We’ve been crushing the Commanders for what happened at the end of what might be the fateful moment of the season.
The criticism is just.
The Commanders tied the New York Giantsby a score of 27-27, as we all know. The result was unacceptable by any metric. Our gut tells us the same thing.
We’re now at the acceptance phase of the grieving process, however, understanding that the past can’t be changed, head coach Dan Quinnisn’t getting fired (right now) and the sun still rose from the East.
For as bad
as Sunday was, with unbelieve mistakes made by several key players in the Commanders power structure, it’s over now.
What happens next will be as telling as anything that happens this Commanders season.
“I want to a make sure that’s a scar that has to be permanent, Quinn told on-site reporters in his Sunday evening press conference, “and making sure this is a situation, a scenario that would never present itself again.”
We’ll see if that’s the case starting on Thursday, when the Commanders start their practice week leading up to Monday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
How the Commanders respond to this vicious body blow will define their entire season, which is already on the ropes.
The response must be wholistic. Quinn needs buy-in from the locker room. The players must come together and be better in all facets, not just running situational football drills in practice.
It’s clear some defensive adjustments must be made to better suit the plays to the players, where execution is lacking, primarily when bringing heavy pressure doesn’t help you get home.
The Commanders first must get used to talking about Sunday’s ending and they must be confident and resolute in their responses. It’s unavoidable. Jayden Daniels is going to be asked about it on Thursday. Offensive coordinator David Blough will be asked about it on Friday and everyone from Quinn on down will discuss it in production meetings.
It’s a news cycle that won’t say die and will be pervasive until the Commanders get off the mat. Washington must be confident and resolute about their direction and do so without flinching and then back that confidence up with better play.
I covered the Chicago Bears before joining Hogs Haven during the 2024-25 seasons. Back in 2024, you could point to the Hail Mary in Washington as the exact moment that season ended.
Chicago lost in the worst possible way, with a cornerback jawing at fans while Daniels took the snap. The Bears response to disaster might’ve been even worse than the play itself. Matt Eberflus deflected, dodged and at times cowered when addressing the moment.
While Eberflus didn’t get fired after that game, but got canned after a brutal loss in Detroit where players screamed at him in a tense postgame locker room. The Bears continued to lose after the Hail Mary. They were 4-2 entering that Washington game. They were 1-11 afterwards.
I use that as a cautionary tale of how a singular disappointment become an avalanche. The Commanders are in a dangerous spot, with so much more riding on the response to Sunday’s game, while having to travel across the country to play an NFC juggernaut in primetime, where you just know the Week 5 ending will be replayed and discussed during the game and its shoulder programming.
Commanders leadership is being tested, from Quinn to the coordinators to the quarterback. What happens next will be telling and an important piece of information for owner Josh Harris, who is certainly monitoring this situation closely while evaluating whether (or when) Quinn’s gotta go.
