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Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders quarterly report: After 12 games, it’s time to look to 2026
There are some positives even in a seven-game losing streak, but Washington is merely playing out the string at this point.
[T]he Commanders have seen some positives in recent weeks. They’ve gotten healthier and were more competitive in consecutive overtime losses to the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos. They won’t meet the expectations they set for themselves coming into this season, but it feels more likely they could end this year on a high note.
Although the losses keep
piling up, this team clearly hasn’t given up. The focus, effort and energy is there; the Commanders just haven’t been good enough to win.
McLaurin’s impact can’t be overstated
Terry McLaurin played only 51.1 percent of the Commanders’ offensive snaps Sunday — he was on a pitch count in his first game back from injury — but he made his presence felt. His stat line of seven catches for 96 yards and one touchdown was impressive, but his impact ran deeper.
On Treylon Burks’s spectacular touchdown grab, he was left in single coverage partially because of McLaurin’s gravity. The Broncos were in a single-high safety formation on the play. The safety shaded toward McLaurin’s side, which left Burks in a one-on-one situation.
With McLaurin on the field against the Broncos…the Commanders faced a loaded box on zero runs, and they ran the ball 10 times for 69 yards and one touchdown.
Tunsil has been a standout
Tunsil is set to be on an expiring contract next season, which means he’ll likely be in search of an extension this offseason. It will be interesting to see if he and General Manager Adam Peters can find common ground on a price. McLaurin’s lengthy negotiations caused him to miss most of training camp. Peters should aim to avoid that with Tunsil.
Commanders.com
Bobby Wagner named Commanders Club Winner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
He has been an advocate for mental health and social justice reform, working with lo cal nonprofits and participating in NFL initiatives like Inspire Change along with establishing a partnership with Children’s National Hospital to launch the Phenia Mae Fund —named in honor of his mother through his FAST54 initiative — in support of the hospital’s pediatric stroke program, marking the fourth such fund he has established for stroke prevention.
Wagner has been a dedicated champion for entrepreneurship, venture capital, and business development. His commitment is evident in initiatives like the Tackle Everything Tech Tour, most recently completing his third tour in Washington, D.C., through which he highlights the importance of building generational wealth and exposing youth to different industries and leaders in the business and tech space.
“To be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award is truly an honor and a blessing ,” said Wagner. “Serving the community continues to be a rewarding part of my life and I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep pouring into places and people that have become part of my story.”
Wagner leads through consistency and genuine care, using his own actions to set the standard. He invests his time directly in community , volunteering at shelters, supporting holiday programs, and providing meals and essential supplies to underserved families. His humility and relentless work ethic continue to inspire everyone around him, and his commitment to giving back has become a defining part of who he is, both on and off the field.
All 32 club winners will be recognized for their achievements during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX in the Bay Area. The national winner of the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special airing on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Each of this year’s club winners supports a range of causes and initiatives off the field, including uplifting underserved communities, empowering young people to lead healthy lifestyles , and many other notable causes. The charitable beneficiary of each team’s club winner will receive up to $55,000, and the nonprofit chosen by the overall national winner will receive up to $265,000. All funds are donations courtesy of the NFL Foundation an d the Nationwide Foundation.
Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posti ng #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen player or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. The charitable beneficiary of the player who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $3 5,000 donation from Nationwide.
Heavy.com
Drake Jackson : Doesn’t practice after activation
Jackson (knee) didn’t participate in practice Thursday. On the same day the Commanders activated Jackson from IR, the fourth-year defensive end remained sidelined at practice. Washington waited until the last day of Jackson’s 21-day practice window to activate him, so it seems both that the team expects him to play again this season and that Jackson’s ramp-up is going slowly. With that and his consecutive DNPs this week in mind, it doesn’t seem likely that Jackson will be ready to return to action Sunday versus Minnesota, though his status should be more clear upon the release of Friday’s injury report.
Commanders Wire
Commanders’ fans should be excited about rookie T Josh Conerly Jr.
After the weekend slate, PFSN updated its Player OL Impact metric for Week 13. Right guard Sam Cosmi and right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. both graded out as top five linemen for the week.
Cosmi earned the No. 1 spot with an elite 92.5 grade, while Conerly came in at No. 4 with an 87.8 grade. The only players above Conerly were Cosmi, who is a guard, and Bradley Bozeman and Ted Karras, who are both centers. This means the Commanders had the best guard and the best tackle in Week 13.
