You've tried something and failed miserably; how do you respond?
That apparently is something Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil has rehearsed in his mind this week, following his disappointing performance in the 2026 season opener last week. In the game, Sainristil gave up a touchdown pass, appearing unaware of his surroundings as he casually ‘guarded’ Eagles
receiver Dontayvion Wicks.Sainristil then appeared lost and again unaware when Wicks was behind him and caught a 64-yard pass. Now, of course, Sainristil wasn’t casual out there, but he didn’t look intense on the touchdown he surrendered. As a result, Sainristil has drawn heavy criticism from the Commanders fan base and local Washington media after the Commanders’ first-game
loss.
"They're playing with fire." Mike Sainristil, as an outside corner and in man coverage, is just not something that the Commanders can rely on, Kevin Sheehan says about Washington's third-year DB pic.twitter.com/tS8xVqxYtl
— The Team 980 (@team980) September 16, 2026
In the Commanders’ locker room Wednesday, Sainristil was direct, not evasive at all, when asked about his performance vs. the Eagles. “You don’t play a game and just do all bad things,” the third-year corner from the University of Michigan said. “You have to focus on the good things, making sure you keep doing good things good.”
So then Sainristil, without being prompted, turned his attention to the bad plays he had against the Eagles. “The bad things, you want to correct those. You give yourself a window to digest and go over what you want to go over. Then, you just move forward.”
“Honestly, I’m not somebody that sits there, whether I played good or bad. I’m not somebody who is going to sit there and sulk in it. So, for the people who think that is what I am doing, that’s the complete opposite. I am not that type of person. I can assure you [of] that. But for me, it is just focusing on, ‘What can I do to be better?’ every single day. Whether I play good or bad.
“Knowing that my coaches and players still believe in me, and I believe in myself, for one. For me, it’s just focusing on the Cowboys this week. We want to go out there and give ourselves the best chances of winning.”
Indeed, on Sunday, the Commanders face their second NFC East rival in the first two games, with both games scheduled as road games. The Commanders' secondary will face a tougher test this week, as the Cowboys feature two of the league's top receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Mike Sainristil doesn't hide from struggles vs. Eagles in Week 1
