When did you realize we were in for a long afternoon Sunday?
While the 34-26 loss to Dallas made headlines because of the 41 points scored in the fourth quarter (31 in the final four minutes) as well as the two Cowboy kickoff returns for touchdowns, it should have never reached that stage. Washington began three of its first five drives in Dallas territory but entered intermission tied 3-3.
Instead of taking advantage after dodging early bullets when the Cowboys missed 35- and 42-yard field goal attempts on their first two drives, Washington let the Cowboys stick around far too long and develop the confidence needed to pull an upset on the road in a division game.
From an underwhelming offense in the first half to a defense that allowed multiple scoring drives in the second half to special teams mishaps that included multiple misses in the kicking game, this was a team loss and the worst execution since the opening day loss in Tampa Bay.
The bye can’t come soon enough, but the Burgundy and Gold have to find a way to beat a Tennessee team that’s fresh off an upset of AFC South-leading Houston. If not, it might be bye-bye to the Commanders’ playoff hopes.
First down: Should Washington have gone for two points with 21 seconds left in regulation and trailing 27-26? Especially with Austin Seibert missing an extra point earlier in the second half as well as a field goal in the first quarter? I can see the case for going for the victory, but Washington had already used its best two-point conversion play earlier in the quarter.
The game didn’t come down to Seibert’s miss, it was lost when they weren’t able to take advantage of multiple scoring opportunities in the first half. For those expecting perfection in the kicking game, keep in mind this is a guy they signed in September (players available at that time are there for a reason).
And for those who might be wondering if the team should fire up the kicker carousel after Sunday’s misses, who are they going to bring in?
Second down: Philadelphia increased its NFC East lead to two-and-a-half games by blasting the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football behind 255 yards rushing from Saquon Barkley. Will the division still be up for grabs when they visit Northwest Stadium Dec. 22?
The most interesting race might be the NFC North, where Detroit (10-1) is off to its best start since 1934, but Minnesota (9-2) and Green Bay (8-3) both host the Lions between now and the end of the season.
The most frustrating race? An NFC West where Seattle and Arizona are 6-5 while San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are 5-6. Prepare to break out the tiebreakers in that one.
Third down: Washington moved the chains on 4-12 attempts, with Jayden Daniels completing 0-7 passes with one sack on the money down while running for three first downs on three attempts. Austin Ekeler gained the necessary yardage on his lone third-down rush.
The top target? Four passes were thrown to Noah Brown, all incomplete. Yardage breakdown: 3-4 on short yardage, 0-1 when needing four to six yards, and 1-7 on third and long. Defensively the Commanders held the Cowboys to 2-11 on the money down, although Dallas twice benefited by penalties to move the chains.
Flag on the play: Washington committed eight accepted penalties for 78 yards on 10 total whistles, with an illegal contact on Benjamin St-Juste declined and an unnecessary roughness against Dorrance Armstrong offsetting.
Three flags were on offense (false start, holding, illegal formation), while five were on defense (two pass interferences, encroachment, too many men on field, roughing the passer).
The only repeat offender was Noah Igbinoghene, who had the two pass interference calls and the cornerback now leads the team with six accepted penalties on the season. Defensive pass interference is now the second most common infraction (11), behind false starts (14).
The most costly flag? In the third quarter, Washington led 9-3 but Dallas was driving and faced a third and short at the Commanders’ 27. A pass interference call on Igbinoghene moved the ball to the three-yard line and the Cowboys took their first lead of the day after scoring a touchdown two plays later.
Fourth Down: After drawing the No. 2 team for FOX, Washington gets the CBS No. 4 crew of Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty. This is the first year together for this trio, as Matt Ryan was previously the third man before being bumped to the NFL Today studio this season.
On the radio front, I had a chance to meet longtime Cowboys analyst Babe Laufenberg before the game. For those who follow me on X or listen to our August sportscasts on WTOP, we’ve (tongue-in-cheek) awarded the top preseason performer the last few years with the “Babe Laufenberg Trophy.”
Before starring on the air in Dallas, Laufenberg was an August sensation for Washington in the 1980s, quarterbacking the Burgundy and Gold to plenty of thrills when teams actually played players who’d make the roster in August. Babe’s a good sport and was happy to hear we keep his memory alive each summer.
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