LANDOVER — The play encapsulated what has been a miserable season for the Washington Commanders. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
Linebacker Frankie Luvu whiffed on his attempt to tackle Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield. Gibbs regained his balance and burst forward. About five yards from the end zone, he was met by a crew of Commanders defenders. He remained upright, however, and got pushed over the goal line by teammates Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Cornerback Trey Amos injured his ankle in the pile, and he had to be helped off the field. To cap things off, defensive tackle Daron Payne threw a punch at a Detroit player following the play and got ejected (and on Monday was suspended for one game as a result).
Washington’s defense crumbled — literally and figuratively — again in a lopsided 44-22 loss to the Lions on Sunday. Without quarterback Jayden Daniels (dislocated elbow) and Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), the Commanders’ offense couldn’t keep up. The rematch of last year’s divisional-round matchup was pretty much over by halftime.
It was the fifth loss in a row for coach Dan Quinn’s slumping squad. After Miami upset the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Washington (3-7) could very well be an underdog against the Dolphins next week in Madrid. The Commanders are hopeful the extended trip will help shift things.
“We make a big deal about our Commander standards, and we sure as hell aren’t coaching [or] playing up to it,” Quinn said. “We’ve got a lot of things to fix. We’re off course. We’ve got things to address.”
The Commanders’ frustrations boiled over twice in the first half, with defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and safety Quan Martin both drawing flags for unsportsmanlike conduct. Kinlaw was adamant St. Brown hit Payne before the latter threw a punch, and he said he felt Washington was being “cheated.”
“Tempers got to flying,” Kinlaw said. “I mean, it is what it is. It’s a physical game. … But on my end, I just got to be smarter in those situations and protect the team.”
Martin said he was pulled to the ground and “kicked in the nuts” on the play he was penalized. Still, his retaliation was the type of misstep the Commanders want to avoid. At halftime, linebacker Bobby Wagner and Quinn both harped on keeping their composure.
“The frustration, man, I get that. It’s not an excuse,” Quinn said. “We’ve got to find a way to channel that frustration.”
The Commanders’ most recent defensive meltdown didn’t come for a lack of adjustments. On Monday, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. approached Quinn and asked to call plays from the sideline rather than the press box. His players told Whitt the move would help them communicate more efficiently, and Whitt felt it would give him a stronger sense of the players’ emotions.
“We got to do whatever we have to do to get a win,” Whitt said Thursday. “That starts with me.”
Washington’s defensive staff changed the structure of its meetings, added more walk-through time, had players listen to voice-overs breaking down plays and tasked them with homework assignments. The hope was that all would lead to improved play.
“We’re exhausting everything that we can to get this thing turned,” Whitt said. “The only people that can get it turned are the people in the building.”
Quinn reiterated several times throughout the week that he has seen too many instances of players “over-trying” to make plays recently. He said he didn’t see that trend continue against Detroit (6-3).
“I didn’t sense that tonight, honestly,” Quinn said. “I didn’t feel like somebody was way out of space.”
None of it made a difference because the defense couldn’t slow down the Lions. Washington allowed 546 total yards, 8.0 yards per play and 30 first downs.
This came 10 months after the Commanders forced five turnovers in their playoff upset in Detroit.
On Sunday, quarterback Jared Goff diced them up. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Washington also had no answer for Gibbs. He rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 30 yards and another score.
Drive after drive, Detroit methodically worked its way down the field. It scored on its first eight possessions and ran out the clock on the ninth to end the game. That probably wasn’t much of a surprise considering the way things have gone for Washington on defense.
“It’s frustrating, but I don’t know,” Luvu said when asked why the results haven’t changed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Wagner was similarly dumbfounded: “I don’t know.”
During the losing streak, the Commanders have allowed 35.8 points per game. It’s difficult to identify an area in which Washington is making progress on defense.
Despite that, Quinn has been quick to shut down questions about Whitt’s job security, but he also has said he doesn’t plan to take over defensive play-calling duties.
That may frustrate the fan base, but this doesn’t look like a group that is salvageable by coaching adjustments.
“I thought he always did a great job, whether it was upstairs or downstairs,” edge rusher Von Miller said about Whitt. “What’s going on is definitely not on the coaches. They have us super prepared.”
The defensive personnel was shaky coming into the season, but it has gotten significantly worse because of injuries.
Starting defensive ends Deatrich Wise Jr. (quadriceps) and Dorance Armstrong (knee) are out for the season. So is starting cornerback Marshon Lattimore (knee). Starting safety Will Harris (fibula) has ramped up his rehab lately, but he’s still on injured reserve. On top of all that, Amos was unable to finish the game against the Lions.
Quinn has been unwavering in his optimism that the Commanders will find a solution to the defense’s woes. But more and more, it seems as if there might not be one.
