Dan Quinn Blamed for Commanders' Historic Clock Blunder

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Pushing The Odds with Matt Perrault

Commanders’ Clock-Management Breakdown Puts Dan Quinn and His Staff Under Scrutiny

In hindsight, this was as big a coaching disaster and football blunder as possible. With the game tied, the Commanders had the ball at the New York Giants’ 24-yard line with 50 seconds remaining and no timeouts.

Once the ball was spotted and the clock started running, Washington did not snap it again until only 12 seconds remained. There were multiple opportunities to stop the clock. The Commanders could have spiked the ball, thrown it out of bounds, run a quick out pattern or simply thrown it away.

The one thing they could not afford to do was run the football without getting back to the line immediately. Jayden Daniels took the snap, ran around and eventually went down after gaining a first down. The clock continued to run, and the Giants left the field.

After the game, Dan Quinn accepted responsibility, saying it was all on him and that everything came through him. Still, it is difficult to understand how the Commanders failed to attempt a game-winning field goal.

When the sequence is reviewed play by play, it stands out as one of the most egregious coaching mistakes and most unbelievable endings in NFL history. Washington had numerous ways to stop the clock but chose the one option that allowed time to expire. The quarterback and coaching staff appeared disconnected from the situation with 50 seconds remaining.

It was the kind of mistake that would be shocking in a high school playoff game, let alone the NFL. Coaches and quarterbacks are highly compensated because they are expected to understand these situations and prepare their players accordingly.

Dan Quinn still has his job despite the Commanders’ 1-3-1 record and this late-game collapse. After an ending like that, it is difficult to imagine players walking into the locker room with confidence that the head coach and his staff are fully aware of what is happening.

Although Quinn took responsibility, the scrutiny should extend beyond him. The entire coaching staff should be on the chopping block after such a fundamental failure.