Redskins tight end Jordan Reed on Sunday caught nine passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, making play after play in the team's 24-21 victory over the Bears.
It could have been a moment of deflation but tight end Jordan Reed embraced it.
Ahead by a touchdown nearing midway in the third quarter, the Redskins were penalized with a delay of game at the Chicago Bears' 1-yard line. In the midst of moving back, the Soldier Field crowd came to its feet.
They began to roar as the video board instructed and Reed followed suit, lifting his arms as though they were rooting for him. On the next play, quarterback Kirk Cousins scrambled, then maneuvered in the pocket long enough to find Reed on a slant, crossing the goal line to extend the lead.
"The crowd got loud, tried to intimidate us, and you know, just can't get intimidated," Reed said. "I was just trying to make a play and get everybody up."
He did just that. Reed caught nine passes for 120 yards and was a big part of the Redskins' much-needed 24-21 victory, their first on the road in six tries this season.
It was just the third career game that Reed had totaled at least 100 yards, and coincidentally was the second time he did so against the Bears.
"I was just creating a lot of separation in my routes and Kirk was hitting me in stride so I could run after the catch," Reed said.
He almost had an extra touchdown and an extra yard on the Redskins' first drive of the game. He caught a 17-yard pass over the middle from Cousins, already well into Bears territory, and began dragging and spinning out of four defenders before outstretching his arm for the goal line.
After review, officials said he was down just short of the line, but the play was microcosmic of the rest of his game, pummeling over Bears defenders and attaining yards after the catch.
A lot of that was aided by lining up out wide of the offense's formations and using slants over the middle to his advantage. He had more time to find space in the middle of the field and let Cousins lead him to more yards.
"This week it was a different kind of slant, it was going to take a little longer and the coaching for it all week was I just need to keep running no matter how many defenders are in there," Reed said. "I just need to keep running and try to cross face and that's what happened.
"Typically it's just, I'm by myself, so it's a quick hit-or-miss. Since it's three guys, I got to get across a little further."
As the Redskins attempted to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter, Cousins chucked up a ball on third down that Reed batted and somehow fell into the arms of running back Matt Jones, extending the drive to help waste away the clock. It was a play the Redskins have seen go against them too many times, but were happy to see some fortune bounce their way.
"I was excited, early in the game I told him he was going to win the game for us and I feel like that was one of the plays that got it done," Reed said.
"He played lights out. He played hungry," Jones said. "He got downfield every time he caught the ball, broke tackles every time he caught the ball, but he played hungry, he played big, so that was big for him."
After a week agonizing over a loss to the Cowboys and regretting many offensive penalties, Reed came back motivated -- he didn't have any penalties called on him Sunday -- and the reward was the feeling in the locker room, with music playing and smiles on teammates' faces. They praised his efforts beside him to reporters, who flocked around Reed before he could even take his shoulder pads off.
"Feels great just to have a shot for the playoffs still and being in the position that we're in," Reed said. "It's an awesome feeling and we came together for this victory so that's a great feeling."
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