A look at the good (Hail!) and bad (Fail!) from the Washington Commanders’ 16-13 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Hail: Sacks
After being held without a sack in their last two games, Washington sacked Tua Tagovailoa three times on Sunday. They all came in big spots on third down. Jacob Martin’s sack forced Miami to settle for a short field goal on its second possession. Jonathan Jones’s sack on a corner blitz in the second quarter forced Washington’s first three and out in the first half since its Oct. 19 loss at Dallas. And Von Miller’s sack in the fourth quarter of a tie game forced a Dolphins punt from deep in their own territory. Tagovailoa was 14 for 20 for 171 yards, but he didn’t throw a touchdown pass and only had one completion of more than 30 yards.
DOWN HE GOES
#WASvsMIA NFL Network pic.twitter.com/OeErVOVg7g
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 16, 2025
Fail: Turnovers
Washington lost the turnover battle again 2-0. Cornerback Mike Sainristil’s muffed punt late in the fourth quarter was almost as costly as Marcus Mariota’s interception on Washington’s first play from scrimmage in overtime, which led to Miami’s game-winning field goal. It was a tough day for Sainristil, who couldn’t come down with what should have been an interception in the third quarter and fumbled the first punt return of his career while filling in for rookie Jaylin Lane, who suffered a hip injury earlier in the game. Washington’s turnover differential for the season is minus-8.
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— Post Sports (@PostSports) October 16, 2025
Hail: Goal line stands
Coming into the game, the Dolphins had converted all 13 of their goal-to-go situations into touchdowns, according to the NFL Network. Miami was 0 for 2 in goal-to-go situations on Sunday, thanks to a Commanders defense that got better the closer the Dolphins got to the goal line. On the possession after Miami recovered Sainristil’s muffed punt, Bobby Wagner, Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman and Frankie Luvu combined to stop the Dolphins on third and fourth down from the Washington 1-yard line, keeping the game tied at 13. In the third quarter, with Miami facing fourth and goal from the Washington 2, Wagner dove to deflect Tagovailoa’s pass intended for Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins were only 1 for 5 in the red zone.
HUGE STOP
Our ball with 1:41 to play.
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 16, 2025
Fail: Matt Gay from distance
The Commanders’ kicker is 9 for 10 on field goals inside 50 yards, and he’s made all 22 of his extra points this season, but he’s only 4 for 9 on field goals of 50-plus yards after missing both of his attempts from that distance on Sunday. Gay missed a potential game-winning kick from 56 yards in the final seconds of regulation, which turned a dream into something else.
“The environment was awesome,” Gay, a soccer fan, said of Real Madrid’s home stadium. “It was a dream to come to this stadium and play here. Obviously things took a turn real quick. It ended on a pretty negative note there. I’m feeling pretty upset, pretty down about it. I let the team down here today.”
Hail: The American Dream (at the concession stand)
I love this photo Commanders beat reporter Tom Schad shared before Sunday’s game.
Buenos dias from Bernabeu Stadium, where the American Dream costs just 19 euro at the concession stands pic.twitter.com/WxR0wo7me4
— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) November 16, 2025
Fail: Red-zone execution
The Commanders arrived in Madrid having converted 80 percent of their red-zone trips into touchdowns, which was the second-best mark in the league. They were 0 for 3 in that department against the Dolphins, and the issues began on their opening possession. After lining up to go for it on fourth and two from the Miami 3, a false start penalty led Washington to settle for a field goal. An offensive pass interference penalty in the red zone contributed to the Commanders’ drive before halftime ending in a short field goal, and tight end Zach Ertz slipping on his cut on a fourth-and-goal play midway through the fourth quarter resulted in a turnover on downs.
“Sometimes that’s the way the ball bounces,” Mariota, who was 20 for 30 for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception, told reporters. “We have to be better in that zone. I think this offense can score a lot of points, but if we’re not converting our red-zone opportunities, it’s tough.”
Hail: Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Rodriguez was the featured running back on Washington’s first possession and the third-year pro responded with his best game of the year. He finished with a season-high 79 yards rushing on 15 carries, including a pair of 12-yard runs on the Commanders’ only touchdown drive.
Fail: Rushing defense
Dolphins running back De’Von Achane didn’t find the end zone, but he rushed for 50 yards in the first quarter en route to a game-high 120 yards on 21 carries in the game. Ollie Gordon II added nine carries for 45 yards and a touchdown for the Dolphins, who averaged 5.5 yards per attempt.
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