LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Coach Dan Quinn knows that star rookie Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Washington Commanders do not have a lot of time ahead of Thursday's big NFC East matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles to fix the sorts of things that went wrong during a one-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The good news, Quinn figures, is twofold: There are not a whole bunch of major issues to address, and his team, which is 7-3, does not need a lot of hand-holding, in general.
“If there was a long laundry list of what was going on that felt bad, I’d say I would be anxious or worried. But this is a group that responds,” Quinn said Monday after reviewing the game film from the 28-27 defeat against Russell Wilson and the visiting Steelers. “A good bit of these players will know the correction before we even come to them. And so that, to me, is the best of the best, (because) this is not kindergarten, (where) we have to tell everyone, ‘No, put your backpack into the cubby.’ It’s not that.”
His players aren't exactly panicking about having a quick turnaround before facing the Eagles (7-2) with the division lead on the line.
“To have a short week and get a chance to re-prove yourself,” defensive end Clelin Ferrell said, “is the best feeling in the world.”
What’s working
Led by Daniels, the offense keeps putting up points, week in, week out, even against stingy opponents like Pittsburgh, which entered Sunday allowing just 14.9 per game. The QB is building a strong connection with receiver Terry McLaurin, who topped 100 yards receiving for the fourth time in the past eight games, accumulating 113 on five catches. The biggest blip on that side of the ball Sunday came on Washington's final possession, when it failed to convert on fourth-and-9 near midfield; Daniels' completion to Zach Ertz was ruled short of the sticks. Quinn said the Commanders would have a call with NFL officials on Monday “just to get some clarity on it.”
What needs help
There's a reason general manager Adam Peters went out and traded for experienced cornerback Marshon Lattimore, a multiple Pro Bowl selection for the New Orleans Saints. Lattimore missed Sunday's game with a lingering hamstring injury, so Washington is still waiting to see what he can do to improve what is generally regarded as the team's biggest weakness, its secondary. Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste blamed himself for failing to make the proper coverage choice on the play that resulted in the winning points for Pittsburgh, a 32-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Mike Williams with less than 2 1/2 minutes left in the game.
Stock up
Jeremy Chinn displayed exactly the sort of right-place, right-time presence the Commanders were seeking when they signed him as a free agent this offseason. The fifth-year safety grabbed his first interception of the season by picking off Wilson, and he also recovered a fumble after Quan Martin stripped Jaylen Warren near the end zone later Sunday.
Stock down
Olamide Zaccheaus was not a reliable returner against Pittsburgh, muffing the game's first punt before Washington recovered it, then fumbling another one in the first half that the Steelers grabbed to set up a short field and quickly converted into a touchdown. Quinn said there would not be a change heading “into this game,” and added about Zaccheaus: “I am confident in him.”
Injuries
The Commanders were missing a handful of significant players against Pittsburgh, and it's not yet clear whether Lattimore (hamstring), running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring), offensive tackles Andrew Wylie (shoulder) and Cornelius Lucas (ankle) or kicker Austin Seibert (hip) will be ready to play by Thursday. Quinn said he expects to “have a better sense of that” on Tuesday after tests are done.
Key number
50 — The completion percentage for Daniels against Pittsburgh, his lowest in a game so far for the Commanders. He was 17 for 34 for 202 yards and zero TDs. Also noteworthy: Daniels gained only 5 yards on the ground in that game, by far his lowest total this season, in part because he ran just three times against the Steelers' strong defense.
Next steps
After the key matchup at Philadelphia, the Commanders get to dig into what — at least on paper — seems to be by far the softest part of their second-half schedule, with games against three struggling teams. They'll host the Dallas Cowboys (3-6) on Nov. 24 and the Tennessee Titans (2-7) on Dec. 1, before a Week 14 bye, then they'll travel to play at the New Orleans Saints (3-7) on Dec. 15.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
