Commanders coach Dan Quinn was already under pressure after a 1-3 start to the season. Washington didn’t suffer a fourth loss on Sunday, but the feeling for Quinn appeared to be just the same.
The Commanders saw a likely win slip away when they let the clock run out in overtime, resulting in a 27-27 tie with the Giants. Washington seemingly had itself set up for an attempt at a game-winning field goal before the sequence.
The meltdown left Quinn furious, with the Commanders coach slamming his headset in frustration.
Here’s a look at Quinn’s reaction and how both he and Jayden Daniels explained the mishap.
MORE: History of ties in the NFL
Dan Quinn reacts to Commanders’ botched final play
The Commanders played as though they still had a timeout, but Daniels went down with the ball far too late to get another play off. A field goal that would’ve been kicked from the low 40-yard range was never attempted.
The Commanders can’t get the play off in time and this game ends in a tie https://t.co/WmPp6q5hU0
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
As he realized what was happening, Quinn slammed his headset at Northwest Stadium:
Dan Quinn just destroyed his headset. https://t.co/Q15CXgSEJK
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 11, 2026
Quinn was also seen standing on the field in disbelief as both teams came to the realization the game had ended in a tie.
Dan Quinn was beside himself after the game. Threw his headset and then just stood there at the 25. https://t.co/I5NDCmnUd8
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 11, 2026
After taking some to to process what happened, Quinn told reporters, “Leaving tonight with a tie feels like a loss.”
“The right call is to clock it early and don’t put ourselves in that spot, and that’s my responsibility and nobody else’s,” Quinn added.
Quinn reiterated that the final sequence “does not fall on” Daniels. While Quinn said he hadn’t spoken to Daniels yet, he reiterated that the responsibility does not belong to the quarterback.
“At the end, I can make life easy there,” Quinn said.
MORE: What we learned from Fernando Mendoza’s brief NFL debut
Daniels, meanwhile, said the final sequence falls on him. ‘It starts from everybody, top down,” Daniels said. “Ultimately, it’s on me.”
Jayden Daniels on the final play of the game: “We gotta relay that as a offense, it starts from everybody top down. Ultimately, it’s on me.” https://t.co/sjmcFxIDnT
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 11, 2026
Had the Commanders won, they would have been the only NFC East team to win in Week 5, pulling within a game of the division lead. Instead, Washington remains alone in last place at 1-3-1.
