Broncos 17, Washington Football Team 10: Yes, 'Time to Panic'

Washington Football Team at Broncos was destined to leave somebody in a state of panic.

Is it “time to panic” yet?

Both the Washington Football Team and the Broncos entered Sunday afternoon’s NFL Week 8 matchup at Denver recognizing a coming Sunday night truth:

Somebody was going to lose a “must-win game.”

Somebody was going to recognize “it’s time to panic.”

Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater conceded exactly that this week, via the Associated Press: “It's not time to panic. But it almost is.”

Denver 17, Washington 10 means … it’s time.

The Football Team went into Denver losers of three straight games and sporting a 2-5 marl. The Broncos were losers of four straight, slumping to 3-4.

And the WFT comes out losers of four straight, and still unable to generate much offense.

“I know the expectations were high coming into this year,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said this week. “The truth of the matter is we haven’t lived up to those. The thing that we have to do more than anything else is continue to work hard, continue to prepare and take it one game at a time focusing on that one game … 

“And,'' he added, "quite honestly, win.''

And now? Quite honestly ... The WFT did just enough right to be in the game ... and just enough wrong to have the awful day punctuated by ruined-red-zone fourth-and-19 desperation interception off the errant hand of QB Taylor Heinicke.

Heinicke and the offense even got one more chance after that "last chance.'' But this one became a fourth-and-14. But this Heinicke "Hail Mary'' was thrown so far out of the back of the end zone that it never had a prayer.

And besides, the WFT playbook is not stuffed full of fourth-and-14 and fourth-and-19 solutions.

But "win''? You can't "win'' if you can't score. Heinicke and the offense (two interceptions and an ineffective run game) still can't make a consistent red-zone impression. 

The offense goes backward on the field. At 2-6, the team goes backward in the standings.

Washington eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Broncos? Not in the technical or official sense. Rivera will remind his guys of how they climbed out of a similar early hole a year ago to capture the NFC East. He will tell them they can do it again.

Some of them, after losing this "must-win game,'' will even believe him.

Washington's defense stepped up a bit here, something better than the unit that came in ranking dead-last in the NFL in points allowed per game (30), passing yards average (300.6) and opponents' third-down proficiency (56.9 percent).

But those are stats. Stats aren't wins.

Going into its bye week with Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers up next on the other side, Washington gets a shot to re-group ... before facing a foe that will be heavily-favored.

Re-group. Or lick wounds. Or panic. Those are the limited choices, and the last one is appropriate.