It was an embarrassing evening at the office for the Washington Commanders. The offense turned the football over too much, and the defense couldn't stop the run. That's a dangerous combination — one the Chicago Bears exploited to secure a dramatic walk-off success on Monday Night Football.
The primary influencer of punishment throughout the game was D'Andre Swift. Although the running back had been struggling to find form this season, he came to life at Northwest Stadium as Washington plunged to 3-3. There was nothing much the Commanders could do to prevent him from making plays, which resulted in 175 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
This was deeply disappointing, especially considering general manager Adam Peters invested heavily in the defensive trenches this offseason. And the biggest play of the day from Swift came from several Commanders' errors, which further raised frustrations.
D'Andre Swift took not-so-subtle swipe at Commanders safety Quan Martin
His 55-yard catch and run saw Quan Martin blow a chance to stop him. Fans also pointed out that veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore put in a poor effort in pursuit, although it seemed like the running back would have been long gone in any case.
D'ANDRE SWIFT 55 YARD-TD!
CHIvsWAS on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/r8sJNYKjQU
— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2025
Either way, it all started when Martin didn't have the strength or conviction to push Swift out of bounds or make a tackle. And when asked about the third-year safety coming into his path, the former Georgia standout produced a ruthless response.
Swift revealed that he wasn't surprised that Martin missed the tackle. He's got six already this season after this latest error, which clearly didn't go unnoticed by the ex-Philadelphia Eagles star during Chicago's strategic planning for the primetime clash.
Martin was projected by many to have a legitimate breakout campaign this season. The 2023 second-round pick had to step into the No. 1 safety role when Jeremy Chinn left, and he's finding it more difficult than fans initially envisaged. His 42.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 128th out of 140 qualifying safeties. That's a fair reflection of how things are unfolding for the defensive back right now.
He wasn't the only one to fluff his lines with the national NFL audience watching on, but Martin is being held to a higher standard these days. Those are not being met currently, and a monumental effort is needed from the Illinois product to turn the tide.
Otherwise, Swift won't be the only one targeting Martin as a weak link moving forward.