The Washington Commanders took yet another loss, their sixth in a row, as they fell in overtime to the Miami Dolphins in the NFL's inaugural Madrid game.
It was an ugly showing, filled with sloppy errors and extremely questionable play-calling. The Commanders were given chance after chance to pry victory from the jaws of defeat, and they couldn't do it.
Unlike the past four weeks, there were some bright spots. One of them was a player who needed a get-right performance as much as anybody on the Commanders' roster.
In Week 10, the Commanders got nothing short of humiliated by the Detroit Lions. The low point of that contest came in the second quarter, when defensive linemen Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw were involved in a scuffle with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The former was ejected, while the latter was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after making contact with an official.
Javon Kinlaw flashed the dominance that made the Commanders spend big
Payne was additionally suspended for Week 11. Kinlaw gave off less-than-ideal optics with his standoffish postgame attitude. He was Adam Peters' biggest free agency signing last offseason, and through 10 games, he had recorded 20 combined tackles and no sacks.
Suffice to say, no one needed to prove more in Madrid than Kinlaw, especially as the lead man in Washington's defensive trenches. He was up to the challenge, and late in the fourth quarter, he delivered what should have been a game-winning play when he tackled Dolphins running back De'Von Achane at the goal line on third down.
The Commanders stopped Miami again on the next play when Mike McDaniel inexplicably went for it on fourth down, giving Washington a chance for a walk-off drive. Unfortunately, kicker Matt Gay had other plans, and a brutal Marcus Mariota interception on the first play of overtime all but sealed it.
Kinlaw certainly did his part, though. He had five combined tackles in the effort, his highest mark in a game all season. In general, the Commanders' defense looked markedly improved after head coach Dan Quinn took over play-calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. It may have only been against the sub-.500 Dolphins, but it's still worth something amid the doom and gloom.
The Commanders put a lot of faith in Kinlaw last summer, and, like most of the team, he has struggled to meet expectations. But his performance versus Miami was a much-needed reminder of why he got a three-year, $45 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.