Everyone wanted to talk on Monday about how the Washington Commanders’ game against the New York Giants ended on Sunday. And for good reason: Washington’s egregious clock mismanagement led to a rare tie.
But the Commanders had several chances to put the game away long before overtime. The defense couldn’t find a way to stop Jameis Winston. And the offense looked like it had never seen a blitz, even though the Giants didn’t try to disguise it.
The Commanders had one moment where they could’ve all but clinched the game in regulation. Leading 27-13 with 7:24 remaining, the Giants faced a fourth-and-7 from the Washington 17-yard line. The Commanders just needed one stop against Winston and the Giants. The result? Winston found tight end Isaiah Likely
for a 17-yard touchdown, making it a one-possession game.
Here’s the play:
IT'S A TOUCHDOWN
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 11, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/7vbTD9ZPLa
What stands out here (besides the obvious poor result)?
The Commanders sent pressure, but defensive tackle Daron Payne dropped into coverage on a critical fourth-down play. The pressure, of course, didn’t get home, as Winston got the ball to Likely before he was hit.
That was one of several plays the Commanders would probably love to have back. On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn met with the media and was asked about this specific play regarding Payne being in coverage.
“Yep. He’s supposed to actually on that one,” Quinn said. “So, on a zero blitz, sometimes you’ll have guys who will pop out, and they’re helpful for underneath crossers. So, it wouldn’t show up on that play. That was a down-the-field throw to Likely, but it is effective when people are running man-to-man and pick routes that you have somebody inside. So that, Daron was right on point in the right space at the right location. Yeah, you wanna have a mix of zones where you have eyes on the quarterback, and you wanna have some where you’re matching. And I mean matching: it doesn’t mean you’re all man-to-man all the time, but you stay closely connected. And having the balance of both is what you need. And in this game, just being able to close the door, man, and finish it out, that’s really important to us.”
He said more, but you get the point. He said a lot without saying a lot. These types of coverages happen in every game. It just didn’t seem like the right time to have Payne in coverage. If you watch the play from the start, Winston had more than one open option, which is inexcusable given the down and distance.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Why was Commanders DT Daron Payne in coverage on critical Giants fourth down?
