Commanders lean into frustration as they pivot to upcoming Cowboys

The Commanders are glad to have a short week following Monday night’s last-second loss to the Chicago Bears. The players skipped their usual off-day, getting back to work to prepare for a trip to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Sunday.

“A short week helps when you lose. You know, you get to get back to the drawing board, you get back to the game faster. The game comes a little bit faster,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “You move on. That’s what we got to do. We’ve got to go back. We’ve got to see the mistakes we made. We’ve got to figure out how to get better.”

The Commanders couldn’t turn the page too quickly.

Before shifting focus to the Cowboys, they had to see what went wrong against the Bears. It’s a long list.

The defense couldn’t stop the run on Chicago’s game-winning drive. Kicker Matt Gay missed a field-goal attempt off the upright that would’ve been vital in the 25-24 loss.

“A team can win a game without [complementary football], but it cannot consistently win without all phases rocking together,” coach Dan Quinn said. “Too often, it’s led to us beating ourselves. All three phases feed off each other.”

The offense’s turnovers were the most obvious area for improvement, though. Washington doubled its season total for giveaways with three on Monday night — two fumbles from running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jayden Daniels and a red-zone interception.

The final turnover was the backbreaker. Daniels botched a handoff with three minutes remaining, giving the Bears the ball near midfield with only a two-point deficit. The fumble caused Chicago’s win probability to triple, rising from 14% to 42%, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

“It was my fault. …” Daniels said following the rainy game. “At the end of the day, I have to focus. I get paid to go out there and focus on playing the play out. I had a lack of focus right there and it cost us the game.”

But the Commanders’ quarterback has little time to despair. They’ll need him again on Sunday.

“That’s the lesson and it stings and we’ve got to grow from them, man. Like, we just have to make sure we’re taking our spaces to go. Definitely a play he’d want back. Man, he is an incredible player who makes plays and so it sucks, but like in his space, he’s going to make way more than he isn’t.”

His teammates gave him the same encouragement in post-game conversations.

“We have no chance of being in that football game without Jayden. …” tight end Zach Ertz said. “I know he’s the leader of this team. He’s going to ultimately put a lot on himself in the wins and losses. But as a teammate, as a competitor, we have no chance of being in that game without him.”

The same could be said for Sunday’s matchup against a high-scoring Cowboys squad. Last year’s two games against Dallas came down to the wire, with last-minute touchdowns deciding both showdowns.

Quinn is striking a balance as his players returned to practice, between using a frustrating loss as fuel without letting it derail their focus.

“I’d rather make sure we lean into it first. It sucks; you have to embrace that a little bit,” he said, noting that you don’t carry it too far into the week. “That’s the kind of loss that pisses you off. And those can have meaning if you lean into it. Trust me, we’ll be leaning into it.”

After reviewing game film on Tuesday, the 3-3 Commanders return to the practice field on Wednesday. They’re hoping to return guard Sam Cosmi and wide receivers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin before the highly anticipated game against the 2-3-1 Cowboys.

“We’ve got to get this nasty taste out of our mouths,” defensive tackle Daron Payne said. “Go to practice and get ready for Dallas.”