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Commanders find meaning in defeat of Giants to end losing streak
It wasn’t the sort of December celebration the Washington Commanders hoped to have this season. It was what they needed. After two months of nothing but losses, frustration and injuries, the Commanders could exhale, smile and congratulate one another again.
That it came vs. a New York Giants team with only two wins did not matter to Washington. The players hugged one another, laughed and smiled, creating scenes that resembled a team that had clinched a division title.
“We’re not trying to think
about next season,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner, unsigned beyond this season. “We’ve got a lot of dogs in here, trying to do our best to close the season out strong.”
Eight straight losses can wreck a team. Five of those losses were by 20 or more points. There were two overtime losses that were inches from being wins — a missed 56-yard field goal at the end of regulation vs. Miami; a tipped two-point conversion pass that was headed to an open target vs. Denver. There was a last-second field goal by Chicago’s Jake Moody to start the streak — and it was Moody who booted three field goals Sunday to help end it.
The win Sunday featured multiple young players who factor in the future: running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had 96 yards and a 16-yard touchdown on a career-high 18 carries. That’s two less than in his previous three games combined. During the losing streak, thanks to lopsided scores and less play time overall, Croskey-Merritt averaged only 3.3 yards per carry and finished no games with more than 61 yards rushing.
Quinn’s job did not appear to be in any jeopardy so soon after what happened last year. Still, nobody in the organization wanted to contemplate what a 12-game losing streak to end the season would have meant.
“There has never felt like there has been an emotional letdown like as in our season is over, let’s just hang it up,” McLaurin said. “I have never felt that from this locker room, and it is a testament to the leaders that we have. We have to find a way to get another one. When you get a win, it is an addictive feeling. When you lose, it stinks; especially as much as we have lost. But we won and we are going to enjoy it.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders shut down star QB Jayden Daniels for rest of season
The Washington Commanders are shutting down quarterback Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the season and turning to backup Marcus Mariota for the final three games.
Daniels’ second NFL season was limited to seven starts because of injuries to his knee, hamstring, and, most recently, left elbow. He dislocated the elbow in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and aggravated it in his first game back, a 31-0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters informed Daniels, as well as Mariota, of the decision Monday afternoon. It was made based on the totality of the circumstances — the team’s elimination from playoff contention and the fact that Daniels has yet to be cleared for contact and may not have been cleared in time for Saturday’s game against the Eagles.
Quinn said Daniels was disappointed with the decision, but also understood it. He also felt strongly that he didn’t want to be placed on injured reserve and not be able to practice.
Asked if Daniels would’ve played in the final three games if the Commanders were, say, 10-4 instead of 4-10, Quinn responded: “We’re not, so we didn’t have that discussion.”
Washington Post (paywall)
Shutting down Jayden Daniels opens up a lot of questions
[T]he Washington Commanders’ offseason full of organization-defining questions began Monday afternoon. We know Jayden Daniels — presumed to be the franchise quarterback — has endured a disjointed season defined by injury but also marred by inconsistent performance. We now know we will receive zero additional data points that might sharpen our opinion of what Daniels excels at and what needs work. That’s less than ideal.
Coach Dan Quinn said Monday that even if his quarterback is over the left elbow issue he aggravated Dec. 7 at Minnesota, Daniels would sit. That’s for Saturday at home against Philadelphia. It’s on Christmas against Dallas. It’s for the season finale Jan. 4 in Philly. Each is an opportunity. Each is wasted.
To a degree, this is complicated. To a degree. Daniels hasn’t been cleared for contact — though Quinn said Monday he would continue to practice. Because Daniels has departed the past three games he has played because of injuries, there’s a trend here. He’s the franchise centerpiece. He provides a path to a brighter future. Protecting him is paramount.
[I]f he could have returned against the Vikings right then and there, the expectation was that he would be available the following week against the New York Giants. He wasn’t. Now, it’s true injuries such as that could worsen overnight. Maybe it swelled up. But the Commanders have been adamant that Daniels didn’t dislocate the elbow as he did a month earlier against Seattle. There is no structural damage. Moreover, it’s his left elbow, not part of the arm with which he throws.
Ostensibly, this decision is to protect the future of the franchise — even as Quinn has preached the value of opportunity even when the playoffs are out of reach.
It’s already a fun parlor game (for those without an emotional investment) to ask people to reorder the quarterbacks taken in the 2024 draft. Entering 2025, Daniels had to be first. Entering 2026? Well, that’s an open question — and Daniels can’t provide any more substantial evidence between Christmas 2025 and Labor Day 2026 that he should hold the top spot.
Washington Post (paywall)
Hail or Fail: Special teams shine in a long-awaited Commanders win
Fail: Picking on Antonio Hamilton Sr.
