3 Commanders to blame for inexcusable loss to Cowboys: Jayden Daniels deserves better

In theory, a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys was the perfect palate cleanser for a Washington Commanders team coming off back-to-back losses. They were double-digit favorites for good reason.

Theory isn't always reality though. This is why they play the games. Sometimes, a 10.5-home favorite doesn't play like it. The Commanders certainly didn't on Sunday.

There are many reasons Washington suffered a third loss in a row but we'll boil it down to three key figures to blame.

3. Dan Quinn

There will be plenty to say about the state of the Commanders offense and special teams, trust me. Still, Dan Quinn and the defense shouldn't be left off the hook just because others on the team were worse.

The Cowboys offense is bad right now. Not even "Kliff Kingsbury in the second half of the season" bad. Worse. Dak Prescott is injured. The offensive line is missing Zack Martin and Tyler Smith. They don't have a No. 1 running back. They had been held to 16 total points in their last two games with Cooper Rush behind center. The Commanders let them have their best outing in weeks.

Facing the Washington defense, Dallas had the edge for three-and-a-half quarters. Rush had two touchdowns for 247 yards. He was sacked just once. Rico Dowdle had one of his best games of the season, posting 86 yards on 19 carries, one yard shy of a season high.

Quinn's defense wasn't the main reason the Commanders lost, but a better outing from them would have mitigated the offensive struggles and special teams mishaps.

2. Kliff Kingsbury

Washington was the surprise story of the NFL in the first half of the season largely because Kliff Kingsbury's offense was a wrecking ball. Jayden Daniels looked perfectly suited to the system. The offensive coordinator looked like a genius certain to get another shot as a head coach.

Now? Yeah the shine has come off completely.

Don't let the 26 points trick you. Kingsbury's offense produced all of nine points in the first 57 minutes of play. It took some Daniels magic and a miracle play from Terry McLaurin in the final seconds to give the Commanders hopes of winning.

It should be noted again that this Cowboys team was in crisis coming into the game. They had allowed 27 points or more in five straight losses and didn't have Trevon Diggs on defense. The fact that Washington found it so hard to find the endzone is a problem.

Defenses have figured Kingsbury out and it shows. Hell, they've had his number for weeks now and he hasn't made the necessary changes to get out of the slump.

1. Austin Seibert

The Commanders are winners right now if kicker Austin Seibert had done the simplest part of his job: Kicking extra points.

Special teams were truly special in this one. Washington blocked a kick to end the Cowboys first drive. Then Brandon Aubrey had his second kick attempt hit the upright. Yet he wasn't the kicker who had the worst day.

Seibert missed a 51-yard field goal in the first half. All things considered, that's an understandable miscue. The rest of his mistakes were unacceptable. He missed his first extra point of the season after Daniels' third-quarter touchdown run. He put the ball in the hands of KaVontae Turpin for a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown.

After all that, Seibert had the chance to redeem himself. He booted a 51-yard field goal through the uprights to cut the deficit to just seven. Daniels and Terry McLaurin made that kick mean something with that miracle 86-yard touchdown with 21 seconds remaining. It was all undone by the most unclutch moment you'll see from a kicker this year.

Joe Davis and Greg Olsen summed it up correctly as a fitting ending to "the worst special teams day in history."

And it wasn't even over! Seibert attempted the onside kick and sent the ball straight at Juanyeh Thomas, who recovered it and ran untouched 43 yards for another special teams touchdown.

Seibert and the whole of Washington will want that performance permanently wiped from their memories.