It might be easy to throw blame at Washington Commanders kicker Matt Gay. Or it might be easy to say the team succumbed to the Packers’ fierce pass rush. But here are the Commanders most to blame after the convincing Week 2 loss to the Packers.
First, the Commanders didn’t have the right approach from the get-go. They came out with one of their worst game plans in the Dan Quinn-Kliff Kingsbury era. Inside runs and sideways passes aren’t going to threaten any NFL team. And it especially won’t bother a bunch like the Packers, who are expected to contend for a Super Bowl title.
Commanders coaching staff most to blame
This was a chance to see what the Commanders could do against an elite NFL team in 2025. Quinn brought the Commanders to the field with a timid mindset. The conservative offense throughout the first half was a terrible approach.
Yes, the Packers have a fierce pass rush. They are going to cause problems for probably every team they play this season. But you don’t completely change your identity because of the opponent. And that’s what Quinn allowed the Commanders to do.
Quinn’s response about the slow start, according to ESPN, seems dismissive and doesn’t hold water.
“I just felt like we didn't find the rhythm that we needed to, really from jump street,” Quinn said.
You can’t find a rhythm when you’re scared. And the Commanders played scared for the entire first half.
The Commanders never threatened the Packers down the field. The only time Daniels chucked it down the field seemed like an afterthought. A designed rollout and a shot play could have loosened things up. Daniels said it was a team-wide failure, according to CBS Sports.
“It starts with me, it starts with everybody up front, it starts with the whole offensive skill group,” Daniels said. “So it's not pointing the finger at anybody. Collectively, we're all to blame, and we'll get back to work.”
And it starts with Kingsbury. Trying to protect Daniels, or whatever that approach was, won’t win games in the NFL. When the Commanders finally loosened up, they actually moved the football. Imagine that. And the Packers’ pass rush didn’t get any less fierce. It was a matter of mindset. And the Commanders had a poor one Thursday night.
WR Terry McLaurin deserves a big portion of blame
Did McLaurin sign the big new deal to prove he belonged as one of the NFL’s best receivers? The performance against the Packers shows he is not.
McLaurin’s slow game in Week 1 makes sense. But now that he’s had time to get back in the groove, he should have been better. Five catches for 48 yards is downright pitiful. And part of it came when the outcome was sealed.
For a guy getting paid $32 million a year, he should be open. It shouldn’t matter if the defense is in zone or man. That level of salary suggests an elite receiver. Where was McLaurin when Daniels had time to throw? Nowhere to be found.
Daniels said the team needs to move on, according to the Washington Commanders' post on YouTube via NBC Sports.
“It's nothing to dwell about,” Daniels said. “It's early in the season. I wouldn't expect anybody in this locker room to hit a panic button. We faced a really good team, and we came up short, so we move on to the next game.”
But Daniels needs help, and McLaurin wasn’t there.
The absence of RB Bill Croskey-Merritt hurt
It was frustrating to watch the Commanders
hand the ball to the aging Austin Ekeler up the middle. The Packers probably laughed inwardly every time the Commanders tried it. Eight carries, 17 yards.
Meanwhile, dynamic rookie Croskey-Merritt stood on the sidelines. The Commanders needed a run threat to slow the Packers’ pass rush. Instead, they played into the Packers’ hands. The Commanders will have no choice moving forward but to put the ball in Croskey-Merritt’s hands after the tough injury to Ekeler.
But the Commanders can’t expect to beat good teams with a non-existent running game.
Kicker Matt Guy deserves some heat
Let's be real about it. In the NFL these days, kicking 50-plus-yard field goals is no longer a novelty. Kickers are expected to make a very high percentage of those kicks. There was a time when Gay was one of the NFL's best from that distance. He made 7 of 9 for the Rams in 2022.
However, he missed 11 kicks for the Colts from that distance over the next two seasons. That's way too many misses. And he's already missed two for the Commanders through Week 2.
It doesn't seem like a strong leg with limited accuracy will fly in the NFL anymore. Gay will likely have a short leash, and the Commanders could do a parade of kickers like they had in 2024. It worked, didn't it?
If Gay makes those two long kicks, the Commanders would have been in a spot to go for a 2-point conversion and get a tie early in the fourth quarter. It could have been a completely different ballgame.
