Two decisions from Week 5 left observers puzzled: the Commanders running the clock late in overtime against the Giants while in field goal range, and the Texans trading for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Bill Barnwell of ESPN sets out to explain both.
The Texans, now 1-4 and holding a 23.2% playoff chance after Sunday's win according to ESPN's Football Power Index, sent second- and sixth-round picks to the Cardinals for a seventh-rounder and Harrison. Harrison entered the 2024 draft as one of the most polished wide receiver prospects of his generation, and Houston sees a rare chance to acquire a player with his scouting profile. The organization has taken a similar risk before. General manager Nick Caserio's front office traded up to select edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. in 2023, a move that paid off alongside quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The comparison has limits. Anderson had not yet played in the NFL when Houston acquired him, while Harrison has struggled through multiple seasons as a professional. Stroud, his former Ohio State teammate, praised Harrison's work ethic, calling him "probably the hardest worker I've ever been around in my life."
The Commanders' late-game decision is the other puzzle. Washington chose to run the clock in overtime while in field goal range against New York, and the game ended without a chance at a game-winning kick. Barnwell takes on both questions, weighing the logic behind each move against the results.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing