The Washington Commanders left Week 5 with a tie that felt much more like a loss than a win. This came down to an inexcusable clock-management gaffe at the end of overtime that may have sealed head coach Dan Quinn's fate three months from now.
But that play shouldn't be the only source of frustration.
Washington was only in that position because the Giants coughed up two overtime opportunities to win: a missed field goal and a horrendous Cam Skattebo fumble.
Commanders' second-half defense is a serious concern after Week 5 meltdown
And the Giants were only in that position because the Commanders blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
What gives, Daronte Jones?
In the Commanders' past three games, they've held their opponents to 10 or fewer points at halftime. They've then allowed 31, 30, and 27 total points in those contests.
For Jones, the first-time NFL defensive play-caller, the improvement in the takeaway column has been exceptional since Washington's Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The Commanders forced two fumbles against the Giants, and cornerback Amik Robertson intercepted quarterback Jameis Winston, but it was called back for pass interference that didn't exist.
That said, the continued hemorrhaging of yards and points is a problem. And it's one that was supposed to have been solved.
After the Commanders overhauled their roster in free agency and replaced Joe Whitt Jr. with Jones, they were supposed to be much improved defensively. But the schematic issues that plagued them in the past are the same ones still plaguing them in 2026.
Commanders are creating more takeaways, but the same flaws are appearing
They can't cover tight ends. They give up too many chunk plays. And they always get soft in the most inconvenient moments.
After the Giants got a gift with Robertson's pick being called back, the rest of regulation was just too predictable. Washington went into a prevent defense, and the only thing it prevented was a victory, as Winston picked them apart one handful of yards at a time.
The Commanders strayed from the principles that had given them a two-score lead, and played not to lose. And if you're playing not to lose, you've already lost.
The fact that these problems have existed with multiple coordinators under Quinn's watch, whose background is on defense, does not bode well for the head coach.
While everybody is raking him over the coals for how Sunday's game ended, the real undoing of his Commanders tenure has been that his side of the ball has consistently underperformed.
Mistakes happen. Sustained trends truly cause concern, and Washington's defense has now melted down the same way three weeks in a row.
It can't continue.
Add us as a preferred source on Google