PHILADELPHIA – The Washington Commanders’ head coach, Dan Quinn, made a surprising decision late in the game on Thursday. With about eight minutes remaining, trailing the Philadelphia Eagles by two points and positioned to potentially score a field goal, he opted to go for it on fourth down.

His players were expecting this move.

“That’s just how this team operates,” wide receiver Noah Brown commented after the Commanders lost 26-18.

However, the plan didn’t go as expected. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels received the snap on a fourth-and-2 from the Eagles’ 26-yard line, setting up what could have been a 43-yard field goal attempt for Zane Gonzalez, who was playing in his second game for Washington due to Austin Seibert’s injury. Unfortunately, issues arose before the snap.

Post-game, Daniels noted that he and center Tyler Biadasz were not synced properly, causing a delay in the snap.

“I need to be louder,” he admitted.

As Daniels fumbled with the ball, offensive linemen Sam Cosmi and Nick Allegretti collided while trying to execute their blocks. Daniels then scrambled alongside the line of scrimmage but could not locate an opening for a first down. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun knocked him out of bounds, turning the ball over to Philadelphia.

“I trust the coaches and their decisions. I’m all for taking chances,” said Daniels. “I believe in my teammates and the team as a whole. I never doubt the decisions.”

Quinn recognized the weight of his decision and began his postgame press conference by addressing it without prompting. He labeled the fourth-down attempt a “bold call.”

“We were ready for that moment. The execution wasn’t what we wanted, but we’ve been very successful on fourth down,” Quinn noted, referencing that his team had the league’s highest conversion rate of 91.7% (11 out of 12) before this game. “We knew we had to be aggressive against a tough divisional opponent on their turf.”

“That’s something we can work on.”

Quinn also indicated that the Eagles were beginning to find success offensively, which influenced his decision.

“We’ve been playing aggressively all season,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “Coach Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff (Kingsbury) like to take risks. We just need to execute better.”

“It didn’t surprise us.”

Less than three minutes later, Philadelphia scored a touchdown, followed by an extra point, extending their lead to 19-10 and making it a two-score game.

“We’re always ready to compete and eager to win. Touchdowns are what seal the game, and that’s what Coach Quinn emphasizes,” running back Austin Ekeler stated. “When it’s time to make a game-winning play, we go all in. That’s just how he motivates us.”