Inside the Play That Made the Commanders’ Tyler Owens Go Viral

J.J. Watt called it “legitimately one of the greatest football plays I’ve ever seen.” Tom Brady sang its praises on national TV. Michael Irvin labeled it an “insane effort” that should lead to more playing time.

Commanders safety Tyler Owens went viral this week for the one type of football play that very rarely garners attention, let alone internet fame: a special teams rep. But when you see a player fight his way through a double-team, plow over said double-team and deliver a Goldberg-esque spear — all within about 10 seconds — no superlative seems hyperbolic.

But what was it like on the field? The Washington Sun spoke with Owens, his teammates and coaches about what happened in real time.

In the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Eagles, Owens — one of two gunners, along with Percy Butler — lines up on the right side of the field for a punt. Two Eagles jammers, Darius Cooper and Jonathan Jones, line up directly across from him.

Punter Tress Way: Before every punt, I look out there and I see who’s on Percy and I see who’s on [Owens]. And whenever I see T.O. doubled, the first thing that goes in my head for those guys on the other side of the ball is, “good luck.”

Special teams coordinator Larry Izzo: I saw he was doubled early. I saw him split it, and then my eyes kind of went back deeper down the field to where the ball was.

Head coach Dan Quinn: I didn’t see the start of it on the field. Might have caught the corner where he beat the [double team] to go down the field

Cooper and Jones cocoon Owens for 10 yards, not allowing him to break free up the field, but Owens continues to charge forward.

Owens: The first three punts I was backside, so I was inside releasing. They had caught on. The [punt] before they were holding me bad — they had to jump on me. They already knew where I was going, so on that [play] I tried to give them something different, and they still played it good, so I just had to fight through it.

Izzo: John Glenn, coach of the gunners, does a great job with our guys every week of working the tools. All the different releases, whether it’s an outside release, inside release, stretch, split. So there’s a lot that goes into it, a lot of practice time that led to that play. But what you saw there was just a sheer will not to be blocked.

While holding off Jones with his right arm, Owens stiff-arms Cooper to the ground. He then steps over Cooper, gets pushed from behind by Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and stiff-arms Jones into the ground as well — all while maintaining his balance. Meanwhile, Eagles return man Britain Covey fields the punt.

Butler: I just ran down, and the returner came inside off of me. So I knew he was going into the net [of Commanders defenders]. So I’m like, “Shit, he finna get fucked up.”

Longsnapper Tyler Ott: Normally, I’m not one of the first ones down there in coverage, but just tried to make sure that the returner had to go back into the middle of the field.

Safety Jeremy Reaves: I’m controlling the middle, and I got [Covey] to turn back, stop his feet.

Owens: I was trying to keep as much space off of me as I could.

As Covey is funneled toward the middle of the field, he runs straight into a charging Owens, who is flanked by Reaves and linebacker Jordan Magee. Covey jumps in the air and is speared backward by Owens, with Magee coming over the top to finish him off.

Way: I saw him knock that second to last guy down, and then when I saw Covey make that cut, and T.O. was right there, I was like, “Here we go.”

Linebacker Kain Medrano: When I saw Tyler, I knew [Covey] was going to get put on his back.

Tight end Ben Sinnott: I had a crazy angle right in front of me. And I’m like, “OK I might be able to make a tackle here,” and then [Owens] comes up and smokes him.

Tight end Colson Yankoff: I just saw bodies flying, and then smacking the dude. It was awesome. It was phenomenal.

Reaves: When he jumped, I knew somebody was gonna be there. I ain’t know who, but I had a feeling it was gonna be [Owens] or [Butler].

Owens: I see him running towards me, and I’m getting ready to fit him up. And then [Reaves] is flying in, and then Jordan funneling in. So he didn’t really have nowhere to go. So I just put my shoulder on him.

Ott: I ended up on the ground. I turned back, and I got to see the aftermath of basically a suplex.

Butler: It reminded me of the Nick Bellore play from last year when we played the Giants. I just seen him wrap him up and kind of like [the WWE finishing move] RKO — because I was finna go get in on it from the back, but I was like, “Nah, let me let him finish him off.” I was just hyped for my boy.

Linebacker Leo Chenal: I was late down there. I didn’t see it, to be honest, but I saw a bunch of guys just getting excited. I knew with T.O. in the area it’s probably T.O.

Whether they saw it in the moment or watched it later on replay, players and coaches knew the play was special.

Yankoff: He’s a dude that we rely on heavily on those units and that’s why. He’s a dog, he’s a freak athlete.

Chenal: I agree with the sentiment that it’s one of the best special teams plays I’ve ever seen. You pull two guys as a gunner, and then going down there, perfect form tackle. Doesn’t get better than that.

Quinn: And it was so him, like, “Oh, thanks, man. That’s what I do.” Like it was like no big deal. And you’re like, “Man, this is a really big deal.” It was a really cool play and I got to see it probably like everybody else did from the network feed afterwards. And it was one of my favorite plays in a long time on special teams for sure.

Izzo: This is my 30th year in the NFL. I have to say, it was probably the most impressive play on special teams that I’ve seen, to my memory. This was just a complete ass-whooping.