Washington Commanders second-year receiver Dax Milne accelerated off the line of scrimmage and broke inside. He decelerated, planted and turned outside, executing a "return" route and creating an inviting window for quarterback Taylor Heinicke.
Milne hauled in the pass, slipped while moving upfield and extended the ball across the goal line.
Touchdown, Washington.
On the surface, it was a key play to give the Commanders a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's eventual 20-17 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
But there's more to the story than that.
For Milne, who earned "Mr. Irrelevant" honors during the 2021 NFL Draft as the final section, the reception marked his first career professional touchdown.
It was only his sixth catch of the season and 15 of his career; he's received between one and no targets in each game this season but has maximized his opportunities when given the chance.
That more than proved true in the loss to Minnesota, as Milne's play put Washington in prime position to snatch its fourth consecutive win. Ultimately, it proved to be all for naught, as the Vikings scored 13 unanswered in the fourth quarter.
But nevertheless, it'll be a day Milne won't soon forgot as he realized a life-long dream, even though the end result wasn't in his team's favor.
"Obviously really exciting," Milne said of his catch. "So much hard work that pays off in one moment. Throughout practice, it happens all the time, but it's really hard to do in a game and I'm glad everything worked out the way it did. Excited for myself but just kind of a damper that we couldn't come out with a win."
Milne revealed that the ball will be going to his family, serving as validation for the hard work of everybody who helped him reach the confines of FedEx Field.
As for the play itself, Milne had an idea before the snap that he'd be involved and allowed his playmaking instincts to take over thereafter.
"I knew there was a good chance for me to get the ball and potentially score," Milne began. "Once I got it, I knew I had to force my way in there, but I don't want to stretch it too far, because you see a lot of times a guy can knock it out or something bad can happen. So, I kept it tighter and made sure I got my body in the endzone."
Milne recorded his first career start two weeks ago in the week over the Green Bay Packers and checked another box off his bucket list against Minnesota.
While Milne won't see another NFC North team for the remainder of the season, his recent efforts have provided plenty of encouraging signs that he's beginning to find his footing at the sport's highest level. Perhaps best of all, the 23-year-old is focused on only getting better from here.
"I'm trying to be a guy that can get better every week," Milne said.
With plays like the one he made Sunday, Milne will only get more opportunities to show his improvement - and prove that he's not so irrelevant after all.
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