Dan Quinn saw enough during the 24-22 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 to know the way one starter for the Washington Commanders is playing is “completely not acceptable.”
Washington head coach Quinn’s harsh assessment was aimed at how cornerback Mike Sainristil fared at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, September 13. Quinn particularly took Sainristil to task for the third-year pro’s part in allowing a nine-yard touchdown catch by Eagles’ wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks.
“Last Man Standig” Substack writer and podcast host Ben Standig asked Quinn about Wicks twice burning Sainristi. The latter bluntly answered, “To have that type of play and just not have the right focus at (the) right time, completely not acceptable.”
On the TD: “To have that type of play and just not have the right focus at right time, completely not acceptable.”
Those words leave no room for misunderstanding. Quinn’s calling out Sainristil, whose sudden fall from rising star to liability is risks making him “unplayable” for the Commanders.
Mike Sainristil Must Heed Dan Quinn’s Warning
Quinn’s words of warning can’t be lost on Sainristil. He’s in danger of losing all relevance, even at an obviously suspect position for the Commanders.
The secondary’s missing top corner Trey Amos, who continues to struggle to stay healthy. Sainristil’s presence would ease the problem if he wasn’t trending in the wrong direction since breaking out as a rookie steal in 2024.
Sainristil regressed significantly during his second season, and not all of his problems involved where he line up. There has been some confusion and debate about where Sainristil fits best in the pros, in the slot or outside the numbers.
Unfortunately, the brutal current reality is it doesn’t matter where Sainristil plays. He’s the generous target for every opposing team.
The Eagles exploited Sainristil early and often. Sainristil’s meek response involved allowing a 149.3 passer rating and 36.5 yards per completion, according to Pro Football Focus.
His worst moment occurred when former Green Bay Packers wideout Wicks turned him inside out in the end zone. Sainristil looked unsure about whether he was playing zone or man coverage.
Quinn called the confusion something Sainrisil “has to get corrected,” per JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports. Finlay also noted “DQ adds Sainristil is a competitor and will work hard to get things right.”
The Commanders sound like they’re prepared to stay patient with Sainristil for now. They hardly have a choice, given their paucity of talent at cornerback, but Quinn and his coaches can’t allow Sainristil to continue undermining a defense that otherwise showed promising signs of life in Philly.
Commanders’ Rebuilt Defense Showed Promise in Week 1
A unit rebuilt to play new coordinator Daronte Jones’ elaborately disguised pressure schemes impressed at times against the Eagles. The Commanders’ defense was particularly effective bringing the heat with the blitz.
Jones called the second-highest blitz percentage, 50.9, of Week 1, per PFF. The Commanders only blitzed at a lower rate than a Minnesota Vikings’ defense coordinated by Jones’ mentor Brian Flores.
Vikings 82.1% Commanders 50.9% Jets 44.9% Ravens 43.4% Lions 43.0%
All of the blitzing meant the Commanders brought Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts “down three times. Hurts was pressured on 9.4% of his dropbacks — the ninth most among quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Reference — and it led to him delivering multiple off-targets throws on third down,” per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.
Washington’s rebuilt defense also did a respectable job of corralling former 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley. Selby pointed out how “Over half of Barkley’s yardage came on one play, and the Commanders did a good job of preventing Barkley from getting extra yards. Pro Football Reference notes that Barkley gained zero yards after contact and didn’t break a single tackle, which is impressive considering that he ranked 10th among running backs in broken tackles last season.”
These solid numbers show the Commanders are headed in the right direction defensively on Jones’ watch. Quinn can’t undermine this turnaround by indulging too many more of Sainristil’s mistakes.
Dan Quinn Calls Out ‘Completely Not Acceptable’ Commanders’ Starter