It’s not technically a defeat. But Dan Quinn knows the score.
The Commanders coach could not have said it any better: “Leaving tonight with a tie feels like a loss.”
The 27-all result for Washington and New York was a loss in every way but in the standings. While this may take a while to fully dissect, it appears that no one in the chain of command — from Quinn, offensive coordinator David Blough to quarterback Jayden Daniels — appreciated that all they needed to do to win in sudden death was kick a field goal from what probably would have been 41 yards out.
Quinn said the team was looking for more yards to make a kick even shorter. In the locker room, offensive players said they were looking for a touchdown, which of course was unnecessary. Daniels said little of consequence about the sequence, except “ultimately, it falls on me.”
What happened, though, was so egregious that it will reverberate for a franchise still trying to find its way.
Of all the parties involved, Daniels is the likeliest to be in Washington for a long time. In a return to the starting lineup, he reminded the Commanders faithful why he raised their spirits as a rookie, running for two touchdowns and looking as fleet-footed and graceful as a deer.
He showed why he’s the greatest source of hope for the franchise’s future. As for Quinn’s future? He might have helped seal it.
Coming into this season and this game on the hot seat, Quinn has to be the one to set the parameters. He was supposed to know, for example, that the Commanders were out of timeouts, so he should have told Blough or Daniels (or both) that an incomplete pass or a spike were the only acceptable outcomes on second and 8 with 12 seconds remaining.
Better yet — he could be the one to tell them: Actually fellas, let’s kick this thing and go home.
“We were just trying to gain more [yards] — we don’t need to,” Quinn said later, after he realized the answer to the test. “Easy enough to say, ‘Hey man, let’s clock it right here.’”
Quinn said his response to the most disappointing tie in team history will be to go drill more situational football. He wants the team to learn from this failure: “That’s a scar that has to be permanent,” he said.
For Quinn, though, the scar is permanent.
This may not be his last game as Washington’s head coach, but this will be the game people remember whenever he’s fired — and it will be the game used to rationalize why change was necessary.
In the biggest letdowns of Quinn’s coaching career, nothing will ever beat the 28-3 lead he gave up in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons. But right now, this tie with the Giants feels like a firm No. 2. It was embarrassing, avoidable and hauntingly memorable. His headset slam will be replayed on loop, the unfortunate meme-worthy epitaph to his D.C. tenure.
The end hasn’t arrived yet officially. But when it’s this easy to envision, it starts feeling like the inevitable outcome.
Daniels was the biggest reason the Commanders were in position to win. He was rusty, missing receivers on apparent miscommunications on routes. He took five sacks, which was in part a reflection of an overmatched offensive line.
But especially in the second half, as the rain let up slightly, Daniels shined. His 38- and 26-yard scrambles, respectively, served as the reminder that this offense is best when Daniels can play as a credible dual threat. Though the brace over his left elbow is a constant reminder of just how vulnerable he is, when Daniels plays free is when Washington’s attack comes to life.
The offense wasn’t the only thing he resuscitated. After Daniels scampered into the end zone for the second time, slipping easily past Giants safety Jevon Holland, Northwest Stadium shook.
“J-D! J-D” the fans screamed. The chant thumped like a heartbeat, the wet and chilly crowd stirring back to life.
For a competent football team, a 27-13 advantage with 11 minutes left would have been a clincher. For the Commanders, it was a mere set-up for the punchline.
The Giants would go on to score two touchdowns the next 10 minutes, stubbornly knotting it up. Though Jameis Winston’s shaky first three quarters would have made for a good slapstick act, the Commanders defense made him look MVP-caliber in the final frame of regulation: 13 for 17 for 141 yards and two touchdowns, with a 139.6 passer rating. Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely gashed through seams in the secondary as if defenders weren’t even there.
The final play of overtime wasn’t the only opportunity the Commanders had to win, Quinn acknowledged, just the last one — and they squandered it like all the rest.
“I’m gutted for our team, and that’s the hardest part,” Quinn said. “We had plenty of chances.”
Quinn falling on the sword made it a little easier to stomach the reaction of Daniels, who could have stopped the final play, too, or at least thrown the ball out of bounds. But he refrained from explaining why the situation unfolded the way it did, deflecting by saying over and over: “We just have to be better.”
As rejuvenating as it was to have the 25-year-old quarterback in uniform again, the ending was a reminder that he’s still on a learning curve — and the NFL has one of the steepest curves there is.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Daniels said. “We have a brotherhood in there, and if you’re rocking with each other, we’re going to stand by each other and weather the storm.”
As long as Daniels is healthy, he is this franchise’s light at the end of the tunnel. He remains the biggest reason to think the Commanders will outlast this storm given enough time.
But after a very achievable win on his schedule turned into a tie, Quinn’s time may be running out. Even if his quarterback finds a way to grow and lead Washington to a better future, it seems less and less likely that he will be on the sideline to enjoy it.
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