Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn had a similar message after their stunning home loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Commanders are on a three-game losing streak after the 34-26 defeat to their NFC East rival. While Washington currently holds onto a playoff slot, that situation can change quickly if these woes continue.
Dallas won the game in all three facets Sunday afternoon, which Daniels and Quinn agreed on. NBC4 Sports reporter JP Finlay captured the quarterback and head coach’s postgame reactions to the brutal loss.
Daniels emphasized that “it never comes down to one play. I played throughout the game, and little things started adding up to big things. We just haven’t been executing like we’ve done in the past.”
Quinn’s tone was similar: “We have to apply the lessons we learn. And with a fight that we had in past games, that execution falls on all of us players and coaches and for him (Jayden Daniels) to do that.”
The Washington Commanders need to right the ship immediately
At 7-5, the Commanders’ chances of winning the NFC East are slim. The Philadelphia Eagles are riding high off a victory over Washington and a six-game winning streak. With Philadephia’s current record of 8-2, Dan Quinn’s team will need a lot of help to climb back into the divisional race. As for the wild card, the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are currently tied in the loss column with Washington for the seventh seed. The Commanders have not faced and will not face either of these teams this year.
Washington has been very inconsistent over the past few weeks, particularly on offense. Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury has come under fire for these recent woes. Fans are noting how Washington’s late-season collapse is eerily similar to what happened with Kingsbury’s Arizona Cardinals teams.
Jayden Daniels’ struggles have consequently made the Rookie of the Year race competitive again. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for three touchdowns and three picks during this recent slide.
The Commanders’ defense also performed poorly on Sunday against Dallas. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush completed 24 out of 32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a stunning 99-yard kick return from KaVontae Turpin. Overall, Sunday’s performance left a lot to be desired for a franchise that should have one of the brightest futures in the league. The near future, however, can get dreary very soon in the coming weeks.
Dan Quinn’s team will have an opportunity to regain its form against the Tennessee Titans on December 1st. After that matchup, Washington will face the New Orleans Saints, then host the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons before closing the season on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. These are all very winnable games for the Commanders, but losing at home to a Cowboys team in dire straits shows that this team can lose to anyone.
Three weeks ago, Jayden Daniels and company were riding high off a three-game winning streak and were first in the NFC East. Things have changed significantly since then. However, a few weeks from now, if the Commanders take care of business in games they will be favored in, we could be looking at a whole different story.
