The Commanders didn’t look like a 12-win team Friday night. They didn’t look like last season’s NFC Championship contender, either. In a 48–18 preseason loss to the Patriots, Washington looked more like the mistake-prone group Dan Quinn inherited a year ago and less like the disciplined outfit he helped turn around.

That contrast stings all the more given that Dan has been building an offense powered by a dependable core, anchored by Terry McLaurin. The veteran wideout caught 82 passes, eclipsed 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season, tied a franchise record with 13 receiving touchdowns, and earned second-team All-Pro honors.

Now, McLaurin is entering the final year of a three-year, $68 million contract and wants a new deal. Washington is hesitant, concerned about committing big money as he moves into his 30s. While his absence grabs headlines, it may not be the franchise’s most urgent problem.

Dan Quinn doesn’t have a No. 3 quarterback yet. Sam Hartman got the nod in the preseason opener with Jayden Daniels resting and Marcus Mariota nursing a lower leg injury. He’s the second-year hopeful who’s supposed to make you feel a little safer about the depth chart. Instead? He spent most of the night looking like a guy still trying to find his place in the league.

Nine completions on nineteen throws. Sixty-four yards. One interception that had as much to do with Michael Gallup slipping as it did Hartman’s decision-making, but still, it goes on the stat sheet. There were moments when his feet never stopped chopping. A swing pass skipped into K.J. Osborn’s shoes. A short route to rookie Jaylin Lane sailed into nowhere. You know the kind of throws where you can hear the crowd groan before the ball even hits the turf? And yet, because preseason always gives you just enough to talk yourself into something.

The Commanders went no-huddle. Moreover, he rattled off three straight completions, found a rhythm, and layered a beauty over a linebacker to Gallup for 26 yards. Even dropped a perfect corner shot to Osborn in the end zone that almost stuck.

But here’s the bigger problem, though. If Daniels ever misses tim,e and with Mariota already banged up, the margin for error at quarterback is basically non-existent. One awkward hit, and the whole season teeters.

McLaurin’s situation might be the headline grabber, but for Dan Quinn, the more urgent fix might be the one standing under center, or, right now, the guy they don’t fully have.

Dan Quinn makes a basic mistake

The coach wanted to play the preseason opener without Jayden Daniels. On paper, the logic was sound. First preseason game, half your starters on the sidelines, let the rookies and fringe guys take the hits. Except on August 8, Friday night in Foxborough didn’t just make Dan Quinn’s call look cautious; it made it look costly.

Jayden Daniels never stepped on the field. Neither did Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, nor Von Miller. Dan Quinn parked 30 players, 23 of them healthy, and watched the Patriots, who rolled out starters, treat the night like a live-fire drill. The very first play told the story. TreVeyon Henderson caught the opening kickoff, sprinted 100 yards, and 11 Commanders gave chase like they were running in sand.

From there, it spiraled. New England scored the first 20 points. Washington committed 13 penalties and lost by 18-48. Special teams, a Quinn obsession, gave up two massive returns and a slew of flags. “We missed (our standards) by a lot. All three phases,” Quinn said. And for a coach who prides himself on physical, precise football, that burns.

The quarterback depth chart? That’s where Dan Quinn’s gamble really stung. Sam Hartman started and looked jittery. Moreover, Josh Johnson, 39 years old and still hanging around NFL sidelines, outplayed Hartman by a mile against backups, 15 of 22 for 173 yards, two touchdown drives. But the takeaway was the same. If Daniels ever misses time, and Mariota isn’t ready, this whole thing could tilt fast.

All in all, protecting your starter makes sense. But if the guys behind him can’t survive the August football, maybe the risk isn’t in playing him, it’s in playing without him.