The Washington Commanders got off to the worst imaginable start in Sunday night’s must-win game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After wide receiver Luke McCaffrey’s 44-yard kickoff return to open the game, Washington moved into Philadelphia territory. However, back-to-back false start penalties turned a third-and-1 into a third-and-11, and rookie kicker Drew Stevens missed a 55-yard field goal.

After a three-and-out on their second possession, the Eagles responded with a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. How would the Commanders answer? You guessed it. Two pre-snap penalties gave quarterback Jayden Daniels a first-and-20. When Washington finally got a play off, Daniels threw a dime to tight end Chig Okonkwo, but an Eagles defender knocked the ball loose, giving them outstanding field position. They took advantage, scoring a touchdown and taking a 10-0 lead.

That’s not what head coach Dan Quinn envisioned last week when he said he expected the Commanders to play a full game — four full quarters — after the bye. Fortunately, after a rocky first quarter, Washington calmed down and scored 27 unanswered points in the 27-10 win over the Eagles.

After the game, Quinn opened his postgame press conference discussing the Commanders’ slow starts, the penalties, and the turnover, but said he appreciated how they responded.

Quinn also acknowledged his statement about needing to play four good quarters.

"You’ve heard me talk a lot about four quarters; I thought tonight we nailed three," Quinn said. “We need all four, and that’s how it has to go down.”

He’s right. The Commanders are still looking for their first complete game of the 2026 season, which explains why they’re 2-4-1. If Washington has any chance next week, it will need to play a full four quarters against the visiting Los Angeles Rams.