The Commanders need to fix another season-long mistake during the bye week after recent success showed impact of change

Making a kick from 50+ yards out is a must in the league now, as some kickers are nailing field goals from 60 yards. Those new routine kicks are the biggest struggle for Gay, who is now 4-9 on attempts from 50+ yards. That's inexcusable, and Gay took full responsibility for losing the game in the locker room.

They could sign Ben Sauls off the Giants' practice squad, or take a risk on Justin Tucker, even after his legal issues, or just hold tryouts all week for free agents.

Regardless of their approach, this is a change that should've happened a long time ago, as the team never even brought in competition for Gay, who was given the biggest one-year fully guaranteed contract for a kicker ever. The same was said about the defense, and the results on Sunday showed that a change can work wonders.

The defense showed that a change can make an impact

We begged for a change on defense for weeks, and we saw a drastic difference in the players on the field and the results against the Dolphins, following Quinn's decision to take over as defensive coordinator. The Commanders had four straight blowout losses by 21+ points, which was an NFL streak that hasn't happened since 2002. We didn't know how much the change would actually help, but the Commanders held the Dolphins to only 16 points, and had two goal-line stands that never happened this season.

Quinn needs to look at the change on defense and do the same with the kicking situation. Accept your mistake, but also don't allow it to drag on longer than it needs to. General manager Adam Peters made a few mistakes this offseason, but giving Gay a fully guaranteed contract and not bringing in anyone to compete, even after his struggles in training camp and preseason, is high on the list.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.