Hogs Haven
Following the Week 7 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Dan Quinn said the coaching staff would use the long week to make adjustments on both sides of the ball prior to the primetime meeting with Kansas City Chiefs.
Through the first half of the game, the adjustments seemed to be working, despite a few mistakes and lapses here and there. Going into the break, the score was tied 7-7, with the Commanders enjoying a greater than 4 minute lead in time of possession, with a 71.4% to 42.9% advantage in 3rd down efficiency, and leading in total net yds (194 to 156) and net passing yards (152 to 86), with a +2 turnover differential.
After the half, Washington’s defense was unable to contain Patrick Mahomes and a resurgent Chiefs’ offense. The Chiefs scored three unanswered touchdowns, to punish the Commanders for failing to capitalize on their turnovers in the first half.
The third consecutive loss reduces Washington to the slimmest margin of error in the quest for a return to the playoffs. They will need to win 6 or 7 of the remaining 9 games to give themselves a reasonable chance to earn a Wild Card berth. That will be a challenge, with 5 of their upcoming games against teams with 5 or 6 wins.
But it’s not impossible. Teams have come back from worse starts to make the post-season and win playoff games.
To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Commanders will need to start finding ways to win tough contests soon. Despite the disappointing finish, there were some positive developments on Monday night which they might be able to build on. These included young players getting more opportunities and stepping up on offense and defense, and a few vets flashing reminders of their former all-star form.
One hopeful sign of improvement in Monday’s game was that the Commanders got the penalties under control. Washington players were called for five penalties, one on offense and four on defense. Of those, only three were accepted for 35 yards. That represents a sharp turnaround from the previous game in Dallas, when they were assessed a season high 118 penalty yards. It was the lowest number of accepted penalties on the Commanders this season (previous low 5 – CHI, GB), and the second lowest number of penalty yards (GB 30 yds).
Mistakes and mental errors have been a problem all season. If the low penalty count on Monday was the result of hard coaching, then they might just have a chance.
A Note on Stats Sources
*Stats were sourced from the NFL, Pro Football Reference (PFR), Pro Football Focus (PFF), or ESPN. NFL official stats were used whenever available. When the source is not indicated, it means either than NFL official stats were used or that there was agreement between stats service.. The source is indicated when there was disagreement between services or if the stat is only available from one source (eg. PFF: stops, run stops, Y/RR, QB hurries). QBR...
