Turnovers lead to big success for Commanders in victory over Atlanta

ATLANTA — When a team is clicking on one side of the ball, they’re hard to stop. When they’re clicking on both sides, it’s near impossible. The San Antonio Commanders might not have scored every drive, but thanks to a strong performance from Logan Woodside, the team was able to pick up the victory over the Atlanta Legends, 37-6.

And while Woodside shined, it was the defense that once again made an impression. With several key turnovers and the ability to pressure Murray, the Commanders looked strong all four quarters, finishing their month long road trip 3-1.

The San Antonio Commanders return home from a four-game road trip on Saturday, March 23, to host the Salt Lake Stallions at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local) in a game televised on NFL Network. For tickets to that and all Commanders games, click here.

“We were very concerned about coming in here to play Atlanta but I’m very proud of our team today,” Commanders head coach Mike Riley said. “I think we stayed on top of it. It was fun to see basically all the parts of our team, offense, defense, special teams, all playing a role in winning the game.”

From the start, the Commanders looked poised and locked into their game. On the Legends second drive, running back Brandon Radcliffe looked to pick up the first down. Instead, he was greeted by linebacker Darnell Leslie who would cause a fumble and be recovered by Duke Thomas. San Antonio would score one play later on a 13-yard touchdown run from Kenneth Farrow.

Cornerback De’Vante Bausby excelled once again in coverage against the Legends receivers. In the second quarter, the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back would intercept Aaron Murray and return it 10 yards, giving momentum to San Antonio’s offense.

“I think everybody learned how good our defense is,” Woodside said. “They were able to give us great field position and helped us out a lot today.”

On offense, San Antonio started strong out the gate. On the team’s third drive, Woodside would find his go-to target Mekale McKay for a 5-yard touchdown. On the next drive, he’d find his tight end Evan Rodriguez for a 33-yard score.

Woodside finished 17 of 24 for 164 yards and two touchdowns. After a strong performance against the Arizona Hotshots, the reigning Offensive Player of the Week doubled down and came up big for San Antonio’s offense with consistent drives ending in scores.

“I think Logan continues to gain confidence,” Riley said. “I love how he plays. He plays pretty aggressively. I think he has a chance to just keep getting better and better.”

But once again, the defense was the storyline. In the end, four total turnovers was the difference maker, giving San Antonio an impressive win on the road. While Murray tired to lead a comeback in the fourth quarter, safety Derron Smith jumped a route and returned it 86 yards for a Commanders touchdown.

If that wasn’t enough to excite you, wide receiver Greg Ward Jr. even made special teams interesting. Late in the second quarter, the former Houston quarterback showed off his speed, juking his way upfield for a 79 yard return for touchdown.

“Greg has been an impressive athlete,” Riley said. “From the minute I saw him in our training camp, I appreciated him. He can do a lot of stuff on the football field. We appreciate his talents.”

As the Commanders end their road trip, things are trending upwards for the second half of the season. With the defense making key stops and the offense hitting their stride, San Antonio could become the team to beat moving forward.

But as the chapter closes on the month long road trip, there still is work to be done. For now however, the team can enjoy the victory and be excited to return to their home fans back in the Alamo City.

“Getting turnovers is one thing but being able to capitalize with points, that was really the game today,” Riley said. “We got the ball in some good situations for our offense and we did take advantage of it and made it count.”

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Cole Thompson covers the San Antonio Commanders for The Alliance of American Football. Follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson