and her firm are empowered to do a full, unbiased investigation and make any and all requisite recommendations.

"Upon completion of her work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all." 

The NFL earlier released a statement, which read: "These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL's values.

"Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment."

The news, reported by the NFL's official website and elsewhere, means Fitzpatrick's active involvement with Washington may already be effectively over.

Fitzpatrick had three completed passes from six attempts for 13 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers before injury struck him down in the Week 1 clash.

The 39-year-old has not been involved since that 20-16 defeat, which saw him replaced by Taylor Heinicke.

Heinicke has been the stand-in that Washington have deployed in the starting role since, with the 28-year-old throwing 18 touchdown passes and achieving a pass completion rate of 67.9 per cent, the ninth highest in the NFL.

He had not started a game since 2018 until being summoned to step in for Fitzpatrick.

Tuesday's reports said Fitzpatrick would undergo arthroscopic surgery.

His contract with Washington was for only one year, and it remains to be seen whether an extension will be considered.

Fitzpatrick has previously played for an array of NFL teams, including the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins.

There was no official word from Washington regarding Fitzpatrick, who has been labelled 'Fitzmagic' by admirers during his NFL career, which began in 2005 with the St. Louis Rams.

Washington did issue a squad update on Tuesday, with linebacker Khaleke Hudson added to the reserve/injured list and Milo Eifler joining from Miami's practice squad as a replacement.

They are 6-6 for the season, having won their last four games to shake off a slow start.

Smith developed life-threatening sepsis and required 17 surgeries to prevent his leg from being amputated after the veteran NFL quarterback suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula two years ago.

However, the 36-year-old and three-time Pro Bowler was cleared for football activity on Sunday, capping a remarkable recovery.

Smith's wife Elizabeth shared a video on social media as the family celebrated the former San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback's return.

It remains to be seen just what Smith's role looks like in Washington, where Ron Rivera is head coach and also has 2019 first-round draft pick Dwayne Haskins at his disposal.

But Smith's story and his path back to the field, regardless of the ultimate outcome, has been celebrated across the league.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who worked with Smith from 2013 to 2017, said: "How great is that [coming off the PUP list]? I'm so happy for him. I know how he is – he's dirty tough and he loves playing the game.

"He didn't want to end the way it ended with the leg, so now he's back. We all saw the special on him and the rehab that he went through, that day-in and day-out grind of the rehab, so I'm happy for him.

"I'm very, very happy for him, and I'm happy for the Washington team too."

Smith, who went down in November 2018, led Washington to a 6-3 record in 2018, completing 205 of 328 passes for 2,180 yards, 10 touchdown and five interceptions before being sidelined.

Washington are scheduled to open their 2020 season against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13.

Smith developed life-threatening sepsis and required 17 surgeries to prevent his leg from being amputated after the veteran quarterback suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula two years ago.

The 36-year-old returned to action last month, and he produced an efficient display in just his second start of the season to lead Washington to a 20-9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Smith completed 17 of 25 passes for 166 yards, a touchdown and an interception as Washington improved to 3-7 for the season.

"Another step, another thing I never thought I'd be doing again," three-time Pro Bowler Smith said.

"It's one thing to come out and get that first playing time and a whole other deal to play winning football as a starter. It's amazing to get a win."

Smith set career highs in attempts (55), completions (38) and yards (390), while he did not turn over the ball in the loss to the Detroit Lions last week.

Through four appearances in 2020, Smith has completed 88 of 129 passes for 918 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Washington head coach Rivera added: "When a guy like Alex who has gone through what he has gets this opportunity to get back on the field and play well, that's pretty cool."

Veteran campaigner Smith was listed as questionable due to a calf injury coming into the Super Wild Card Weekend, and Washington have now confirmed the 36-year-old will be inactive.

Smith dislodged second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the 2020 campaign and has amassed 1,582 passing yards for six touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

With Haskins having been released in December, Heinicke was promoted to second choice, and the sixth-year quarterback performed impressively during an appearance from the bench in Week 16, albeit he could not help Washington avoid a defeat to the Carolina Panthers.

Washington have not won a playoff game since the 2005 campaign. However, it was the Bucs who they prevailed over on that occasion.

On his second career start, Heinicke will be going up against the NFL's oldest player in Tom Brady, who has enjoyed a brilliant season with Tampa.

Six-time Super Bowl champion Brady threw for 40 touchdowns in the regular season, with the 43-year-old joining Peyton Manning as the only players in league history with 40-plus TD passes in a single year with multiple teams.

