The Washington Commanders had a blunder for the ages in their 27-27 tie against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Possessing the ball with a winding clock in the final minute of overtime, the Commanders opted to run another play from scrimmage instead of kicking a field goal from the Giants’ 24-yard line with 12 seconds left. The result was a disaster, with Jayden Daniels scrambling around before taking a sack at the line of scrimmage. Washington wasn’t able to get set on time to spike the ball before time ran out, causing the game to end in a tie.
The Commanders were instantly clowned for letting the game get away from them, falling to 1-3-1 on the year. Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn were quick to accept responsibility for the miscue as well, with several analysts pointing the finger at each party for allowing the massive screw-up to happen.
But who really is to blame for what transpired in the final moments of Sunday’s tie? We asked people around the league, and most of them believe that one of them is more to blame than the other. Here’s what we learned from our conversations.Â
Ralph Vacchiano: The reaction around the league to the brain freeze by Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on Sunday was swift and seemingly universal. I received several texts from sources with a variation of “Oh my God!” to “Holy s—” and just “Wow.”
But assigning who was to blame for the Commanders letting the clock run out in their 27-27 tie with the Giants when they were already within game-winning field goal range at the end of overtime wasnt universal at all. NFL executives I contacted were much quicker to blame the coach. Coaches, though, were understandably a little more eager to let Quinn off the hook.
“I get why Dan gets all the heat,” one assistant coach texted me. “Its ultimately his responsibility. But do you really think he didnt tell his players to watch the clock?”
“Sometimes players do stupid things, no matter how much you coach them,” a former coach told me via text message.Â
Days later, its still unclear what Quinn and his coaches told Daniels â and, just as importantly, when they told him. But even the coaches understood that Quinn bears the ultimate responsibility and will likely be the one to take the fall. And the executives I spoke to agreed that a “fall” is probably coming, unless Quinn turns the Commanders around really fast.
“Its not a fireable offense because you cant overreact to one moment,” an assistant general manager told me. “But it sure does make you think about it. If your coach isnt prepared for that, if he hasnt made his team completely prepared for that, then what is he doing?
“Ask any of the best coaches ever. Theyll tell you how much situational preparation matters. Its not all about Xs and Os and locker-room speeches. Its making sure all the little things are covered â the little things that can lose you games.”
“It makes you question everything about his coaching ability,” a former NFL general manager told me. “It doesnt mean hes a terrible coach. But the best coaches thrive in those situations. I get it. Youve got time running out, 11 players on the field, multiple assistants in your ear, 20 things to consider.
“But he gets the big money to be the beacon in that storm.”
In many ways, the quarterback is paid to be that beacon too. They are paid not just for their ability, but for their ability to be calm and clear-headed in chaotic, late-game situations. But teams are usually much more committed to their quarterback than they are to their coach. And since Daniels is still just 25 years old and hasnt even played two full NFL seasons yet, hell likely get a much bigger pass.
Still, some coaches dont think he should.
“I wasnt there, so I cant know for sure, but Ill never believe [Daniels] wasnt told to clock it, and probably right before the last play,” the assistant coach told me. “I understand. Hes