The Commanders already have one of the best tackles in the league in Laremy Tunsil, so if Conerly keeps improving, the team could boast one of the best tackle duos in the league. Cosmi, meanwhile, is under contract through the 2028 season, meaning the team’s offensive line should be in good shape going forward.
ESPN
NFL Week 14 picks, predictions, schedule, odds, fantasy tips
Commanders (3-9) at Vikings (4-8)
1 p.m. ET | FOX | MIN -2.5 (42.5 O/U)
What we’re hearing on the Commanders: Sunday will provide another test for Washington’s offensive line, which has continued to improve thanks in part to rookie RT Josh Conerly Jr.’s growth. Since the Commanders’ Week 6 bye, the Vikings have blitzed on 58% of opposing QB dropbacks. LB Eric Wilson’s pressure rate of 23.5% is the highest of any player who has rushed the QB at least 100 times this season. But Washington did a good job versus Denver’s pass rush, allowing only two sacks to the NFL’s best unit. The Commanders have allowed only five sacks over the past three games combined, led by LT Laremy Tunsil. “He’s been phenomenal. … It’s hard to find [a left tackle] that’s played better,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. — John Keim
What we’re hearing on the Vikings: Coach Kevin O’Connell this week imposed a new set of priorities on QB J.J. McCarthy, who will return to the lineup after a concussion kept him out last week. Instead of focusing on mechanics and footwork, O’Connell wants him to concentrate on decision-making. “I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play,” O’Connell said. Those decisions don’t just include where to throw the ball, but also when to run and how to protect himself when he does. “He can impact the game athletically,” O’Connell said, “but it can’t come at a cost of not having him in there.” — Kevin Seifert
Stat to know: Commanders QB Marcus Mariota has had four straight starts with at least 200 passing yards and a passing TD, the second-longest streak of his career after a seven-game run in 2016. — ESPN Research
Injuries: Commanders | Vikings
Maldonado’s pick: Commanders 23, Vikings 20
Moody’s pick: Commanders 23, Vikings 16
Walder’s pick: Vikings 23, Commanders 19
FPI prediction: WSH, 50.4% (by an average of 0.1 points)
NFL.com
NFL Week 14 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game
Why Tom picked the Commanders: Something is (probably) going to happen this Sunday that has happened just once since Oct. 6: Washington or Minnesota is going to win a game.
I’m making the somewhat vibes-based choice to back the group that has shown far more fight lately. Over the past four weeks, the Vikings have been outscored by a combined 53 points, the worst differential in the NFL in that span, translating to a gulf of nearly two touchdowns per game.
The Commanders’ mark since Week 10 (-26) isn’t necessarily all that hot, either, but it’s much further in the right direction, and it reflects a pair of very narrow losses to one middling opponent (Miami) and one contender (Denver).
None of the units involved in this game have been great, but two have been respectable: Washington’s offense (12th in EPA per play) and Minnesota’s defense (11th in EPA per play).
If the Vikings’ quarterback situation didn’t scare me so much, I might be tempted to go with the more potent defense at home. Whether Jayden Daniels is back or Marcus Mariota gets another start, I feel far more confident placing my faith in either of them than J.J. McCarthy, returning to the helm of the NFL’s second-worst passing attack in EPA per dropback.
Podcasts & videos
J.J. McCarthy Makes and Breaks + ELITE NFL Play Sequencing | Film Breakdown | Washington Commanders
“I take it as disrespect” Treylon Burks’ BIG TIME catch + Virgil Seay & the Fun Bunch | Next Man Up
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
10 thoughts on the Cowboys 44-30 Thursday night loss to the Lions
Defense didn’t have it
It was great while it lasted, but the Cowboys’ defense didn’t bring the ‘A’ game to this one. At times, they made some plays, but far too often, they gave up big yardage plays to the Lions’ playmakers. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs all had receiving plays over 25 yards. David Montgomery had a 35-yard rushing touchdown. Jared Goff had over 300 yards passing. At the end of the day, the Lions’ offense beat them in a multitude of ways as the Cowboys gave up over 400 yards and surrendered 44 points.
Turpin is broken
It’s tough to understand what goes through the head of KaVontae Turpin when he fields punts. Whenever he should let the ball bounce, he doesn’t. When he should field it, he doesn’t. And whenever he tries to call a fair catch, apparently, he doesn’t do that either. For the second-straight game, Turpin has been flagged for an illegal fair catch. While that seems silly, he’s also just not doing much good in the return game. He didn’t elude anyone and just ran straight into the defender. Meanwhile, the Lions had some tight-end-looking fella running back kicks, and he was taking them out to the 50-yard line, setting up his offense quite nicely. That’s not supposed to be how this works.
