The Commanders were crushed by what happened at the end of what could be the defining moment of the season.
The Commanders tied the New York Giants by a score of 27-27, as we all know. The result was unacceptable in every way. Our instinct tells us the same thing.
We are now in the acceptance phase of the grieving process; however, the past cannot be changed, head coach Dan Quinn is not fired (yet) and the sun still rises in the East.
Even though Sunday was bad, with incredible mistakes made by several key individuals in the commanders’ power structure, it’s over now.
What happens next will be as telling as anything that happens with the Commanders this season.
“I want to make sure that this is a scar that has to be permanent,” Quinn told reporters on site at his news conference Sunday evening, “and make sure that this is a situation, a scenario that will never happen again.”
We’ll see if that’s the case starting Thursday, when the Commanders begin their week of practice leading up to Monday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
How the Commanders respond to this vicious blow will define their entire season, which is already on the ropes.
The answer must be global. Quinn needs buy-in from the locker room. Players need to come together and improve in all areas, not just run situational football drills in practice.
It is clear that some defensive adjustments need to be made to better accommodate players’ plays, where execution is lacking, primarily when heavy pressure fails to reach its destination.
Commanders must first get used to talking about late Sunday, and they must be confident and resolute in their responses. It’s inevitable. Jayden Daniels will be asked about this on Thursday. Offensive coordinator David Blough will be asked about it Friday, and everyone from Quinn down will have to discuss it in production meetings.
The news cycle won’t die and the questions will be everywhere until the commanders leave the mat. Coaches and players must be confident and determined in their responses. They must not flinch and they must reinforce this confidence with better play.
I covered the Chicago Bears during the 2024-25 seasons, before joining Pig haven. In 2024, the Hail Mary in Washington could be cited as the exact moment the season ended for the Bears.
Chicago lost in the worst way, with a cornerback biting fans while Daniels took over on the game-winning play. The Bears’ response to this disaster might have been even worse than the play itself. Matt Eberflus deflected, dodged and sometimes cowered as he approached the moment.
Eberflus was not fired after that game, but was canned after a brutal loss in Detroit where players yelled at him in a tense postgame locker room. The Bears continued to lose after the Hail Mary. They were 4-2 going into this game against Washington. They were 1-11 afterwards.
I use this as a cautionary tale about how a singular disappointment can turn into an avalanche. The commanders find themselves in a dangerous situation. They have so much riding on the response to Sunday’s game, while also having to travel across the country to face an undefeated NFC juggernaut in prime time, where you know the end of Week 5 will be replayed and discussed during the game and its shoulder programming.
The leadership of the commanders is put to the test, from Quinn to the coordinators to the quarterback. What happens next will be telling and will be important information for owner Josh Harris, who is certainly monitoring this situation closely while evaluating if (or when) Quinn should leave.
Gn sports
