The Washington Commanders are 0-1 after suffering a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. As with every NFL loss, there wasn't one particular thing that derailed the season-opener - there were multiple factors that played a role in how things turned out.
But there is one big reason why the Commanders were beaten so badly and it's a really annoying one when it's all said and done: dumb penalties, especially on third down.
Penalties are part of the game and they're going to happen. NFL players are simply too talented and the game moves too fast both on the physical and mental spectrum. But these specific penalties are certainly worth discussing based on how they directly impacted the game.
The first instance came on the Bucs' first offensive drive and the first of the drive of the game, in general. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield overthrew rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan on a 3rd and 1. It would've killed the drive, since the offense was on its own 39, but an illegal hands to the face call on Commanders defensive end Clelin Ferrell extended the drive. That allowed the Bucs to get into a spot where they kicked a 56-yard field goal in order to take a 3-0 lead.
A 12 men on the field penalty turned a Bucs 3rd and 11 into a 3rd and 6, making it much more manageable. You don't want to make things easy on Tampa's offense, yet that's exactly what the Commanders did with that flag. The Bucs converted and kicked another field goal, eventually, to go up 6-0.
Next up was the offense's turn. Brian Robinson caught a 21-yard pass that took him down to the Bucs' 11-yard line, but a block in the back by wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus wiped out the play. The Commanders attempted a 47-yard field goal, but it was no good. They had to attempt the kick from the 30, instead of having a fresh set of downs at the 11. Who knows if they get into the end zone, but the chances of making the kick go up exponentially from that distance - or closer.
Finally, Emmanuel Forbes' face mask on McMillan in the third quarter on 3rd and 10 gave the Bucs the ball on the Commanders 4 and they immediately scored via Mayfield to Chris Godwin to make it a 23-7 game.
The Commanders are already operating within a thin margin of error thanks to the current condition of the roster. Sure, Jayden Daniels looks like the real deal, but the offensive line, the receivers, and the cornerbacks currently have enough problems to where it's going to be really hard to compete against the league's better teams like the Bucs.
Washington can't shoot itself in the foot. Especially in key situations like third downs. Those penalties helped the Bucs put 13 points on the board and one helped take three points away from the Commanders and the final score was a gap consisting of multiple scores.
Again, every game is going to have penalties, but it can't happen like this. Without these penalties, the Commanders finish with just four penalties for nine yards. Those three penalties accounted for 42 yards and the points that came with them.
That simply can't happen. Not with a team like Washington or anyone else. We'll see if it's a one-off or a trait, moving forward.
The Commanders also couldn't take down Baker Mayfield
On top of the penalty issues, the Commanders couldn't sack Baker Mayfield. There were several instances where the pass rush could've either killed a drive with a sack or made it to where it eventually stalled, but for whatever reason (aside from Mayfield's escapability) the defense couldn't get it done.
"Defensively I wasn't pleased with third down," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters after the game. "And that's what I thought was the biggest story of this game...certainly a story of tonight was missed opportunities, and I think if I had to look back on it right now, that that was certainly the story of the game."
Outside a few performances, it was a very disappointing showing from the team, even if the Bucs were favored to win. There's plenty of work to be done as the Commanders continue to navigate through the 2024 season.
