Dan Quinn’s Washington Commanders were looking to bounce back from the Indianapolis Colts debacle and their disappointing tie with the New York Giants. However, they suffered another frustrating setback, falling 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
The Commanders have now dropped to 1-4-1, while Quinn is facing heavy criticism for his questionable decisions and apparent confusion during a crucial fourth-down situation.
After the game, Quinn denied being confused about where things stood on that call, though his explanation failed to convince the fanbase.
Dan Quinn Explains Bizarre 4th-Down Moment
The Commanders faced a fourth-and-2 situation at the 49ers’ 13-yard line early in the second quarter of Monday’s game. Trailing 13-3, Quinn opted to go for it instead of settling for a field goal.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels, ranked No. 15 in PFN QB Impact, threw the ball out of bounds, and Washington turned the ball over on downs. The ESPN broadcast later showed Quinn, who appeared to signal for a field goal before seemingly realizing that his team had failed to convert on fourth down.
However, Quinn disputed that interpretation in his post-match conference, insisting that those who attempted to read his lips had misunderstood what he was saying.
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“No, I definitely knew it was fourth down,” Quinn said. “We were going for it. I think what you’re referring to is that I was probably saying like, with the illegal shift, there’s not a penalty to go for a field goal.”
However, Quinn’s explanation did little to convince NFL fans. “Dude, why even try to lie,” one said.
“He knew it was 4th down… he just forgot it was also 4th and …do something useful,” another remarked.
“They caught you in 4K, Quinn!!! Why are you lying now?” a commenter asked.
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The controversial moment came just a week after Washington squandered a golden opportunity to win in overtime against the Giants. Daniels ran with no timeouts remaining as the clock expired, despite the Commanders being within field-goal range, preventing the team from attempting a potential game-winning kick.
The incident came as Quinn’s job security was already becoming a major talking point. Before Monday’s matchup, there were a few whispers that the Commanders head coach could be in some trouble if the team fell flat on its face in primetime.
Monday’s costly mistake only intensified calls from fans for the Commanders to move on from their head coach.
“Just let it go already. You’re so fired,” one added.
“Definitely didn’t, but to say otherwise would mean getting fired,” a person said.
As things stand, Quinn still has a job, and a loss to the rampant 49ers is not exactly a sign of dysfunction. Washington also did well to mount a comeback without Terry McLaurin, who was carted off with a knee injury.
The Commanders now have a bye week before they suit up against the Jalen Hurts-less Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, though a bye week would also be an optimal time to take a breath and take stock of where this team is heading under Quinn.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.