3 winners (and 4 losers) from Commanders' defeat at the Eagles in Week 11

Winner No. 3

Mike Sainristil - Commanders CB

Mike Sainristil went through some rookie jitters as expected to begin the campaign. This is typical for fledgling cornerbacks aside from the truly elite prospects. However, the Washington Commanders must be thrilled with what they've seen from the second-round selection in recent weeks.

Sainristil's performance at the Philadelphia Eagles was arguably his best so far. The former Michigan standout accepted the challenge of going up versus two outstanding wideouts - A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. He didn't have it all his way - nobody does against this duo - but the first-year pro more than stood up to the test.

The Commanders' defense played well. Things got away from them late which impacted the statistics, but their top guys were flying around and making plays, holding Philadelphia without a touchdown for the opening three quarters. If the offense had met their end of the bargain, it would have been a different story.

There's a lot to like about Sainristil's progress. Once recently acquired Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore gets into the lineup, this has the makings of a productive tandem long-term.

Loser No. 4

Dan Quinn - Commanders HC

Dan Quinn has done an outstanding job since becoming Commanders head coach. He's galvanized the locker room and molded this new-look roster into a cohesive unit much sooner than expected. They are falling short against the top-tier teams, but that doesn't detract from the fine achievements accomplished in a short space of time.

Thursday's loss wasn't Quinn's finest moment. The situational football was sluggish throughout. The Commanders' offense didn't look ready to play and lacked the explosiveness typically associated with this revamped squad. Even when kicker Eagles kicker Jake Elliott spotted them seven points with the missed efforts, they couldn't get over the line.

Quinn went for it on fourth down when a Zane Gonzalez field goal would have been enough to regain the ascendancy. This was despite the offense being stopped for no gain on two consecutive plays and failing to generate any momentum throughout the contest. It backfired with a poorly executed play that swung the pendulum for good.

Losing isn't the end of the world. The Commanders have a decent-looking schedule the rest of the way. Some extra rest in the coming weeks won't hurt, so Quinn must keep his team galvanized in the face of their first prolonged adversity of the campaign.

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