Troy Aikman on the set of ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown.'
Credit: ESPN
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The NFL world has had a full day to process the end of Sunday’s game between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants, and everyone is still confused.
The Commanders’ offense had the ball in Giants territory with a minute to play in overtime and seemed poised to drain the clock, spike the ball, and send out the field goal unit for a game-winning kick. That didn’t happen, with the clock running out on Washington, and the flurry of action in the final seconds of the game made it pretty clear that the players on the field weren’t aware of the situation.
So what happened? Who was to blame? Coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator David Blough, and quarterback Jayden Daniels all shoulder a healthy portion of the responsibility, with every other offensive player on the field for the Commanders carrying a smaller share. But what really happened in the seconds leading up to the preposterous sequence is tough to knit together, and even the experts are baffled.
“Man, I wish I knew,” said Troy Aikman when asked what he thought happened by the Monday Night Countdown crew, sparking laughter. “I haven’t been in that situation, but we’ve all been in situations that we’d like a mulligan, and that was one. It is incomprehensible how you can be in a position to win a game and then not even allow yourself an opportunity on the kick. I hate it. I hate it for everybody involved.
“The margins are slim. And you’ve got to be on it at those points in the game. And the teams that do spend the extra time, that oftentimes makes the difference between winning and losing.”
Aikman argued that the blame had to be shared by all involved, but also cited one fact beyond simple communication that could have been a factor: Some quarterbacks come into the league without learning “how to win a football game.”
“I think everyone has to take some ownership. But I also know — I think there’s a lot of quarterbacks playing the game that have never really been taught how to win a football game. They don’t know where the play clock is. You don’t play third down the same way you do every third down. It depends on who you’re playing against, what’s down and distance; there’s a lot that factors into any given play, and I’m not sure that a lot of the quarterbacks — I’m not talking about anyone specifically — I just think there’s a lot of quarterbacks that come into the league and they really haven’t been trained on how you close out a game and win.”
Scott Van Pelt: “But ultimately, your quarterback has gotta be the one to know the situation, doesn’t he?”
Troy Aikman: “I just think there’s a lot of quarterbacks come into the league, and they really haven’t been trained as to how then you close out a game and win.” https://t.co/1HGhhGtj9Q
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 12, 2026
Aikman tried to say he wasn’t talking about any specific player, but given the conversation, it’s safe to say he believes Daniels could be one of those quarterbacks who needs more basic training.
To Aikman’s point, closing out games is a football skill like any other. Look at the greats like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes to see that finishing games is a skill some players have in spades and others lack. For Daniels and the Commanders, it was an extremely tough way to learn that lesson, but one that they won’t soon forget.