Commanders' ugly loss had one bizarre 60-year-old silver lining

When trying to rally a team back from a 44-22 loss like the Washington Commanders are after Week 10, there are small things they’ll have to identify to try to build upon.

Because if they focus on the negatives only, there’s a much higher likelihood of the Commanders staying in the rut they’ve dug themselves into.

Not that the disappointments are acknowledged. “Yeah, we're all obviously disappointed, like just execution, not creating takeaways,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said following his team’s latest defeat. “We all are baffled, frustrated, all of that. You know, like all those emotions, it's accurate... play style, identity, like all that feels off.

Detroit Lions cornerback Arthur Maulet (27) tackles Washington Commanders kick returner Noah Igbinoghene (6) during the second half at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. on Sunday, November 9, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Standard on Special Teams

However, if there’s one area that has represented the standard and style of play Quinn wants from his team the most, it has been special teams, and even more specifically, the kickoff return and coverage teams.

Against the Detroit Lions in Week 10, stepping in for injured kick returner Luke McCaffrey, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene returned seven kickoffs for a whopping 191 yards, starting it all off with a 46-yard return in the first quarter, the longest of his career.

A 60-Year-Old Record

It goes deeper than that, though. Not only was the day’s performance his personal best, it also made him the “first Washington cornerback to record 100-plus kickoff return yards in a game since A.J. Johnson in Week 1 of the 1989 season,” the team shared after the game.

But he isn’t done there. He’s also just the second cornerback in franchise history, dating to before the Super Bowl even, to have 165+ kickoff return yards in a single game, and he’s the first since Dick James did it in Week 7 in 1962.

Nov 9, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn stands on the field following a loss to the Detroit Lions at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Bittersweet Reality

Of course, it all gets lost in the wash because of the defeat and the margin of loss Washington took. Had the game been at least competitive to the end, perhaps we could have celebrated Igbinoghene’s achievements a little more as a sign of special teams helping to keep the team in the fight.

With a 20+ point margin of defeat, however, it is little more than a reminder that in order for Igbinoghene to return seven kickoffs, the defense has to allow roughly that many scores by the opponent.

Still, 60-year-old records don’t come and go every day, so there’s still an element of appreciation for what Igbinoghene and the kick return unit were able to accomplish, and have been all year. Now including the cornerback, the Commanders have three players averaging over 27 yards per kick return this season, each of them ranking in the top 30 of NFL returnmen, with receiver Deebo Samuel ranked highest, at No. 4.

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