Key takeaways from heartbreaking Washington Commanders loss to San Francisco 49ers

We all know what happened in Week 5. We don’t have to go over that debacle against the Giants for the 1,000^th time. Washington said all the right things, took accountability for that mess and maintained a unified front while vowing to be better moving forward.  

Head coach Dan Quinn even turned his hat around. While seemingly silly, it was a symbol that he and the Commanders were ditching the relaxed vibe and taking things more seriously.  

Proving that they were better and had rebounded well was a tough task, however, considering they had to fly across the country to play the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.  

The 49ers were more talented at most every spot, even with San Francisco beset by  with injuries. Leaving with a win was always considered tough – it would’ve been huge considering the dismal state of the NFC East – but remaining competitive seemed necessary.  

And wouldn’t ya know it, this game also came down to a last second scenario, with the Commander pushing to win the game with no timeouts and less than a minute left. Could the Commanders handle this late-game scenario? The game management wasn’t the issue here, but the result wasn’t any better.

Daniels was called for an intentional grounding call that generated a loss of down and a 10 second runoff, setting up a last-second chuck into the end zone.

Jayden Daniels’ final pass never left his hand, leaving this comeback attempt just short of a miracle finish. The Commanders lost this one 23-17, a heartbreaker that drops the Commanders to 1-4-1 on the season heading into their bye.

Here are some key takeaways from this Week 6 defeat:  

Dan Quinn’s seat cools a bit 

The Commanders attempted to convert a fourth down in the first half that went completely wrong. They were flagged for an illegal shift on the play, but quarterback Jayden Daniels threw the ball away over working to complete a pass that would earn a first down. It was a messy play that has become all too common.  

Then a video clip from the broadcast went viral, where Quinn seemed to look confused about what down it was.  

Whether that was the case or not, it was a bad look after letting the clock run out in overtime against the Giants and within makeable range of a decisive field goal. Back to what we discussed in the intro, Quinn needed a solid performance and signs of hope for better following what happened in Week 5.  

Netflix/The Ringer reporter Tom Pelissero stated that owner Josh Harris preferred to not make an in-season change but would be following Monday night’s game closely and barring signs the team had given up or blowout losses, he preferred to let Quinn try and turn things around.  

With that in mind, will Harris admire the Commanders fight in the second half? They were within one possession late against a super-talented 49ers team and it was clear late in this game that the Commanders showed fight.

The Commanders cut a once massive deficit to one possession with a Jayden Daniels pass to Rachaad White, one of many plays by the star quarterback that got Washington back in the game.

The Commanders were driving for a go-ahead score inside of two minutes, but a fourth-and-3 was not converted and put the Commanders in a bind.

Bottom line: The Commanders showed fight. That’s a data point Harris will consider as he evaluates what comes next.

Daronte Jones flips the script 

The Commanders entered Week 6 allowing red-zone touchdowns on 83.33% of the time. Yeah. You read that right. That’s obviously worst in the league, and the Commanders didn’t do a lot better. The 49ers kept on scoring from inside Washington’s 20-yard line, facing little resistance on the way past the goal line.  

The Commanders had been getting beat often when their heavy blitz rate didn’t produce pressure early on, and Jones brought the heat far less often against the 49ers and a quarterback in Brock Purdy who knows how to exploit it.  

The first half stats were wild, with San Francisco averaging 7.4 yards per play. The Commanders looked wiped and at a complete loss for how to attack the 49ers.  

After allowing 20 points in the first half, the Commanders gave up just three in the second half. What a freaking turn.

Jones started to blitz a lot more in the second half and to great effect, including this Odafe Oweh sack, generated by an interior blitz, that gave the Commanders a chance.

The Commanders got consecutive three-and-outs in the fourth quarter to allow for a real comeback attempt, which was alive with 52 seconds to go. It fell short, but the Commanders defense got better as the game went on. There’s still plenty to work on, but the second half was an encouraging sign after the disaster that was the first half.

Losing Terry McLaurin a nightmare scenario 

Commanders star receiver Terry McLaurin suffered a knee injury in the first quarter that, well, did not look good. Per the broadcast feed, McLaurin’s knee seemed to buckle as if structurally unsound.  

He tried to get off the field but eventually went to the ground. He was treated there by trainers, with teammates all around him. An air cast was placed on his leg and he was carted off the field.  

We won’t know the exact nature of the injury until later Monday or Tuesday, but there should be a high level of concern that he’ll miss extended time.  

That would be a nightmare scenario for a team left reeling after a rough start to the season. McLaurin is a locker-room leader and the team’s most talented catcher, someone who draws defensive attention and makes life easier on others.  

While the Commanders have a deep receiver room, his loss would be immeasurable for a team that needs as many talented players as possible. We don’t want to speculate about the length of his absence or even the exact injury diagnosis, but it’s fair to say his loss had a negative impact on this game – he had Washington’s only explosive play of the first half – and was a somber note on a rough night in the Bay Area.