The Washington Commanders are starting their 2026 season in a hole after a two-point road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. For new offensive coordinator David Blough, his first taste of NFL play-calling came with a steep learning curve.
This was magnified in the final stages. And it's been a big talking point ever since.
Trailing by eight, Washington marched down the field for a late Antonio Williams touchdown but still needed two more points to tie it. Running back Rachaad White was wide open in the flat, but instead, Blough dialed up a shovel pass to backup tight end John Bates that went nowhere.
Commanders' offense has room to improve after David Blough's difficult debut
One can blame the blown assignment of starting center Nick Allegretti, and that's fair. But the call was still questionable.
The NFL is a learning process for everybody. And that includes both of the Commanders' first-time coordinators.
For 45 minutes at Lincoln Financial Field, the Commanders' defense kept them in the game. Aside from giving up a few chunks of yardage on broken plays, Daronte Jones' unit was fantastic.
They flew around the field and tackled with precision, bringing down Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts three times and making him extremely uncomfortable.
The offense was a different story.
They had nine points in the first three quarters and came away empty on seven of their first nine drives. Quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to complete even 50 percent of his passes, and Terry McLaurin was a ghost.
Washington finally woke up in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. The final play capped a performance that showed Blough has much work to do.
David Blough must learn from his rookie mistakes, but no one should be panicking yet
Jumping from assistant quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in one season is no easy task. For Blough, his trial by fire was even harder because Washington's starters barely played during the preseason.
You live and learn. It's also worth noting that Blough faced Vic Fangio, one of the game's most experienced and accomplished defensive coordinators.
Blough was far from solely responsible for the loss, either.
The Commanders left points on the board with a blocked extra point, a missed field goal, and an undisciplined Stefon Diggs penalty that cost them a chance to go for two early in the fourth quarter. If any one of those things had gone in their favor, it's a different game.
Daniels was also understandably rusty after missing the majority of last season. He found his rhythm late, and on Washington's final two drives, he looked like the guy from 2024 who always delivered under pressure.
Washington's offense should improve as Blough gains experience, and all the new pieces get used to each other. The former Detroit Lions backup quarterback drew interest from multiple teams this offseason for a reason, and many in the league believe he has the potential to become a future head coach.
But maybe we can pump the brakes on calling him the next Ben Johnson just yet. He is, after all, a 31-year-old rookie play-caller.
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