Sports Illustrated
3 takeaways from Dallas Cowboys’ crushing loss to Lions in Week 14
Matt Eberflus is back under fire
The Cowboys’ defense had turned things around over the past three weeks, holding their own against two Super Bowl teams in the process. On Thursday, we were reminded how many holes they have.
Their secondary struggled to slow down the passing attack, and we have to ask again if Matt Eberflus is the right man for the defensive coordinator job. The main reason for this question is the fit in the secondary.
Dallas has invested in man-cover corners such as DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs, and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. They’ve all had issues in zone coverage, especially Revel who was beaten for a touchdown early in the second half while being caught out of position in his zone.
Revamping the entire secondary isn’t ideal, so they’re going to have to truly evaluate the fit at coordinator this offseason.
NFL.com
Cowboys-Lions on ‘Thursday Night Football’: What We Learned from Detroit’s 44-30 win
Cowboys’ playoff chances took major hit in loss. The Cowboys’ resurgence has been a terrific late-season storyline, but their playoff chances took a serious hit Thursday night, with Next Gen Stats estimating their chances at a scant 8%. A win would have pushed them to 35%, but the Cowboys were in a trail position most of the night, struggling to stop an explosive Lions offense and committing two key turnovers that led to Lions scores. Jake Ferguson fumbled for the third time (losing his second) in the past five games, and his penalty offset what would have been a Lions defensive pass interference call, giving Dallas the ball at the Detroit 1-yard line; instead, the Cowboys settled for the third of five Brandon Aubrey field goals. Aubrey was amazing, but the Cowboys brought too many field goals to a touchdown fight. They fought hard, with Sam Williams’ blocked field goal turning the momentum and Dak Prescott firing away until the end — even without his best receiver. But the Cowboys had too many breakdowns, and now they’re way on the outside looking in on the playoff field.
After Lamb left, Flournoy — not Pickens — stepped up. CeeDee Lamb had been carving up the Lions’ secondary, with six catches for 121 yards, early in the third quarter when he fell hard after an incomplete pass in the end zone. Lamb was helped off and ruled out with a concussion, putting the spotlight on George Pickens, who only had two catches at that point and who failed to grab a ball that the Lions turned into a 27-9 lead after an interception. Pickens caught three passes on five targets for 22 yards after Lamb left and hurt his team with an offensive pass interference call that wiped out a 23-yard catch by Ryan Flournoy. Pickens was also lucky that his fumble inside the Detroit 5-yard line was recovered by his teammate, guard Tyler Smith, allowing the Cowboys to score a TD and make it a two-score game early in the third quarter. Dak Prescott started dialing in more on Flournoy, who had career highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (155) in a breakout performance, even with a fumble down two scores late. Flournoy’s performance was great, but Pickens — a man seeking a massive contract in the offseason — couldn’t come up big with Lamb out of action.
ESPN
2026 NFL offseason: Possible surprise cuts, trade candidates
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know this has been a turbulent season for Brown in Philadelphia. We don’t have to rehash all of that here. But despite that, it is not a certainty that Brown or the Eagles want to dissolve this relationship any time soon. It remains well within the range of potential outcomes that the Eagles repeat as Super Bowl champions and everyone decides to stay married.
However, it’s also well within the range of potential outcomes that Brown wants out and/or the Eagles decide to move on. Should that happen, it would almost certainly have to be via a trade, since Brown is owed a fully guaranteed $29 million in 2026. As such, releasing him would trigger nearly $72.5 million in dead cap charges. Trading him, meanwhile, would drop that number to around $43.5 million, which is still high but more manageable.
The Eagles and/or Brown would have to be highly motivated to separate, but depending on the way the rest of this season goes, that could end up being the case. To this point, Brown has 699 receiving yards and six scores.
Upcoming opponent
Daily Norseman
Reflections on Rock Bottom
After the debacle last Sunday against the Seahawks, it’s time for a shift in perspective. Enough is enough. I don’t care if we run the table (spoiler: we won’t). Things need to change this offseason—and drastically. What we’ve seen over 12 games has been shocking, perplexing, and disheartening. Even the most cynical and emotionally battered Vikings fan couldn’t have imagined what has unfolded. Well, maybe a few. But very few. It’s been that bad.
The Minnesota Vikings are the only team that can let you down in 10 different ways across 10 separate seasons. It’s genuinely astonishing.
