Washington Football Team: Chase Young proves worthy of captain title

Chase Young immediately showed Washington he is deserving of being a captain.

Chase Young has been pretty dominant all season long. It might not always show up in the stat sheet, but he’s been leaving his mark on nearly every play. The Washington Football Team defense has gotten notably better thanks to him.

The impact he makes isn’t just on the field, though. Young is also a leader in the locker room. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was running away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, there would be no reason to know he was actually a rookie.

Due to all of that, Washington handed Young the vacant Captain title (thanks to the Dwayne Haskins debacle) before Week 16. In his first game as a captain, Young was all over the field. He finished with four tackles (one for loss) to go along with one sack. That one sack also saw him force a fumble, a fumble that Young scooped up himself.

He also knocked the ball out of Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s hands as he threw the ball on a play, getting a pass deflection that led to a Kamren Curl interception.

Young was everywhere. Whenever Washington needed a big play defensively, it seemed like he stepped up. He was taking on double teams, putting pressure on the quarterback, filling gaps, and making plays.

Washington lost but the impact of the rookie was felt heavily. Most importantly, he was a leader. Young was vocal on the sidelines. He was talking during the game. The defensive end was making sure everyone was engaged and ready to go and hyped up.

And when Taylor Heinicke entered the game at quarterback, it was Young that trotted onto the field to give him some words of encouragement.

The Washington Football Team did not win in Week 16. There is a lot to feel good about though. Chase Young has been fantastic all year long and has now assumed his role as a team captain. He seems to fit in perfectly there.

Can he help lead the team to victory in Week 17? If so, Washington is going to the playoffs as the NFC East winners. Expect the captain to show up and show out against the Philadelphia Eagles.