Week 6’s Monday Night Football saw two major upsets. After the Atlanta Falcons restricted the Bills to 24-14, the Chicago Bears edged the Commanders in a nail-biter 25-24. And if anyone is to blame for the loss, it’s the Commanders because of turnovers, and head coach Dan Quinn did not shy away from accepting the mistakes from an offense led by QB Jayden Daniels.

During the postgame presser, the Commanders HC wasn’t afraid to tell the team why there were questions surrounding the miscues that made for such an eventful evening.

“All three phases dug the hole, and all three phases helped get out,” Quinn said after the close defeat. ”We didn’t create enough takeaways to finish minus three. You really don’t deserve to win many games when you’re in that space.”

Quinn was disappointed over his team failing to execute the plan. The Bears gained 13 points because of the Commanders’ three turnovers: an interception and two fumbles. The blunder kept on swinging momentum and erasing otherwise solid stretches of football.

In the first quarter, Jayden Daniels tried to pass a double coverage, but it was intercepted by LB Tremaine Edmunds. This helped the Bears to register their first field goal. Later in the game, RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt fumbled the ball, resulting in another chance for the Bears. These errors dented Washington’s calm and brought Chicago into the game with a sense of optimism.

“So that chance for interceptions, that chance to get some, did not create any,” Quinn added. “Honestly, stood in the form of run game both sides. So a lot that needs our attention.”

In the fourth quarter, holding a two-point edge and facing a 3rd-and-1, QB Daniels fumbled a wet shotgun snap in the soggy conditions to Croskey-Merritt. The ball, after rolling in the air, came into the backfield, where Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright got the ball. A few moments later, kicker Jake Moody made a 38-yard game-winning field goal.

Conversely, Bears running back D’Andre Swift provided the Washington offense with what it took to make the game out of reach. Silencing his critics, Swift rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries and had two catches for 67 yards, including a fourth-quarter 55-yard scoring reception while Chicago was down eight points. He also provided a crucial block on quarterback Caleb Williams’ first-game scoring run that assisted Chicago in taking a 13-0 lead.

Swift’s late 15-yard dash to Washington’s 18-yard line put Moody in position for his game-sealing kick, an exclamation point on the price of Daniels’ fumble just seconds before.

However, Jayden acknowledged his fault.

Jayden Daniels on ‘losing the ball’

Following the game, the second-year quarterback didn’t shirk responsibility when addressing the media. He took the blame for neither the fumble that turned the game nor last week’s interception.

“I just lost the ball, completely my fault,” Daniels conceded. “I didn’t give Bill a chance, so it was my fault.”

Having thrown 19 of 26 for 211 yards, Jayden’s performance was marred by fumbles. Turnovers aside, his passing was a flash of brilliance. Daniels finished with three touchdown passes, 22 yards to Chris Moore, 33 yards to Luke McCaffrey, and six yards to Zach Ertz, as he battled through second-half deficits of 13-0 and 16-10 en route. His capability to create with his legs and extend plays to receivers down the field kept the Commanders in the contest the whole evening. For Daniels, the toughest thing wasn’t the stat line; it was the lost opportunity.

”You win or lose, obviously, as a competitor, you hate losing,” Daniels said. “But we got a short week, so you can dwell on this forever, however long, and we on the dice.”

For Quinn, the post-game message was simple: discipline and ball security are not add-ons. Washington had an opportunity to tie the NFC East lead, but instead found themselves a game back of the division lead. The Commanders have yet to string together consecutive wins this season, and until they can lay these mistakes to rest, consistency will be a far-off dream.

Monday’s loss will hurt, not necessarily how it went, but because it came at the cost of their own. Quinn’s harsh rebuke and Daniels’ acknowledgment of blame, though, could be the start of the Commanders growing up.