The Washington Commanders have now lost six games in a row. Washington sits at 3-8 on the season, and things look vastly different compared to this time one year ago.
On Sunday, it appeared the Commanders were close to snapping their five-game skid. However, mistake after mistake cost them. Except this time it wasn’t the beleaguered defense. Head coach Dan Quinn took over as the defensive coordinator, and that unit played pretty well.
Instead, it was the offense, with tight end Zach Ertz slipping on a potential go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, or quarterback Marcus Mariota throwing an interception on the first play in overtime to essentially clinch it for Miami. On special teams, kicker Matt Gay missed two field goals, including a potential game-winner with around 10 seconds remaining. Or, there was cornerback Mike Sainristil’s fourth-quarter fumble on a punt return to give Miami excellent field position.
Washington right guard Sam Cosmi summed it up the best after the game.
“I haven’t really processed it yet, to be honest with you,” Cosmi told JP Finlay of NBC Washington after the game. “It was definitely an up-and-down game. I guess we just found a way to lose. That’s what it felt like. I couldn’t tell you.”
Cosmi was talking about this game, but he actually summed up Washington’s season perfectly. The Chicago loss in Week 6, which kicked off this losing streak, was a game the Commanders gave away. Over the next four weeks, they were blown out. Whether it was mistakes in the secondary, turnovers, a lack of pass rush, coaching issues, or more, the Commanders continue finding ways to lose.