Dan Orlovsky blasts Commanders coach Dan Quinn for MNF 4th down mismanagement

The Washington Commanders faced the 5-0 49ers in San Francisco that led to a wild error in judgment by coach Dan Quinn in the second quarter. Quarterback Jayden Daniels threw the ball away on fourth down, causing an unnecessary turnover on a day when two key offensive players were hurt, including guard Sam Cosmi .

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky joined Pat McAfee at halftime to discuss what happened , and decided to call out the Commanders coach. Orlovsky yelled for Quinn to kick a field goal, but the play ended in disaster.

"We found out at halftime, Dan Quinn didn't know what down it was," McAfee said. "That's a real problem."

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"I'm okay with trying to see if you can draw 'em offsides…I'm a Dan Quinn guy, but you've gotta get the operation better," Orlovsky said.

The missed opportunity came back to bite Washington later in the game as they trailed 23-17 with the 49ers holding the ball and running down the clock in the fourth quarter. Commanders kicker Drew Stevens doinked in an extra point , one of the few lucky moments of the game for Quinn's team, but they seemed behind the eight-ball all night as they struggled to keep pace with San Francisco's Brock Purdy-led offense.

Star wideout Stefon Diggs also suffered a hand injury during the contest , adding to Quinn and his team's woes on a gut-check kind of evening at Levi's Stadium. Daniels picked up the slack for a lackluster running game by Quinn's team, keeping Washington in the contest with over 200 yards passing and two touchdowns as the game clock continued to tick down.

Quinn and Daniels' mental errors appeared unforgivable, but ultimately were a symptom of a high-pressure environment and a high-stakes game. Fans began to wonder if the Commanders had enough time to claw their way back into a tie, or perhaps a lead, as the fourth quarter neared its inevitable conclusion.