The Washington Commanders lost in overtime to the Miami Dolphins, but things could have gone differently if they had made a few of their field goals. That's where Matt Gay comes in, as the veteran kicker missed a pair of kicks, including one that most likely would have won them the game. Unfortunately for him, the Commanders relieved him of his duties the next day, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
“The Commanders have released K Matt Gay, who missed two FGs on Sunday,” Rapoport wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Commanders had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Matt Gay missed a 56-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. After the game, Gay spoke about the loss and put the blame on himself.
“It does not matter; the ball did not go through. I let my team down today,” Gay said via JP Finlay of NBCS.
Gay noted that even though the environment was good, things probably would have gone better if he had made the kicks to help the Commanders win.
“The environment was awesome. It was a dream to come to this stadium and play here,” Gay said. “Obviously, things took a turn quickly and ended on a pretty negative note. I'm feeling pretty down, pretty upset about it. I let the team down at the end of the day. Not just 1, but 2 kicks today. The game changes if I make those kicks. It just sucks.”
The Commanders will now have to find a new kicker, which adds to the disappointing season that they've had. Injuries to their key players have hurt them, and inconsistencies on both sides of the ball have not made things any better. They'll have another chance to get a win when they face the Denver Broncos in two weeks.
