Ron Rivera Gives Mind-Boggling Explanation Why Commanders Didn't Go For Potential Walk-Off Win Over Eagles

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When the Washington Commanders scored a touchdown as time expired to get within a point of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the vast majority of folks out there immediately had the same thought: go for two and the win. Washington head coach Ron Rivera was not one of those people.

Sam Howell connected with Jahan Dotson for a touchdown as time expired in Philadelphia to make it a 31-30 contest. To say momentum was on the Commanders' side would have been a gross understatement, but despite that fact, Washington trotted out the field goal unit and sent the game to overtime.

Washington won the coin toss and got the ball first in overtime, but after a quick three-and-out it quickly became apparent that the Eagles were going to escape with a win, and that they did. Jake Elliott drilled a 54-yard field goal to keep Philadelphia's unbeaten record in tact.

After the game Rivera was asked why the Commanders elected to kick the extra point instead of go for the walk-off win.

His explanation? The team was tired.

Washington drove 64 yards on 10 plays in 1:43 on the scoring drive that ultimately tied up the game. I'm no football genius, but a 1:43 drive of 10 plays isn't exactly "a long drive."

Also, Philadelphia's defense was out there for all 1:43 of the drive, so if the Commanders were gassed, then so too were the Eagles.

None of it adds up.

If the Commanders ended up winning the game in overtime we're not sitting here discussing this, but they didn't, and now everyone rightfully is.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.