Most sportsbooks had the Washington Commanders’ 2024 win total over/under at 6.5 before the season started. Then rookie Jayden Daniels led a shocking 7-2 start to the campaign. This seemed like a team that was a shoo-in for the playoffs, but since then, they have lost three straight to drop to 7-5, and all in pretty disappointing fashion. Commanders fans, from the average Joe to superstar NBA player Kevin Durant, are emotionally drained by the skid.
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Durant, who is a native of Washington, D.C., spoke about his favorite team on Up & Adams Tuesday morning. The two-time NBA Finals MVP explained to host Kay Adams the “shock” and “hurt” he felt after Washington’s most recent loss to the division-rival Dallas Cowboys.
“I couldn’t believe that we were able to score in 25-26 seconds. So imagine my emotions going from thinking that it’s going to be tough to win that game, to scoring, to missing a field goal. I just could not believe it. I’m still in shock right now. Damn, that one hurt.”
KD on the emotional HIGHS and LOWS watching his #Commanders lose to the Cowboys after a missed extra point 🫠🔊
"DAMN that one hurt…"@heykayadams @KDTrey5 @Commanders | #HTTC pic.twitter.com/DHhpPGjIa5
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 26, 2024
The Phoenix Suns forward is known as someone who prides himself on his status as a Commanders superfan, so the skid actually seems to be hitting him hard. He went on to point out that the losing streak is arguably made worse by the fact that Washington had a chance to win all three of those games.
“That’s three losses in a row I feel like we could’ve won. The Eagles game, they beat us pretty late, I think the first half we played good ball. But the Steelers and the Cowboys, I feel like we’re supposed to win those games. Damn, that hurt.”
Against Pittsburgh, the Commanders were leading 27-21 when Russell Wilson found Mike Williams—who had only signed for the Steelers five days prior and who had not seen another target since—on a beautiful 32-yard TD pass with just two minutes left. After Daniels and company stalled, the Washington defense sealed the Steelers win with an offside penalty.
The Dallas game was even worse than that. The Cowboys had almost none of their star players on Sunday, and yet they led for most of the day. It seemed like a frustrating loss until Terry McLaurin glided his way to an 86-yard TD out of nowhere.
However, Austin Seibert missed the game-tying extra point, and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown. No doubt Commanders fans were in a glass case of emotions on Sunday.
The strong start to the year has certainly increased expectations for these young Commanders. However, fans may need a reality check. This is a team with a rookie QB, a first-year coach, a first-year GM, and a first-year OC, among other major offseason changes. As an NBA pro who has played for four different franchises, Kevin Durant recognizes that there will be growing pains when you’re starting off somewhere new.
“You know how people are gonna switch up so quick, jump off the bandwagon. But I’ve been telling you this since early in the season, that it’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season. It’s going to be some games where we may struggle, and we gonna see how we bounce back.”
“So, we’re in a tough little rut right now, but we still control some of our destiny right. So we gotta win out, try to win out. We gotta play Dallas again, which is a huge game, and the Eagles, so, we’ll see,” he continued.
The Commanders are sitting in the NFC’s seventh and final playoff spot, a half-game ahead of the Arizona Cardinals (6-5). Washington will look to bounce back against the lowly Tennessee Titans before they go on their bye in Week 14.
