Facing 2nd-and-10 on the Chicago Bears' 49-yard line, quarterback Case Keenum found Terry McLaurin in the flat on the right side for a completion.
At the time, it seemed like a routine reception. McLaurin gained 11 yards on the play, moving the chains in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' Monday Night Football showdown with the Bears.
But combined with the rest of his 2019 production, McLaurin's first-down conversion was historic. With it, he became the first player in NFL history to record at least five receptions and a touchdown in each of his first three games.
"At the end of the day, what I want to do is come out here and be productive for my team," McLaurin said following the team's 31-15 defeat. "I'm trying to do that to the best of my ability."
Drafted in the third round of the 2019 draft, McLaurin has been the Redskins' best offensive player thus far. Through three games, he leads the team with 257 yards receiving, 16.1 yards per catch and three touchdowns. He's accomplished all of this on 16 receptions, a number only running back Chris Thompson can match.
Following a standout training camp, McLaurin introduced himself to the NFL with a 69-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of the season opener in Philadelphia. Despite the defeat, the cerebral speedster hauled in five passes for 125 yards. In doing so, he became the first Redskins rookie to eclipse the 100-yard mark since Jamison Crowder in December of 2016.
An eye-opening debut gave way to a steady performance in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. He once again recorded five receptions and found the end zone. His 62 receiving yards led the team.
McLaurin was quiet in the first half against Chicago on Monday night -- he had two receptions for 24 yards -- but so was everyone else on the Redskins offense. The unit scored three points and had 90 yards of total offense during that stretch.
The Redskins eventually found their offensive rhythm, and McLaurin was a significant reason why. His third reception -- a 15-yarder in between two defenders -- doubled as the team's first touchdown midway through the third quarter and cut the deficit to 28-9. He then made three catches in a four-play span in the fourth quarter as the Redskins attempted to erase a mult-touchdown deficit.
The receptions totaled 31 yards and moved the offense from its own territory to the Bears' 25-yard line. There were still nine minutes to play in the game, and the hosts were threatening to pull within one possession.
However, that's where their comeback bid ended. Four unsuccessful rushes turned the ball back over to the Bears, who sealed the 31-15 victory and handed the Redskins their third straight defeat to start the 2019 season.
To McLaurin, these defeats carry much more weight than his individual excellence. He'd gladly trade the receptions and yardage for touchdowns and wins, though it's largely because of him that the Redskins offense been this effective in the first place.
"At the end of the day, I want to win and we all want to win," McLaurin said. "In the box score, it doesn't say, 'Terry had a great game.' It says, 'The Redskins lost.' I feel like that. Our team feels like that. That's how I feel."