2026 Will Be Crucial
While KAM and KOC have earned the 2026 season to flip the script, the house money they were working with is gone. That ship has sailed. It’s now or never. Fish or cut bait. Feel free to add any cliché you like. Everything from the front office to the entire offense to special teams—scouting, scheme, game planning, play calling (and its responsibilities)—must be scrutinized. Once this season mercifully ends in early January, the clock starts ticking, excuses run out, and there’s no margin for error. We must make the playoffs.
The Vikings spent over $200 million in guaranteed money during the last two offseasons—a majority of that before the current 4-8 campaign. For that kind of investment, you’d expect an all-star, ensemble cast in a feel-good drama where the protagonist faces some easily manageable challenges and ultimately gets the love interest, the dream job, and sheds tears of joy as the credits roll. Instead, we’ve ended up with a horror movie crossover where Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger slash and burn their way through the collective hopes and dreams of Vikings fans.
In January, Jay Glazer reported that teams were interested in trading for our head coach. Now, a part of the fan base is calling for him to be fired. Life comes at you fast when you ply your trade in America’s most popular sports league.
J.J. McCarthy: I Have Questions
How were so many red flags overlooked? Why are we still discussing the basics and mechanics of fundamental professional quarterback play during the middle of the 2025 season? Was this not clear from his college tape? Is it something new? Has it always been there, but proven harder to fix? What exactly was happening during OTAs and minicamps before his injury last year, and why wasn’t this addressed during the most recent offseason?
I keep thinking about Troy Aikman’s comment before the Week 1 game against the Bears. To paraphrase: “Given the expectations, I don’t think any quarterback has more pressure on his shoulders this season than J.J. McCarthy.” Well, at 4-8 and with the Vikings’ playoff hopes between slim and none, with slim booked on the first flight out of town, that pressure has evaporated. Max Brosmer isn’t the new Brock Purdy, so there’s no one looking over his shoulder. This all helps. It should help. It better help.
McCarthy now has five starts to reshape the narrative. Best-case scenario? He performs well enough to believe that an additional offseason of work could make 2026 what everyone expected 2025 to be. Worst-case scenario? More of the same, with little to no tangible improvement. If it’s the former, considering his difficulty staying healthy, you still sign or trade for a veteran (e.g., Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, Mac Jones, Davis Mills, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Flacco) in March or April—not right before the season starts. If the latter nightmare unfolds, you shouldn’t be afraid to go all-in again at quarterback with what could be a Top 5 pick. And yes, if we see more of the same, we might not win another game. I wouldn’t even feel confident against the 2-11 Giants. So, it’s likely 4-13 or 5-12 at best. What other option is there? It’s not 1995 or even 2005 anymore; teams don’t have the luxury to wait 3-4 years for young quarterbacks to develop.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores
It’s not hyperbole to say that Flores has saved us from several embarrassing blowout losses that could have added more pressure on KAM and KOC. The problem? He isn’t under contract for 2026, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves on. Even if he doesn’t land the long-overdue second NFL head coaching job, the mindset of “I’ve done everything I can here/new challenge’ is real, too. Plus, he’s earned a nice pay raise. Will the Wilfs want to sign another expensive, multi-year deal if KOC might be coaching for his job next year?
Commanders, Whatever
after scoring just six points in two games, I can’t even confidently predict that we’ll reach double digits at home. As usual, the defense will keep us in it, but there’s no evidence that KOC has suddenly found a magical formula to make the Vikings’ offense look competent.
All eyes will be on McCarthy again, and I’ll be cheering him on to make this prediction look utterly foolish. Given my track record, there’s plenty of precedent.
- Washington Commanders: 17
- Minnesota Vikings: 9
This glass-half-empty mindset sucks.
NFL league links
Articles
Pro Football Talk
Tests show Brian Branch tore his Achilles
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that tests show that Branch tore his Achilles when he was injured in Thursday night’s win over the Cowboys. It is a season-ending injury for the third-year player.
Branch had 75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 12 games this season.
It’s the second season-ending injury in the last two games for a Lions defensive back. Cornerback Terrion Arnold will miss the rest of the year with a shoulder injury and the team has also been without safety Kerby Joseph since Week 6.
NFL.com
NFL mandates new playing surfaces for all stadiums by 2028 to enhance player safety
Each NFL stadium will have to install a new playing surface by the start of the 2028 season to meet standards set through lab and field testing.
NFL field director Nick Pappas detailed the plans for the program on Thursday that will provide each team “a library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the start of next season. Teams will then have two years to install the new approved playing surfaces, whether they are grass, synthetic or a hybrid.
Pappas said the fields will have undergone extensive testing and been approved by a joint committee with the NFLPA. He compared to the testing that has led to new standards for helmets.
