4 Washington Commanders most to blame for embarrassing NFCCG loss to Eagles

A dream season for the Washington Commanders came to an end in nightmare fashion in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Jayden Daniels did everything he could to keep the team within shouting distance of the Philadelphia Eagles, but his teammates did just about everything they could to foil him, fumbling three times and getting gashed repeatedly on defense in a 55-23 loss.

Taking the long view, it's hard to be too upset about getting within one game of the Super Bowl. This was a franchise lost in the wilderness before Daniels arrived, and he looks set to run the league for the next 10-15 years; the arrow is only pointed up, and there are so many reasons for optimism for Washington fans.

But at the same time ... man. Chances like these don't come around all that often, even for the best players in the league, and for as good as Philly is, it's hard not to feel like the outcome could have been much different if the Commanders had been able to get out of their own way — and gotten a bit more from some key figures.

4. Dan Quinn

Quinn deserves enormous credit for getting the team to this point, for his leadership skills and his in-game management. But the latter left a little bit to be desired on Sunday, settling for field goals a couple of times in the first half, and his defense got gashed to the tune of over 450 total yards and over seven yards per play.

We knew that Washington was going to have a hard time slowing down Saquon Barkley and this rushing game, and sure enough, Barkley went for over 100 yards and three scores on the ground. But the Commanders didn't take nearly enough chances to try and force the issue, and even more distressingly, they let a formerly moribund Eagles passing attack put up 230 yards through the air. (More on that last detail later.)

3. Jeremy McNichols

For all of their struggles on defense, Daniels and the offense were doing enough to keep Washington competitive toward halftime. Down just 20-12 with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter, the Commanders were set to receive a kickoff with the opportunity to drive down and either tie or pull within a point ... only for McNichols to promptly fumble the ball right back to Philly.

The Eagles cashed in with another touchdown, and Washington wouldn't come within one score again. It was as devastating a swing as you can imagine, and exactly the sort of mistake that the Commanders simply couldn't afford on the margins against a more talented team.

2. Dyami Brown

It's tough to include Brown on this list, as he had been among the most pleasant surprises of Washington's playoff run so far. But he came crashing back to Earth in this one: Not only was he an afterthought in the passing game, catching just three balls for 42 yards and struggling to get separation for Daniels on the outside, but he also coughed up the first of Washington's three fumbles midway through the first quarter.

Daniels was finding ways to move the ball more or less all by himself (well, plus a heaping helping of tight end Zach Ertz). But Brown struggled to be much of a factor at all, and he contributed to several back-breaking mistakes that made sure Daniels wouldn't even have a chance to pull off a miracle.

1. Marshon Lattimore

The deal that sent Lattimore from the Saints to Washington at this year's trade deadline will likely live in infamy in Commanders lore. Lattimore lost his one-on-one matchup with A.J. Brown resoundingly, as Philly's No. 1 wideout bounced back from weeks worth of drama with six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Even more damningly, Lattimore lost his cool at several different points in the game, even getting flagged for getting into it with Brown in the end zone after an Eagles touchdown.

Lattimore was brought in to give Washington the No. 1 corner they desperately needed. Not only did he fail to fill that role, but he was a liability all too often.