Commanders gutted for ‘horrific’ clock management

On By Littum

With 4:38 left in the fourth quarter and down 16 points, time was of the essence for the Commanders against the division rival Eagles on Thursday night.

Washington, after receiving the ball on a kickoff from Philadelphia, scored not only a touchdown, but a necessary two-point conversion to sit down by eight.

The only problem?

Jayden Daniels reacts after taking a hit during the Commanders’ 26-18 win over the Eagles on Nov. 14, 2024. Getty Images

They chewed up 4:10 — even with two timeouts and a two-minute warning in their back pocket, forcing them to go for a failed onside kick, capping a 26-18 loss to the Eagles.

What seemed most surprising were the conservative calls when Washington had the ball inside the Philadelphia 30, with back-to-back runs to Jeremy McNichols on second and third downs with under three minutes remaining.

Not only did the tackles yield minus-1 yard, but it also bled the clock down to the two-minute warning.

Six plays later, the Commanders scored on a pass from rookie Jayden McDaniels to tight end Zach Ertz – who also made a great catch on the two-point attempt.

But by the time – 28 seconds left on the clock to be exact – the Chiefs got going, they had no chance to tie things up without going for an onside kick.

Nolan Smith Jr. sack Jayden Daniels in the third quarter of the Commanders’ loss to the Eagles. Getty Images

Football pundits and fans were quick to tear up the late game.

“My only idea is the commanders didn’t want Jayden to take a lot of shots in a game that’s mostly over and called that possession conservatively to protect him.” wrote David Helman of the “NFL on Fox Podcast.”

“Because that clock management was terrible.”

“Seriously who calls these plays???” wrote Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis.

A dejected Zach Ertz sits on the bench during the second half of the Commanders’ loss. AP

Jimmy Kempski, an Eagles writer for the Philly Voice, called the decision-making “idiotic.”

“What are these idiotic races the commanders are calling? You guys are down to 16,” he wrote.

“Absolutely atrocious mismanagement of the clock by the commanders right there,” wrote another user. “3 minutes left, on the Eagles 30, down 2 possessions and you run the ball twice?? Why on earth would you take it to a 2 minute warning when you have 2 timeouts left. Take shots at the end zone. It was terrible.”

Washington moved to 7-4 with the loss as the Eagles solidified their NFC East position as they improved to 8-2.