Commanders must eradicate critical mistakes to hang with NFL's elite

There’s a reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-2. They have a very tough defense and do not make mistakes. The Washington Commanders learned that the hard way in a tough loss at home.

Understand this - when I say the Steelers do not make mistakes, I mean they don’t make as many mistakes as they force their opponents into making.

Every team makes mistakes. Pittsburgh made two huge ones that almost gave Washington the game. James Pierre’s drop on a surefire fake punt early on set up the Commanders' first touchdown. Jaylen Warren’s fumble at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter seriously damaged their chances.

Yet they still won.

Johnny Newton jumping offside in a situation where everyone knew Russell Wilson was attempting to draw a neutral zone infraction was the icing on the cake. That ended the game, but it was probably over before that.

Washington had not been able to move against the Steelers defense for much of the day. Head coach Mike Tomlin defends Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson better than anyone in the league. His men were ready for Jayden Daniels, who never was able to make a big play with his legs.

Newton’s penalty was hardly the worst mistake made by Washington on the day. On the Steelers' first scoring drive, the Commanders' defense committed two bad penalties - Benjamin St-Juste’s weekly defensive pass interference on the very first play, and Jeremy Chinn's roughing the passer call which turned a third-and-long into a first down inside the red zone. Pittsburgh scored two plays later.

Commanders must clean things up to secure postseason football in 2024

Olamide Zaccheaus set up a Pittsburgh touchdown with his second muffed punt of the first half. He was fortunate to recover the first one, but not so lucky on the second.

Zaccheaus has not looked comfortable fielding punts all season, and it’s hard to understand why he is still doing it. Few fans thought the Commanders would miss Jamison Crowder, but it sure would have been nice to have him on the field in Week 10.

Dyami Brown dropped a touchdown just before half-time, but as with Zaccheaus’ first muff, he was bailed out when Austin Ekeler scored a few plays later. But a second drop - this one by Zach Ertz on a perfect throw that would have set Washington up inside the 20-yard-line - resulted in a field goal instead of a potential touchdown that could have secured the game.

Along with a Luke McCaffrey drop that might have extended a drive, Washington receivers not named Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown did no favors for the offense. To complete the wretched day for Washington’s offense, John Bates committed a holding penalty on a strong Chris Rodriguez Jr. run when the Commanders were desperately trying to move the ball late in the game.

Rodriguez had come up just short of a first down. One more run might have gotten it, thus killing more clock and improving field position. Washington was trying to hold onto a lead of less than a touchdown at that point and the penalty was a killer.

Other plays might be called mistakes but are just part of the game. St-Juste allowing Mike Williams to beat him cleanly for the game-winning touchdown is simply one more example of the fact that the cornerback can’t make consistent plays.

I continue to like his talent, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that St-Juste cannot be relied on as a starting cornerback. Ertz’s failure to get enough depth on the game-deciding fourth down play is a matter of inches, and Daniels’ throw brought him back upfield.

You’d like to think a veteran would make that play. You’d also like to think that the referees would give you a better spot. Even if he was short, he was marked a full yard behind the line he achieved. This suggests the officials simply did not see the play properly.

The Commanders played without half of their offensive line against one of the best defensive front sevens in the NFL. They played without their best ball carrier. Still, many players came up big.

This is the first of Washington’s three losses where they probably should have won. However, for the first time in his young career, Daniels couldn’t produce the necessary magic. If the Commanders had limited their mistakes, he probably would have pulled it out.

Hopefully, the team will learn from this game and fix their problems. There is still all to play for.

Dan Quinn has gotten them to bounce back after losses so far. He will need to do it again on a short week as they prepare for their biggest game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.

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