Commanders All-22: What Went Wrong Against the Eagles

There’s a lot that went wrong for the Commanders on Sunday in their 24-22 loss to the Eagles. Drops, trips and mental mistakes set Washington up for failure long before the team’s much-discussed two-point conversion attempt in the game’s final moments.

Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s season opener, with some thoughts from the game footage and coach Dan Quinn’s Monday afternoon press conference:

The blocking failed on the two-point conversion.

A lot has been said about the Commanders’ failed shovel pass to tight end John Bates on the two-point conversion at the end of the fourth quarter. But Quinn believes the play was sound, it just wasn’t executed as intended.

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“I thought it was a good play,” he said. “It was one that we had practiced, and I thought their player also made a good play spinning out of the block with Nick [Allegretti] to stuff the play to go. I think we really got a great chance to go execute the two-point play.”

At the start of the play, right guard Sam Cosmi pulled left to serve as Bates’ lead blocker. Left guard Chris Paul simultaneously passed off defensive tackle Jalen Carter to left tackle Brandon Coleman. He and Cosmi were supposed to serve as bodyguards leading the way for Bates.

Daniels made edge rusher Jalyx Hunt bite on his fake scramble, which freed up a lane. But defensive tackle Moro Ojomo spun off Allegretti’s block, allowing him to stuff Bates near the line of scrimmage. Even if Allegretti had held his block, there’s no guarantee for success: Paul let his assignment, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, get past him as well.

Dontayvion Wicks’ 64-yard reception was caused by a misunderstanding.

The Eagles’ new wide receiver ran a deep corner route with tight end Dallas Goedert running an out route underneath. Running alongside Wicks, cornerback Mike Sainristil peeked back at Goedert, who was sprinting free after linebacker Frankie Luvu passed him off in zone coverage. Sainristil said after the game that he assumed the ball had gone underneath and so he left Wicks alone to pursue. Seconds later, the ball sailed over Sainristil’s head into the waiting hands of Wicks.

“It wasn’t schematically related to him, communication error or normal things that go into a big play,” Quinn said of Sainristil. “So that’s definitely the things we will identify with him, and I’m certain that he’ll work on that.”

The Eagles worked hard to limit Terry McLaurin.

McLaurin, Washington’s lead receiver since 2019, had just two receptions on four targets Sunday. Quinn said Monday that it’s clear the Eagles tried to limit the wideout’s explosive plays.

“Part of their game plan was to say, ‘This is the person that we want to prevent from the deep balls down the field,’” Quinn said.

With McLaurin blanketed, the Commanders tried to take what they were given. One example from the first drive of the game: McLaurin lined up wide left, his cornerback bumped him at the line and a safety provided overhead coverage. With his top target struggling to find space, Jayden Daniels instead completed a 13-yard pass to Stefon Diggs on an in route.

Later in the game, McLaurin lined up on the right side with the cornerback in press coverage. McLaurin got off the line and built a foot of separation, but his post route ran right into the single-high safety. Daniels instead threw the ball out of bounds, intended for Rachaad White. The Commanders need to find ways to get McLaurin involved if they’re going to find an offensive rhythm this season.

Bad alignment led to Goedert’s second-quarter touchdown.

Quinn said the defense was in Cover 2 on this play, which requires the two safeties to play back while the other defenders manage everything underneath. Safeties Nick Cross and Quan Martin were back while Jeremy Reaves patrolled the middle underneath.

But with the Eagles running four vertical routes, Quinn said the middle of the field was left vulnerable. Goedert found space between Reaves and Martin to bring in the tight throw by Hurts.

In an ideal world, there would have been less of a gap between Reaves and Martin, although the Commanders had an identical issue on the other side with Eagles receiver Makai Lemon running free up the seam.

“In that down and distance you’d like to see us align differently where we could maneuver our guys into the right locations to go,” Quinn said.

With a trip to Dallas on Sunday, Washington will need to shore up its coverage plan to handle star wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Missed tackles led to Saquon Barkley’s 42-yard run.

On this key second-quarter play, the Eagles offensive line zone blocked to the right, which gave blitzing cornerback Amik Robertson a free lane to the Hurts-Barkley run option exchange. Robertson targeted Hurts, who then released the ball to Barkley, which made Robertson stumble and miss the tackle.

As Barkley hit the hole, Leo Chenal was there to make the stop but got pushed out of position and collided with Robertson. Sainristil was the next defender to meet Barkley, but the running back’s juke move left him behind. Barkley then stepped through Quan Martin’s shoestring tackle to turn a solid run into a big gain.

Jalen Hurts’ 22-yard scramble on third down was aided by two falls.

The Commanders had two down linemen (Charles Omenihu and Daron Payne) and two edge rushers (Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson) on the line of scrimmage. Omenihu appeared to trip over the foot of Eagles center Cam Jurgens and Payne hit the dirt as well after Jurgens pushed him back.

Linebackers Jordan Magee and Sonny Styles, who initially showed blitz, both dropped into coverage, which left the middle of the field wide open for Hurts.