Mike Sainristil has already become one of the early storylines for the Washington Commanders’ secondary, and not for the reasons anyone wanted.
After the Commanders’ 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Sainristil drew plenty of attention for a rough outing that included multiple explosive plays allowed and one end-zone lapse where he appeared to lose his concentration completely. Head coach Dan Quinn, who has been a strong supporter of the cornerback, made it clear he wasn’t brushing it off.
“The touchdown play definitely felt like, as the motion got over, man, like, you have to go get set,” Quinn said. “And those are things that we have to get corrected.
We’ve definitely identified a few things that, ‘Hey, man, these are the things that we have to get corrected.’ Mike’s a very good competitor.
I’m certain that we will, but to have that type of play and just not have the right focus at the right time, completely not acceptable.”
Quinn doesn’t usually single out players, so the message landed. There was already concern about how Sainristil would hold up in Sunday’s Week 2 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys and their receivers, George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
Those concerns turned out to be justified in Washington’s 37-20 loss. Sainristil gave up several big plays, most of them while matched up with Lamb.
To his credit, Sainristil didn’t duck the criticism. He spoke with reporters in the locker room after last week’s game and said he needed to be better. He did the same again after Sunday’s loss.
“I think we just gotta do better as a secondary,” Sainristil said when asked about Dak Prescott’s big day. "One, working together as a unit.
Obviously, coming into this game, we understood that Lamb and Pickens are premium receivers. So, in our coverages, making sure that we’re able to keep a roof over them, limit the explosives, not let them get going early.
Flat out, we didn’t do a great job of that today. We know that we have a lot more work to do."
He’s not wrong. Washington’s secondary has had problems through two games, and Sainristil has been the main name attached to those issues so far. The question now is whether Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones continue to ride with him or start looking elsewhere, including veterans Fabian Moreau and Isaac Yiadom.
Trey Amos could eventually enter the mix, too, but he isn’t an immediate answer. He’s eligible to return in Week 5, though that only becomes a real possibility once Washington opens his return window.
For now, the Commanders are stuck working with the group they have, and that means Sainristil remains in the spotlight.
In Other News...
Chase Youngs Revival Revives A Painful Commanders Debate
Chase Youngs career has taken on a sharper, more encouraging shape since he left Washington, where injuries kept him from ever fully settling into the dominant force the Commanders expected when they drafted him. After the trade to San Francisco and then a move to New Orleans, the edge rusher has started stacking up the kind of production that once made him one of the leagues most intriguing young defenders, including a 10-sack season and another strong showing that has put his name back in the conversation.
For Washington, the revival brings back an uncomfortable question about what might have been if Young had been healthier in burgundy and gold. His current play is a reminder that the talent was never really gone, only interrupted, and it leaves the Commanders with a familiar what-if tied to one of their biggest recent investments. His rise elsewhere does not change the past, but it does make the debate around his time in Washington feel a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have Real Stakes In One Risky QB Decision
The Commanders decision to carry three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster has already taken on more meaning than a typical developmental move. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis was expected to spend the season learning behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, but with Daniels injured and Mariota slated to start, Washington suddenly has a real reason to keep a close eye on its third quarterback spot.
Adam Peters has made clear why the club liked Kaliakmanis in the first place, pointing to his arm talent and competitiveness while also noting he still has room to grow. For a team trying to balance short-term stability with a long-term plan at the position, that makes the rookies role one of the more interesting developments to watch, especially if the quarterback room is forced to absorb more changes than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Want Dan Quinn Gone But Washington Has A Bigger Problem
The frustration in Washington has been building for weeks, and Dan Quinn is feeling it now more than ever. The Commanders have stumbled through a rough stretch, and when Jayden Daniels went down on a play at the end of the first half against the Cowboys, the conversation around the coach shifted from disappointment to outrage almost instantly.
Daniels dislocated his elbow for the second time in two seasons on a critical call that will hang over Quinn as the scrutiny intensifies. He deserves plenty of criticism for how the situation unfolded, but the bigger issue is the one the Commanders have been wrestling with all along: a thin, inexperienced coaching staff and little reason to believe a midseason change would fix much of anything. [Read more 🡒]