Joe Theismann's Analysis: Commanders vs. Giants - Key Takeaways

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Joe Breaks Down Washington’s Late-Game Breakdown Against the Giants

Washington had an opportunity to win its game against the Giants, which ended 27-27, but the final sequence prevented the Commanders from attempting a potential game-winning field goal. Joe said the Giants should feel good about escaping with the result, even though there was plenty of blame to go around.

From a quarterback’s perspective, Joe believes the player on the field must take charge of the situation. The quarterback needs to know the time remaining, the down and distance, and what must be done to give the team a chance to win.

Joe questioned why Jaden appeared to remain on the ground briefly after going down on the final play. While communication from the coaching staff may have contributed to the confusion, he said the quarterback must remain aware of everything happening in that moment. Depending on the down and time remaining, the quarterback could ground the ball, throw it out of bounds, or quickly get it out of his hands to stop the clock.

Mike Martz had argued that Washington should not have run another play and instead should have sent out the field goal unit. Joe said he did not know what the Commanders were trying to accomplish with 12 seconds remaining. He noted that they had a down available and could have taken the snap and stopped the clock. A receiver was also positioned to the left, giving Jaden an opportunity to throw the ball away once he began to run.

Joe compared the situation to golf. Once a player steps over the ball with the club in his hands, he is responsible for the shot. In the same way, once the quarterback is under center, he must make the necessary decision because the coach is not on the field with him.

According to Joe’s understanding, communication between coaches and quarterbacks is shut off with 15 seconds remaining. At that point, the game belongs to the quarterback. He acknowledged that no one knows what was communicated to Jaden before the final sequence, and he did not expect David, Dan, or Jaden to publicly explain it.

The result was especially costly because Washington had a chance to gain ground in the division after the Eagles and Cowboys lost. Instead, the Commanders must travel to San Francisco for a Monday night game. Joe said injuries do not change the challenge presented by the Forty-Niners and described Brock Purdy as an MVP candidate.