“It’s sort of a red, yellow, green effect, where we’re obviously trying to phase out fields that we have determined to be less ideal than newer fields coming into the industry,” he said. “This is a big step for us. This is something that I think has been a great outcome from the Joint Service Committee of the work, the deployment and development of devices determining the appropriate metrics, and ultimately providing us with a way to substantiate the quality of fields more so than we ever have in the past.”
Pappas said fields have been tested in labs and on site using two main tools with one called the BEAST that is a traction testing device that replicates the movements of an NFL player and another called the STRIKE Impact Tester that helps determine the firmness of each field.
The goal of the league is to find fields that are as consistent as possible across all 30 NFL stadiums, as well as at each stadium throughout the season. Pappas said the “key pillars” for a field are optimized playability, reducing injury risk and player feedback.
The NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields across the league with the league’s chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills saying there is no “statistically significant differences” in lower extremity injuries or concussions that can be attributed to the type of playing surface or a specific surface despite widespread preferences from players for grass fields and complaints about surfaces such as the one at MetLife Stadium where the New York Giants and Jets play.
Washington Post (paywall)
The NFL is taking an initiative amid its grass-vs.-turf field debate
“We’ve got essentially 30 different surfaces out there,” Pappas said. “While 15 may be synthetic turf today and 15 may be natural grass, the reality is that those 15 natural grass fields vary location to location. They vary throughout the season. Sometimes they vary from one side of the field to the other. Our … synthetic fields are no different. Those also vary by manufacturer, by design style, by age. … This is not a simple topic to work on.”
The league and the NFLPA work on the issues together under the terms of their collective bargaining agreement and have a joint field surfaces committee.
“We’ve developed new tools,” said Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy. “We’ve developed better ways to research and better understanding of surfaces and have recently shared with the clubs our mandatory practices for field surfaces, which is a step forward in all that we are doing to try to create greater consistently among the fields that NFL players play on.”
The league utilizes equipment to measure the firmness of a field and how much traction it provides to players. The NFL and NFLPA monitor the field-testing results throughout the season and intervene when necessary to address problems, as when players for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns complained about the condition of the grass field at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh for a game in October. The field reportedly already had been scheduled to be resodded following that game.
Some within the sport said the new approach to future field installations likely will result in some teams replacing fields sooner than they otherwise might have. Pappas said that, with a synthetic field having a lifespan of two to three seasons, all teams probably would have installed new fields by 2028 even without the new program.
“With a number of our stadiums hosting the World Cup next year, we’ll see a number of replacements,” Pappas said. “Some stadiums are on a typical annual replacement already. And there’s only really a couple that may tend to hold on to it a little bit longer. … Obviously the lifespan on a natural grass field is considerably shorter. Sometimes it’s only weeks or games.”
The league likened the new field program to the annual helmet testing performed jointly by the NFL and the NFLPA. Players are encouraged to switch to newer and safer helmet models that perform better in lab testing that simulates on-field impacts. Older helmet models that don’t perform as well in the testing are phased out and eventually are banned.
Discussion topics
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders should shut down Jayden Daniels
Washington needs further information on its backup quarterback more than on its starter.
Daniels, who has missed the last three weeks while recovering from his latest injury, wants to play. He has said so himself. We all can see that. But shouldn’t we also recognize the obvious? That there’s no way Daniels, the quarterback of this franchise’s future, should take another snap in this 2025 season.
Because, everyone can see that Jayden Daniels will need a steady No. 2 quarterback for as long as he’s in Washington. And the last five weeks of the season — which, to state the obvious, are about the franchise’s future much more than its present — can be significant in determining whether Marcus Mariota should retain that all-important backup position.
The greatest lesson learned in this sequel to Daniels’ spectacular Rookie of the Year season is that, with the way he plays as well as his slight frame, Washington’s leading man — forgive me, Commanders fans — just might be a weekly candidate for the injury list. Though Daniels was titanium throughout his college career, missing as few as four games over five seasons, which included the covid-shortened 2020 season, he already has missed six games in 2025.
In the six games Mariota has started for Daniels, Washington has dropped five of them.
That’s not all on Mariota, which is why the last few weeks matter so much. Neither Daniels nor Mariota has played with their full battery of offensive starters.
So consider the rest of the season as an audition, because we all should know by now that Washington will need an understudy ready to go whenever Daniels’s body can’t hold up. As for this season, Daniels needs to remain upright. The only sure way that happens is if Washington protects Daniels from himself.
