Adam Peters found out what Commanders fans knew about $16 million gamble

Adam Peters has taken plenty of calculated risks since becoming the Washington Commanders' general manager. Most have paid off handsomely. Others are still hanging in the balance. A very select few appear to be ill-advised.

And the Commanders' dismal loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football placed the microscope on an offseason decision that is already coming back to haunt the general manager.

The Commanders were second-best throughout their primetime clash at Lambeau Field. Green Bay came better prepared and outclassed Washington in all phases. It was a rude awakening for head coach Dan Quinn and his players — one that needs a swift response.

Commanders lacked explosiveness in their secondary against the Packers

Defensively, it was a mess. Matt LaFleur's strategy gave Joe Whitt Jr. endless problems. He exposed the Commanders' soft zone scheme, and the coordinator's decision to send four players to generate pressure became an ongoing frustration.

There was almost no dynamism in the secondary. This allowed quarterback Jordan Love to get the football downfield with minimal fuss and running back Josh Jacobs to pound his way to another profitable evening. And it magnified the team's decision to let Jeremy Chinn walk in favor of the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.

Chinn enjoyed a fantastic season with the Commanders in 2024. The 2021 second-round pick struggled in coverage on occasion, but his production more than warranted another deal. That wasn't an opinion shared by Peters, who thought he could get similar production for cheaper than the $16.25 million deal he received from Las Vegas.

Based on veteran safety Will Harris' subpar outing against the Packers, it's a downgrade. Chinn often shone when the competition got tougher. That wasn't the case with his replacement, at least not in this game. Their complete inability to cover tight ends, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, also played a leading role in their demise.

The Commanders are gambling on experience to steer them through Quinn's second season. They looked their age versus the vibrant Packers, who were energized and brimming with confidence. Once they got the upper hand, they never looked like relinquishing it.

As fate would have it, Chinn makes his emotional return to Northwest Stadium with the Raiders in Week 3. If the Southern Illinois product shows out and Harris continues to regress, the finger-pointing is only going to increase. And there will only be one man in the crosshairs.

Washington's gut punch in Week 2 brought everyone associated with the franchise back down to earth. Hopefully, this will be nothing more than a blip, but Chinn will be striving with everything he has next weekend to ensure it's the start of something much more concerning.