Commanders have issues on each side of the ball after losing back-to-back games to fall to 7-4
Commanders have issues on each side of the ball after losing back-to-back games to fall to 7-4
Leading at halftime for a second consecutive game against an opponent that looks playoff-bound, the Washington Commanders were doing a lot of things right, especially on defense at Philadelphia.
“We just made our tackles,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “We were able to get a good beat on some of the things (the Eagles) were trying to do, and they did a good job adjusting.”
Then the bottom fell out. Sure, going for it on fourth down midway through the fourth quarter and failing to convert was a turning point, but the more troubling concerns moving forward are the defense’s inability to stop the run and sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ health after the offense’s two worst statistical games of the season.
“Losing the last two weeks, you knew this adversity is coming,” coach Dan Quinn said. “Every team’s got it. Sometimes it’s earlier, sometimes it’s later. I know how we’ll respond based on the guys in the locker room and how hard they go for one another.”
The Commanders are 7-4 after losing 26-18 in prime time to the Eagles five days after Pittsburgh beat them 28-27. They allowed Philadelphia to pick up 140 of 228 rushing yards in the second half, including two touchdowns from Saquon Barkley.
“Even though you bottle him up for three quarters, that one play can get him going,” said Wagner, who brushed off the idea of he and his defensive teammates wearing down and tiring as the game wore on.
Quinn thought his players “emptied the tanks” and “felt the end of the rope getting close” after taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
The offense gets its share of the blame, too. The final eight points and 75 yards came in the final minutes after falling behind 26-10 late and the Eagles defending conservatively.
After 242 yards against the Steelers, Washington had 262 on Thursday night.
“We just weren’t playing our game,” said running back Brian Robinson Jr., who ran 16 times for 63 yards and a TD in his return from missing two games with a hamstring injury. “I really can’t point out why we couldn’t really get our momentum going, but it’s a unit thing. We’ve got to get better.”
Daniels has been playing through sore ribs since getting knocked out early against Carolina on Oct. 20. His right hand was also cut up and bleeding — he doesn’t know how — but the No. 2 pick downplayed any concern about injuries limiting what he can do.
“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be on the field right now,” said Daniels, who has completed 59.5% of his passes the last four games after 75.6% before that. “No player at this point is 100% healthy and it was a short turnaround, so kudos to the guys that battled back to get their bodies back right.”
What’s working
Robinson being back is a good sign for the offense, which relies on balance to keep opponents off balance. He averaged 6.3 yards a carry in the first half before Philadelphia’s adjustments slowed everything down.
What needs help
Experience in close games just has to come with time. Washington has yet to beat a team with a winning record, and there are still a few of those left on the schedule after home games against Dallas and Tennessee up next.
“Back to the drawing board,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said. “We just got to bounce back. Don’t make it a snowball effect and have this affect the rest of the season because we’ve got a lot of games left. Learn from this and move on.”
Stock up
Zach Ertz continued his career renaissance in his first game back in Philadelphia. The tight end who helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season had six catches for 47 yards and a late TD in which he stayed in bounds with the tip of his right foot.
Stock down
The offensive line that had been one of the most pleasant surprises through the first half of the season got manhandled at times by the Eagles pass rush. Daniels was sacked three times for a loss of 20 yards, taking more of a beating than usual.
Injuries
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore has not played since coming over in a trade from New Orleans at the deadline because of a nagging hamstring injury. This mini break should help, and while the coaching staff has preached patience, general manager Adam Peters acquired Lattimore to play against elite receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Calvin Ridley.
Key number
1 — Catch for top wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who said “the ball just didn’t come my way, so let’s move on to the next one.”
Next steps
Rest up. Washington has the latest possible bye week among NFL teams, and plenty of players are gutting through pain to stay on the field, from Daniels down.
“Take this time to really take care of your body so you could can in next week against another division opponent,” McLaurin said. “I just think everybody has to get their minds and bodies right for next week.”
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
