Do you ever watch sports or your favorite team for that matter with the inclination that no matter how good they are, they will fail you?
Here are your Washington Commanders. Here is the team that continuously seems to underperform when a statement needs to be made. As a matter of fact, its the Commanders special teams disaster that continuously seems to fail.
You watch Terry McLaurin have breakout games, the kind he should have been having since being drafted to Washington, because he is that good, only to not be targeted until midway through the 3rd quarter in one game, and nearly get completely shut down in the next.
The "franchise" QB who should be building a report with one of the best WR's in the league is targeting Noah Brown, a left over from Dallas that signed with Washington. Zach Ertz is also getting more targets than Terry McLaurin.
Two offensive lineman suffered concussions on Sunday along with Austin Ekeler, and for some reason Brian Robinson Jr., the lead back is consistently injured.
The game on Sunday was the game to turn things around. Dallas wasn't that good. But it seems like old habits never die. Either the hype about the team stuck in their heads, or the curse of playing down to the competition is still lingering from the ghost of Dan Snyder.
Here is my hangover recovery Tuesday.
I have no idea what Seibert was doing not kicking the ball out of the endzone after they scored the touchdown to take the lead. Never allow a return. Period. Seibert also missed two kicks, one field goal and one extra point. Of course the extra point was critical because it came when the game should have been tied.
I blame the Special Teams unit on the loss. No one else. This should have been game over.
Jayden Daniels has to play with more confidence and stop trying to avoid mistakes. They will happen. Buckle up young man, this game is heartless. Take more shots downfield to your playmakers and get the defense to back off a bit. Give them the inkling that you can go deep. It keeps the defense honest.
Kliff Kingsbury, you need and must find ways to get Terry McLaurin open. This inability to get him the ball is frustrating Terry, Jayden, and the fanbase. I watch Cee Dee Lamb get open numerous times and is often targeted when he is the most legitimate threat on the Cowboys offense. Malik Nabors for the Giants was consistently targeted, A.J. Brown and other wide receivers are targeted more than Terry McLaurin. Feed him the ball.
The defense put up a good performance and a lot of the young guys are starting to perform at a higher level. It's great to see the defensive line get some pushes but there has to be a concerted effort to get the pass rushers home. Dante Fowler Jr. has 8.5 sacks on the season and could break double digits. Frankie Luvu is like a wild animal playing sideline to sideline. Jeremy Chinn is a rocket.
WHERE IS MARSHON LATTIMORE? Seriously. Washington traded for him 3 weeks ago and he has yet to play a down in the Commanders uniform. He wasn't cheap and if he passed a physical, why is he not playing or practicing. He has a Grade 1 Thigh Hamstring injury but for some reason, is not healing well or some other issue?
Overall, this game was lost. The Cowboys didn't really win the game, the Special Teams Unit of Washington definitely showed why their "special".
Austin Seibert said after the game that he was trying to have the Cowboys return the kick, which was returned for a 99-yard TD, even after the ball was misplayed and picked up at the one yard line. With the game close, why would you want the opposite team to return the kickoff? This increases the chance of a return, like we saw, to go for a score, instead of kicking the ball out of the endzone, eliminating any chance of a return.
Then after the Terry McLaurin 86 yard TD reception from Daniels, Seibert misses the extra point.
This missed extra point put the game in a much different perspective. Now the onside kick comes into play and only 3 of 37 onside kicks have been converted this season.
What confuses me, is that the special teams unit does nothing but practice these reps all day long. They don't have to work on tackling or blocking drills. They kick a football for 3 hours a day. They practice the snap and hold for 3 hours a day.
Do better. Titans up next.
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