Facing their NFC East rivals, the Washington Commanders knew they had to contain big-play running back Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles‘ explosive offense to have a chance at advancing to the Super Bowl.
Well, the Commanders failed miserably in a 55-23 blowout loss on the road in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Barkley broke loose for a 60-yard touchdown run on Philadelphia’s first offensive play of the game, a dubious sign of things to come for Washington’s defense. Making matters worse, the Commanders also turned the ball over four times, with all four of those miscues leading to touchdowns for the Eagles.
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Washington finished with 10 turnovers in three matchups against Philadelphia, compared to 10 total in the rest of its games this season.
“Give Philadelphia credit,” Washington head coach Dan Quinn said. “Those didn’t happen because we laid the ball on the ground. They forced those takeaways.”
Barkley finished with 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 138 yards per game in three contests against Washington’s defense. According to Next Gen Stats, the Commanders allowed 90 yards due to missed tackles.
Fortunately for Quinn, he already has the quarterback position solved in Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Jayden Daniels. What Quinn and the Commanders must focus on now is building a championship-caliber defense that can keep offenses at bay to match the magic Daniels creates with his arm and legs.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the guys in the locker room,” Daniels said after the game. “In Year 1 and everybody not really knowing each other with the rookies, the vets did a tremendous job of bringing us in and helping us out, and we all just meshed.
“We got to this point, but at the end of the day, we lost. It sucks, but we’ll move on from this.”
Washington has seven selections in the upcoming draft, including one at the end of the first round. Commanders GM Adam Peters should allocate a chunk of those selections to adding players to a defense that got the most out of their personnel but was lacking a dynamic playmaker on all three levels.
Washington allowed 23 points per game during the regular season. However, that number jumped to 35.3 points per game in the playoffs — only the Detroit Lions gave up more points per contest this postseason (45 points per game).
Quinn has experience building tough, opportunistic defenses with the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. He’ll need to add pieces and build on what he started in his first season with Washington.
The Commanders have 28 players scheduled to become free agents in March, including defensive stalwarts like inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Jeremy Chinn and edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.
According to Over the Cap, the Commanders have a projected $87.5 million in cap space, third most in the NFL. So, Washington has an opportunity to make some splashy moves in free agency.
Players who could make sense for Washington if they hit the open market include Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford and New York Giants pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari.
Quinn also will have to work hard to retain an experienced, talented coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury might have interest in the New Orleans Saints‘ head coaching job.
Dan Quinn shares message to team following loss to Eagles | DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Quinn’s first season in Washington included a 12-5 regular season campaign in which his team won five in a row to reach the postseason. Although the Commanders came up short, Quinn said his young team can take solace from gaining knowledge from the growing pains.
“As we won some of these close games, not only did we get better on the field, but we got better off the field — our mindset, our attitude to go finish,” Quinn said. “We went through difficult battles as a first-year team that’s still growing, and I couldn’t have been more pleased to see us play in so many close games.
“That’s a good thing. That’s where you learn, and you grow. You get your ass kicked some and you have to learn the lessons that are meant for you in those times. And this team has.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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