The Washington Commanders have played only three games, but it’s been a season to forget for cornerback Mike Sainristil. Sainristil’s Week 1 struggles were so bad that some clips went viral. Those struggles continued in Week 2.
After his Week 1 performance, head coach Dan Quinn did something unusual. He publicly criticized a player, even if it didn’t completely sound like it.
“The touchdown play definitely felt like, as the motion got over, man, like, you have to go get set,” Quinn said of Sainristil in Week 1 vs. the Eagles. “And those are things that we have to get corrected. We’ve definitely identified a few things that, ‘Hey, man, these are the things that we have to get corrected.’ Mike’s a very good competitor. I’m certain that we will,
but to have that type of play and just not have the right focus at the right time, completely not acceptable.”
Not acceptable. Message sent. When Sainristil’s struggles continued in Week 2, Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones had seen enough. In last week’s upset win over the Seattle Seahawks, Sainristil played a career-low 26 snaps. To break it down further, he played in only 39% of Washington’s defensive snaps.
How did he do?
Sainristil was targeted four times, allowed four receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are brutal and proof that Sainristil’s struggles remain an ongoing problem.
As the Commanders prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, what is Sainristil’s outlook? Quinn commented on the third-year cornerback this week.
“So we moved Mike to nickel [back] and we wanted to feature him into that space for a while,” Quinn said. “And I liked the results from seeing that. I thought that’s the best spot and thing that we can do right now.”
What stood out here? This quote here speaks volumes: “best spot and thing that we can do right now.”
Quinn is saying he doesn’t know where else to play Sainristil. That’s the best thing we can do right.
Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas have been Washington’s top two cornerbacks. Last week, veteran Fabian Moreau cut into Sainristil’s time. Pretty soon, Trey Amos will be back. Sainristil is running out of time.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders coach Dan Quinn's Mike Sainristil update not promising
