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The Washington Commanders seemingly made a major gaffe in the first half on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Dan Quinn seemingly didn’t realize that it had been 4th down until after they turned the ball over on downs. And in the fourth quarter, they very nearly avoided another huge disaster during a routine punt.
Commanders punt returner Luke McCaffrey was getting ready to catch the football, but he completely fluffed it, letting the ball bounce away for the 49ers to recover.
Luke McCaffrey DID NOT touch that football#PMSMNFonESPN2https://t.co/0d8VjMC0O8pic.twitter.com/oVPhozNvna
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— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 20, 2026
That call on the field was a muffed punt, which assumed that McCaffrey had touched the ball. If so, it would have been 49ers ball in the red zone. But the Commanders challenged, and luckily for them, replays showed that the ball bounced in front of McCaffrey and he did not in fact touch the football. That meant the call was overturned and the Commanders were able to keep possession.
While Washington narrowly avoided disaster on that play, the game itself has been another major letdown. At that point, they were already down 23-10 to the 49ers and look set to drop to 1-4-1. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they also saw star wide receiver Terry McLaurin carted off with a concerning knee injury that could keep him out for a significant amount of time.
The Commanders’ feel-good 2024 campaign is looking more and more like a distant memory as they’ve slid back to their usual disappointing selves ever since. If they end up losing on Monday night, this will end up feeling like another lost season.
Related: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels calls out team’s need after 49ers loss
Related: Dan Orlovsky blasts Commanders coach Dan Quinn for MNF 4th down mismanagement