Commanders’ primetime nightmare sparked by one shocking play-call

The Washington Commanders had another primetime victory in their grasp. They needed one yard on a third round to all but seal success against the Chicago Bears, but unusually, they fluffed their lines.

Jayden Daniels, the typically unflappable quarterback with games on the line, fumbled the football when attempting to hand off to running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in difficult weather conditions. The Bears recovered it, and they proceeded to get downfield before kicker Jake Moody successfully dispatched the game-winning field goal as time expired.

It was a disaster that could have enormous long-term ramifications this season unless the Commanders bounce back quickly. One could point to the lack of execution from Daniels, but this all starts with an explicable play-call in the circumstances.

Commanders should not have been in the shotgun, and they paid a heavy price

Kliff Kingsbury was watching along like everyone else. The offensive coordinator saw Daniels almost give up a fumble earlier in the contest. Croskey-Merritt also coughed one up, and the wet, slippery football resulted in several dropped passes from both squads.

One yard was needed. And Kingsbury called a play from the shotgun rather than have Daniels under center for a higher percentage play.

The Commanders traded for Laremy Tunsil. They spent their first-round pick on Josh Conerly Jr. They deployed a ton of jumbo personnel using Trent Scott as a tight end or an extra blocker during the game. Kingsbury should have leaned on this strength to get Washington over the hump.

Instead, he rolled the dice from the pistol, and the gamble did not pay off.

Shotgun plays from short distances are a pet peeve of fans, but they are here to stay. Nobody is scrutinizing this choice if it goes well. However, things couldn't have gone worse, and it cost the Commanders another priceless win that would have put them at 4-3 before their Week 7 road trip to the Dallas Cowboys.

Whether Kingsbury would go back and do things differently is debatable. The play-caller trusts himself and his players to get the job done. At the same time, he failed to recognize the conditions and the critical need to protect the football with his typical conviction.

The Bears had one of the league's worst run defenses heading into the contest. Washington's offensive line had more than enough to push the pile from an under-center snap. And the motivation of winning the game is always enough for one more rousing effort.

Daniels could have kept it, or Croskey-Merritt could have run it. Either way, the risk increased exponentially with a shotgun snap in this scenario.