For the first game of the Week 11 Sunday slate of NFL games, the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins battled in a close overtime game. Ultimately, the Commanders lost after an interception, and the Dolphins made a field goal, but this game should not have gone to overtime.
Commanders’ Kicking Woes Change the Game
Near the end of the game, after a clutch defensive stop by the Commanders, the team’s kicker, Matt Gay, was up to hit the game-winning field goal. Instead of the game ending, Gay missed the kick, which led to the Commanders’ overtime loss. Earlier in the game, he also missed another field goal, which would have also been the difference in the score.
Going 2/4 on field goals is unacceptable for kickers in the NFL nowadays, and former Commanders QB Robert Griffin III poked fun at the Commanders’ kicking issues.
Griffin III posted a video on X where two of his daughters are the snapper and holder. He kicks the ball off in a cowboy hat and walks off, looking into the camera. The caption read, “Enough is ENOUGH!!! Washington Commanders holding kicker tryouts starting RIGHT NOW.”
Enough is ENOUGH!!!
Washington Commanders holding kicker tryouts starting RIGHT NOW. pic.twitter.com/RI85cyVnL7— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 16, 2025
Understandably, Griffin III and other Commanders fans are fed up with today’s kicking performance, but this has also been an issue all season.
So far this year, Gay is 73.3% on his field goals, which is extremely bad. This is one of the worst percentages in the league, and if the Commanders want to steal some wins, they need to replace him.
Still, with the 2026 NFL Draft being more of a focus now for the Commanders, maybe keeping Gay in at kicker is better for the long run. Provided the fact that all of his attempts are past the 30-yard mark, it makes sense for the percentage to be considerably low. However, that does not rule out the fact that he needs to improve.
Washington’s Outlook for the Rest of the Season
After their Week 11 loss to Miami, Washington is now 3-8, and there’s no sign of the season turning around. Star QB Jayden Daniels is out with a severe injury, and although he could return this year, the timing of his return is unknown.
Additionally, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, the Commanders rank No. 30 in the NFL. This has been the main reason for their record being as bad as it is.
Before today’s game, per PFSN’s Playoff Predictor, the Commanders were slated to select at pick No. 8 in the NFL Draft. Now, with the loss, Washington will, regardless, have a better pick after today, as the Dolphins previously held pick No. 7.