Blame the short week. Blame the lack of game reps for the first string and practice reps for the team’s top wide receiver. Blame the fact that Green Bay might be the class of the NFC.
But the Washington Commanders, with a chance to shine under the lights, did not deliver in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers. But does anyone remember last year’s week one loss to Tampa Bay?
It’s a long season and we’re just getting underway. As Jayden Daniels (who had an MRI on his knee Friday) said after the game, they’re not hitting the panic button. Even though that brings up the question, “What does this panic button look like and are there reasonable safeguards?”
First Down: There was a lot not to like in that game, from an offense that couldn’t get into the end zone for the first three quarters to a defense that coughed up huge plays on Packers’ scoring drives. That’s not including the loss of running back Austin Ekeler and defensive lineman Deatrich Wise to season-ending injuries. Hey, I had the team going 9-5-3 for a reason.
Second Down: Sunday’s games delivered plenty of thrills, beginning with a Super Bowl LIX rematch that was much closer than February’s title tilt as Philadelphia’s 20-17 win hands Kansas City its first 0-2 start since 2014. Patrick Mahomes was a Texas Tech freshman in 2014, playing for then-Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Dallas avoided a 0-2 start by nipping the New York Giants 40-37 in overtime, kicking a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and a game-winning field goal at the end of OT. As far as late field goals go, how about Indianapolis missing from 60 yards only to get a re-kick from 45 when Denver was flagged for “leverage”? The Colts converted to become one of eight 2-0 teams entering Monday’s games.
Third Down: Washington converted 5-16 on the money down, calling 14 passes and two runs (Bill Croskey-Merritt reached the marker while Ekeler came up short).
Daniels completed 6-13 passes for three conversions while getting sacked once. His top target was Terry McLaurin, who moved the chains twice on two catches in five passes thrown his way. Yardage breakdown: 2-5 on third and short, 1-4 when needing four to six yards, 2-7 on third and long.
Flying Flags: Five penalties for 30 yards, with a hold on Josh Conerly and an illegal contact on Will Harris both declined. Three flags were on offense (illegal hands and two false starts) while two were on defense (two defensive holds on Marshon Lattimore).
Lattimore has four penalties in two weeks this year, while Nick Allegretti’s hold and false start give the lineman three flags on the season. The most common penalty has been the false start with four over two games. Before Monday’s games, Washington’s 17 penalties are tied for seventh most in the NFL, while their 119 penalty yards are 11th-most in the league.
Fourth Down: After drawing Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon in week two, it’s back to regional action in the early window. FOX has the doubleheader, and I think the Commanders game with Las Vegas has a chance to be the top 1 p.m. game (New York Jets-Tampa Bay and Green Bay-Cleveland are other contenders), which would bring Joe Davis and Greg Olsen to Northwest Stadium.
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