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Jordan Reed Makes The Difference In Victory

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After missing the last two games with a concussion, Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed returned to the field on Sunday, recording two touchdowns in a 31-30 victory.

Jordan Reed proved once again what kind of special talent he is at the tight end position.

Missing the last two weeks after suffering a concussion late in the Redskins' Week 4 victory over the Eagles, Reed returned to the field in memorable fashion on Sunday, recording 11 receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.  

"Unguardable man, unguardable," left tackle Trent Williams said of Reed. "You show me anybody in the league who can guard that man 1-on-1, I haven't seen it yet. As long as we've got him, we've got a chance, man. I honestly feel he is the best receiving tight end."

Reed scored both of his touchdowns in the second half of what would become the Redskins' biggest comeback victory in franchise history, climbing out of a 24-0 hole to win 31-30.

Nine of his receptions came in the second half. He also became the first Redskin to record multiple touchdowns in the same game since Leonard Hankerson did so in the 2013 season opener and was the first Redskins tight end to record two touchdowns since 2009.

"It was great," Reed said of getting back onto the field. "I just worked hard all week, focused and I knew I was going to be given an opportunity to make some plays."

Reed is also your classic matchup nightmare, as he can find holes in zone defenses and his blend of size, speed and athleticism is hard to take down in single coverage.

Tampa Bay found this out the hard way.

"He's a great route-runner in the zone," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. "When they play man, we like the matchup. He did a good job of winning man-to-man matchups, whether it's under routes or slant routes, like he did at the end of the game. We feel like it's a tough deal for a defensive coordinator and defenses to deal with him. And you can see what type of impact he has on our offense when we are rolling. One, he has to win, which he did many times. Two, he's got to read zone, and three, we have to have protection and Kirk [Cousins] has to throw it. Jordan had a big game, and a big-time impact on this game today."

His last catch of the day was easily the most important, as the Redskins were trying to complete their second straight come from behind, game-winning drive at FedExField with only a little more than two minutes left.

Starting at their own 20-yard line, Cousins led a drive that was go 74 yards in just eight plays.

But on first and second downs inside the 10-yard line, Cousins couldn't complete end zone passes to either Reed or Andre Roberts.

Third down, however, was a different story.

Lining up to Cousins' right side, Reed planted both feet into the ground then quickly turned inside, beating safety Bradley McDougald for an easy touchdown grab.

"He's wired to be able to separate, he's got great hands, he's a competitor, and he makes a big difference," Cousins said. "He's a great teammate and great person. I'm looking forward to it again. He's a young player, and I feel like we all need to just keep developing, keep growing, and keep working. I'm excited about his future and I think it's very bright."

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