Only Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers (three) has had more seasons with 40-plus TD passes than Brady's two.

Tampa have also been boosted by confirmation that wide-receiver Mike Evans, who suffered a knee injury in a Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, is fit to play.

Smith missed two games before returning in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles that saw Washington clinch the NFC East.

The QB missed practice on Tuesday, four days prior to the Wild Card Round clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Running back Antonio Gibson (toe) and wide receiver Terry McLaurin (ankle) were also listed to miss practice.

Smith has completed 168 of 252 passes for six touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

He missed the entire 2019 season following a long road to recovery in the aftermath of a career-threatening injury to his right leg, which he suffered back in November 2018.

Veteran running back Peterson - the 2012 MVP - looked set for a reduced role under new head coach Ron Rivera this year.

But the 35-year-old was cut on Friday as Washington aim to decrease the age profile of their roster in an offseason of change.

Rivera has replaced interim coach Bill Callahan, and Jason Wright has been installed as president, while the team is in the process of changing their name.

Peterson still did not anticipate his place was in question, though, telling ESPN: "It comes as a surprise. I didn't feel I showed anything that would warrant being released."

The seven-time Pro Bowler, who made his name in 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, had been at Washington for two years, missing just one game in that time.

Peterson had 462 carries for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns, also scoring a single rare receiving TD.

Despite Friday's shock news and his advancing years, Peterson is confident he still has a future in the NFL.

"Without a doubt, I definitely want to play," he added. "We'll see what happens.

"Every new chapter is a blessing. Whatever comes next, I'll be blessed to attack it. I can't be down on myself. I know it wasn't because of my ability or inabilities to do something. It came down to those guys making their decision.

"It just sucks because I feel this team really has some promise and I won't be a part of it."

Washington start the year against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that rookie running back Antonio Gibson is dealing with a painful case of turf toe and is a doubt to face the Niners in their temporary home of Arizona.

It is difficult to overstate how impressive Gibson's rookie year has been and how key he has been to a Washington team tied for the NFC East lead with the New York Giants at 5-7.

Drafted in the third round after starring as a running back-wide receiver hybrid at Memphis, Gibson has flourished in unexpected fashion.

Instead of continuing to be used in that versatile role, Gibson has made the starting running back job his own.

And, were it not for the exceptional seasons being put together by Justin Herbert and Justin Jefferson, he would probably be the recipient of some Offensive Rookie of the Year buzz.

Gibson has rushed for 659 yards this season and has scored 11 touchdowns, only Dalvin Cook (13) and Derrick Henry (12) have more scores on the ground in 2020.

J.K. Dobbins (5.4) is the sole rookie running back with a higher yards per carry average than that of Gibson (4.7).

Breaking tackles has been a forte for Gibson in his maiden season. He averages a broken tackle every 8.8 rush attempts, the sixth-best rate in the NFL.

Though his receiving abilities have not been used to the extent they were by Memphis, he has still demonstrated significant value in that area of the game.

He has caught 32 of his 39 targets for 233 yards and is sixth among all running backs with 8.8 yards after catch per reception.

If he is absent against San Francisco, Washington will be missing arguably the focal point of the offense.

The case can be made that it may not matter given they pulled out a victory against a Steelers defense that has a much more ferocious pass rush than the Nick Bosa-less 49ers, despite Gibson missing most of that contest.

But the reality is Washington possess one of the least efficient offenses in the NFL, averaging just 4.7 yards per play.

That should not improve with Gibson out of the line-up, with a 49ers defense that ranks top 10 in the NFL against the run likely to be able to key in on Washington's ground game and make former San Francisco first overall pick Alex Smith have to win the game with his arm.

Smith just about managed to do that against Pittsburgh but had significant help from the Washington defense. Ron Rivera's team boasts tremendous strength in depth on the defensive line, which will hope to force yet more turnovers from a 49ers team that has committed at least two in eight games this season.

There is still a clear path to victory for Washington but, if they are without Gibson, it will be a more difficult one.

Young was carted off in the second quarter after suffering an apparent knee injury as Washington defended a short Tom Brady pass to Leonard Fournette.

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport subsequently reported that Young is believed to have torn his ACL, an injury that would end the 2020 second overall pick's season.

Young was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for his performances last season, which saw him record 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

His efforts helped Washington win the NFC East and advance to the Wild Card round of the playoffs, where they lost to the Buccaneers.

Despite the injury to Young, Washington led 16-6 at half-time at FedEx Field.