Washington Keeps Talking About Fixing Its Penalties. The Numbers Say Otherwise

Commanders Daily News Links — The Commanders have been talking about cleaning up self-inflicted mistakes since Week 1. After a season-high 10 penalties in London, the problem is moving in the wrong direction. | Philip Hughes

While the Washington Commanders aren't the most penalized team in the NFL, they keep finding new ways to shoot themselves in the foot at the worst time. More importantly, the problem the team keeps talking about controlling is actually getting worse over the last two games.

Since the start of the season, Washington has 30 accepted penalties for 224 yards, which is the 16th-most in the league (Cleveland has the most with 43).

Game-by-Game Penalties
- Philadelphia: 6 for 45
- Dallas: 5 for 38
- Seattle: 9 for 57
- Indianapolis: 10 for 84

Offensive coordinator David Blough openly addressed the issue the first moment he got a chance after the Seattle game. "Truthfully, man, it was not really up to our standard as an offense," Blough said. "Too many pre-snap penalties, too many third downs where we couldn't convert. And it starts with me and coaching it and teaching it better." Looking back at his words, I'm realizing his accountability can only go so far if he can't get this under control now, after pinpointing it as an issue, and then have it actually get worse.

London gave Washington another example of exactly what Blough was talking about. Late in the third quarter, with the Commanders trailing 20-13, Athan Kaliakmanis hit Antonio Williams for what looked like an 87-yard touchdown. Instead, an illegal shift where Dyami Brown never came to a complete stop wiped it off the board, and Washington went from being an extra point away from tying the game to facing third-and-16 from its own eight-yard line. Kaliakmanis scrambled for eight yards on the next play, and Tress Way came out to punt.

Here’s the play where #Commanders WR Antonio Williams’ 87 yard TD was nullified by two penalties: Illegal shift & Offensive Holding on Dyami Brown pic.twitter.com/LRYOfqokcP
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) October 5, 2026

That wasn't the only time Washington hurt itself Sunday, either. Treylon Burks was called for a false start early in the second quarter, the Commanders took a delay of game late in the fourth, and the penalties stretched across all three phases. That's the part that makes this harder to dismiss as one bad afternoon or one position group having problems. When the offense, defense, and special teams all contribute, it becomes something much bigger than cleaning up one guy's mistake.

Quinn addressed that this week when talking about how he wants Washington practicing moving forward. "That's what I want to make sure in practice: we're seeing all three phases connected. But let's make sure, man, let's go battle forward, but no fouls that are before the snap. After the snap, those ones, let's handle business between the whistles."

That's the distinction Washington has to make now. A hold or pass interference can come from trying to finish a play, but a false start, illegal shift, or delay of game happens before the opponent has really done anything to you. At 1-3, the Commanders already have enough problems without creating extra issues before the ball is even snapped.

The Giants game will give them another chance to show this is actually getting fixed, not just talked about. Washington doesn't have to suddenly become the least-penalized team in football, but the number can't keep climbing every week while the same mistakes continue showing up in critical moments. At some point, the correction has to show up on Sundays.

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