Dan Quinn can't get his Commanders to play clean football
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Dan Quinn went with the forward-facing brim this week, but his team took another step back. Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Dan Quinn turned around his hat. He couldn't turn around the Commanders' season.
The big picture: After a week spent dissecting Washington's clock-management mess, Monday night's matchup with the undefeated 49ers offered a chance to change the story — and prove the Commanders still had some life.
- For 2½ quarters, they looked like the same flat, undisciplined team we've seen all season.
- But trailing 23-3 midway through the third, Washington rallied and gave itself a shot at a stunning upset in Santa Clara.
- The Commanders fell short. Still, the comeback might have quieted calls for Quinn's job — if only a teeny bit — heading into the bye week.
Why it matters: The Commanders showed they haven't quit on Quinn. But they still haven't shown they can stop making costly mistakes or win close games.
Flashback: Early in the second quarter, it looked like a remix of last week's debacle.
- Trailing 13-3, the Commanders went for it on 4th and 2. Jayden Daniels scrambled right and threw the ball out of bounds, giving his team no chance to convert.
- On the sideline, Quinn appeared confused about the down, at least in the eyes of online lip-readers who dissected a viral clip.
- Quinn said afterward there was no confusion: He was explaining over his headset that an illegal shift penalty wouldn't negate the turnover on downs.
We'll take Quinn at his word. But Daniels' decision was another lapse that raises questions about Washington's coaching.
Even during the comeback, there were issues. With Washington driving for a go-ahead touchdown, the offense struggled to get aligned on 3rd and 8, prompting Daniels to burn a timeout.
- The Commanders failed to score on the drive. And they could've used that timeout later, when San Francisco bled clock before Washington's final possession.
The bottom line: The Commanders, 3-14-1 in their past 18 games dating back to last season, continually struggle with game management.
Yes, but: Somehow, they're still in the NFC East race.
- No team in the division has won in two weeks — a collective futility that's unprecedented in NFL history.
- Washington (1-4-1) is just two games behind the first-place Giants and a half-game back of Philadelphia and Dallas.
- And the QB situations in New York and Philly could make the division even more forgiving than the standings suggest.
What's next: The Commanders enter their bye week with another major concern: Wide receiver Terry McLaurin suffered what could be a season-ending knee injury during the first quarter.
- Quinn said Monday it "could be significant," and he's scheduled to speak again with the media today at 3pm.
Following its break, Washington hosts the Eagles on Nov. 11.