We’ve got to talk about the mess in Landover. The Commanders had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, but it all fell apart. They managed to scrape together some hope by stripping Cam Skattebo near the end of overtime, and then Jayden Daniels, back after missing two games with a hurt elbow, drove them down the field. He hit Treylon Burks for a 13-yard gain, leaving them just a field goal away from winning with seconds on the clock.
Washington decided to run the ball down to the last second, probably to avoid a missed kick scenario. But it backfired horribly. They let the clock tick away, Daniels took a sack, and then he just stayed on the ground like he forgot what was happening. By the time they spiked the ball, it was too late. Tie game. Yuck.
Coach Dan Quinn looked stunned on the sideline, and honestly, he and Daniels both deserve the heat for this. It wasn’t just a simple mistake; it was a complete brain fart from start to finish. Sure, draining the clock might seem smart, but they should have set up properly and spiked it with time left. Instead, the wideouts ran routes and Daniels scrambled around like they were still playing.
Daniels will catch most of the flak, and that’s fair. The franchise QB should’ve known to spike it the moment things went sideways. But I’m putting the main blame on Quinn. This kind of sloppiness has been a pattern with his teams. They talk about attention to detail, but Sunday showed they’re missing something big.
Bottom line, Washington got lucky to tie. If Skattebo hadn’t fumbled, we’d be talking about a Commanders loss in a game they dominated. The defense fell apart in the second half, letting Jameis Winston throw for over 300 yards, and the offense couldn’t seal the deal. It was a perfect storm of mistakes, and it’s tough to watch.
