There were very few positives to take from the Washington Commanders' disastrous Week 4 road loss against the Atlanta Falcons. But there were a couple of shining lights amid the doom and gloom.
The Commanders put in a poor performance. Their injury crisis didn't help, but head coach Dan Quinn's squad was never really in the game. The final scoreline didn't do the overall flow of the contest justice, and there is a long road ahead if Washington wants to match last season's accomplishments.
Defensively, it was a mess. Veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota tried valiantly to turn the tide, but it wasn't enough. The Falcons got whatever they wanted after being shut out by the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Washington came into the game under-strength, but they had more than enough to get the job done.
Commanders kicker Matt Gay answered his critics in Week 4
That didn't materialize. There is a lot of soul-searching ahead. But for experienced kicker Matt Gay, this game alleviated some concerns among the fan base regarding his reliability.
It's been an up-and-down start to life in Washington for Gay. The lack of accuracy from distance is worrisome. This played a leading role in the Indianapolis Colts going in a different direction. The same problems were recurring in a different environment, which led some fans to call for a change.
Quinn threw his support behind Gay in front of the media last week. The Commanders gave him the most guaranteed money a kicker has ever received on a one-year deal. They weren't going to give up on their experiment so soon. Fortunately, those in power had their faith repaid by the former Utah prospect in Week 4.
This was Gay's best performance since joining the Commanders. He hit all four of his extra points. More importantly, one of them was from 52 yards, which should be a massive confidence boost at the right time. He also successfully converted his only extra point attempt and handled kickoff duties well.
On an afternoon where not much went right for the Commanders, this was an undoubted bright spot. Building on this newly acquired momentum is the next challenge for Gay. Still, the Pro Bowler finally showcased why general manager Adam Peters aggressively pursued him once the Colts went in a different direction.
Gay kept speculation about his future from escalating. He has also set a new bar for himself, which must be met moving forward to solidify his long-term outlook in Washington.
Nothing else will do.