Commanders' Quinn defends 'bold call' on crucial 4th down in loss to Eagles

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn doesn't regret his failed fourth-down attempt that helped the Philadelphia Eagles claim a 26-18 win on Thursday Night Football.

With approximately eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Quinn could've opted to kick a 44-yard field goal that would've given the Commanders a 13-12 lead. Instead, he left his offense on the field for a fourth-and-2. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled to hold on to the ball after the snap and couldn't convert for a first down.

The Eagles then found the end zone on their second of three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives to seal the big NFC East matchup.

"Bold call, but I would also say we were prepared for that moment," Quinn said of his fourth-down decision, according to Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports. "Don't love the execution, but we've been an excellent fourth-down team, so going into it, we knew we'd have to take our shots against a tough division team on the road. We thought that was an appropriate one."

"That's one we can fix," Quinn added.

Attempting the field goal would've given the Commanders a higher chance to win the game, according to Ben Baldwin's database.

Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin supported Quinn's questionable call, though.

"We've been doing it all season. We're aggressive," McLaurin said, per Sullivan.

The Commanders converted only three of 12 third-down plays against Philadelphia while going 1-for-2 on fourth down. Quinn's outfit had only failed to convert one fourth down before Thursday. The team's 85.7% conversion rate currently ranks third in the NFL.

Washington's offense had an uncharacteristically bad game with Daniels, who finished with 22 completions on 32 attempts for 191 yards and one touchdown against one interception. The Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite also carried the ball seven times for 18 yards.

The 7-4 Commanders have now lost two in a row. They'll host the Dallas Cowboys next week. Meanwhile, the 8-2 Eagles will visit the Los Angeles Rams.