Commanders lead league in 'killer' stat Dan Quinn hates

As with most things in life, in football, everything that is positive can help, and everything negative can hurt. How many things do so for teams like the Washington Commanders depends on the quantity of the influences, of course, but also the quality of the impact.

For example, a third-down interception from the Commanders’ own end of the field deep into the opponent’s in the first quarter will commonly be referred to as ‘basically a punt,’ and because of it, the impact of that turnover itself isn’t valued higher compared to a red zone interception in a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

So, for Washington and its penalty problem in 2025, it hasn’t just been the quantity of the fouls–of which there is plenty–but the value of them that has really hurt the team’s chances of finding sustained success.

Specifically, looking at pre-snap penalties that kill opportunities before they ever fully come to fruition, and the types of infractions head coach Dan Quinn has admitted drives him up a wall, the team not only leads the league in false starts, but has killed more than one full game’s worth of drives because of it.

“The ones that we can control at the line of scrimmage, that's a big deal, and we definitely harped on certain ones to go," he said. Quinn continued discussing the impact of his team’s penalties and more by saying, “I would say it's between that [penalties] and the ball, the turnover margin for us. I would say then those were the two that's not quite improved in the way that we need to, to play winning football.”

Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (72) participates in a blocking drill on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

30 false starts, 17 stalled drives

According to the NFL’s own tracking service, the Commanders have committed 30 False Starts, which directly resulted in 17 Stalled Drives.

Averaging around 11 possessions per game, this means that Washington has given away more than one full game of opportunities, a killer trend in an already rough season.

Add to those false starts, three delay of game penalties, and three illegal shifts, and the offense has committed close to 40 presnap fouls with one game left to play. 25 holding penalties have stalled an additional five drives as well, though those are a bit easier to swallow in the spirit of competition, Quinn says.

When you combine those numbers with 21 giveaways, among the 10 teams to commit turnovers the most in 2025, and Washington has forfeited nearly four games’ worth of possessions with self-inflicted wounds, most of them unforced.

Injuries have played their part in the collapse this season, without a doubt, but so too has a staggering increase of undisciplined play.

Undisciplined play spikes in December

Quinn pointed out this week that while the penalties have been a topic of concern all season, there was a stretch in November where things seemed to stabilize a bit. Then, against the New York Giants in mid-December, the Commanders committed 11 penalties, then 10 more against the Dallas Cowboys, giving them two double-digit penalty performances in a critical four-game stretch against NFC East Division opponents.

Leading the team in penalties is rookie offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who gets a little bit of a pass because he is a first-year offensive lineman who not only faced a murderer’s row of edge rushers early on, but has also made the transition from left to right tackle this year.

Sep 11, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) cannot make a catch against Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore (2) in the second quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Veterans struggling with discipline

What is less acceptable is the fact that cornerback Marshon Lattimore is second on the team with nine despite not having played since early November, right around the time Quinn says his team’s discipline issues seemed to dampen.

It isn’t uncommon for players in the trenches to lead these categories, and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw both have eight on the year, according to the NFL.

Quinn also isolated second-year lineman Brandon Coleman as having a couple of these past two weeks, giving him five for the year, and so it isn’t even isolated to one player, or just young players, or even just the trenches.

It's one of several areas Washington needs to improve upon before the 2026 regular season arrives, and one that Quinn knows, “we have to get it right."

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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