Dart, New York’s rookie quarterback, targeted receivers who were lined up against Hamilton often, and while the strategy was understandable, it backfired. The Commanders’ veteran cornerback, who was forced into a starting role with cornerback Jonathan Jones (ribs) inactive, made the most of his opportunity. He helped limit Giants receiver Darius Slayton to four catches for 53 yards on 10 targets, and he had a pair of pass deflections. Late in the third quarter, Hamilton prevented Slayton from making an over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone. On New York’s final drive, he broke up Dart’s third-down pass intended for Slayton to set up the Commanders’ game-sealing stop.
Hail: Special teams
Trailing 13-7, the Giants probably figured they would have excellent starting field position after forcing the Commanders to punt from their own 11-yard line late in the first half. Instead, Tress Way’s 55-yard boot and Jeremy Reaves’s tackle of return man Jevón Holland backed New York up to its 25. The Giants went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, which included a sack by Von Miller. Rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane fielded Cameron Johnston’s punt, made the Giants’ first would-be tackler miss and found a seam up the middle before cutting outside and outrunning everyone to the end zone. Lane became the fifth Washington player with two punt returns for touchdowns in a season and the first since Brian Mitchell in 1994. Kicker Jake Moody doinked an extra point off the upright [and sent a kickoff out of bounds] but made all three of his field goals.
Commanders.com
5 takeaways from Commanders vs. Giants
There’s still plenty to clean up.
Although the Commanders did show improvement after being shut out by the Vikings, they still suffered from some of the same problems they’ve dealt with all season.
The turnovers were the most prevalent issue from the offense. The unit fumbled the ball four times, two of which were recovered by the Giants in the final six minutes of the game. One of them resulted in a Giants touchdown, which cut the Commanders’ lead from 15 points to eight. The second, which thankfully only resulted in a one-yard Giants gain rather than the 23-yarder that was originally called on the field, gave the Giants a chance to tie things up. Fortunately, the defense forced a turnover on downs, allowing the offense to run out the clock.
But the defense also made errors, despite forcing the Giants to punt four times. They allowed plays of at least 15 yards, including a 29-yard scramble from Dart and a 42-yard catch-and-run from Theo Johnson. Dart’s run led to a touchdown in the second quarter that made the score 13-7.
There are still some things for the Commanders to clean up in the final three games. They’ll have an opportunity to do so against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
Heavy.com
Bobby Wagner : Logs seven tackles in Week 15
Wagner registered seven tackles (six solo) during the Commanders’ 29-21 win over the Giants on Sunday. Wagner was able to shake off a knee injury to play in Sunday’s NFC East showdown, and it didn’t appear to bother him as he was able to play every single defensive snap while finishing second on the Commanders in tackles behind Quan Martin (nine). Wagner has tallied at least seven stops in all 14 regular-season games, 13 of which he played every single defensive snap. The veteran linebacker is up to 137 tackles on the year, which is fifth most in the NFL.
Heavy.com
Commanders stupidly urged to shut down Terry McLaurin and others
While McLaurin has played in the last 3 games and his production has seen an uptick — he has 26 receptions for 409 yards and 3 touchdowns — the smartest thing to do might be to put him on ice until 2026.
“With the Commanders shutting down Jayden Daniels for the final three games, they should shut down other vital starters too,” 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen wrote on X. “Terry McLaurin is paramount to the cause next year (as we just saw in 2025). He shouldn’t play again in the final three. Same with Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne at DT. They have nothing to prove. John Bates is a big piece as a blocking TE. Shut them down and play young guys (Lane, Newton, Sinnott etc). If the priority is on avoiding injuries and making sure you’re ready to hit the ground sprinting in OTAs — not on getting key reps in the final weeks — that’s fine. But go all the way in. Why stop at Daniels?”
Commanders Wire
Former Washington coach has harsh assessment of Commanders’ rookie
Former Washington coach Jay Gruden (2014-19) had a harsh assessment of Conerly’s rookie season in his weekly appearance on “Grant & Danny” of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.
“Well, he’s just had a tough year,” Gruden said. “He struggles in pass protection against powerful rushers and speed. I mean, he does some good things, don’t get me wrong, I just think as far as a starting right tackle, he’s below average this year for the Washington team. There’s a lot better right tackles out there that are bigger and stronger, especially in the running game. And those double-team blocks and all that good stuff you have to do for a right tackle. You want your right tackle to be powerful. Most of those guys do the inside zone, the double teams on the 3-technique, and all that good stuff. He’s just not quite there yet. I think his body will develop. He’ll get stronger in the weight room with (strength and conditioning coach) Chad (Englehart), and I think good things are in his future.”
Gruden wasn’t hopeless concerning Conerly. His concerns mirror what we heard in pre-draft evaluations of Conerly: he needed to get stronger.
If you’ve watched every Washington game this season, there’s no doubt that Conerly has made drastic improvements. He just turned 22 last month, so, as Gruden said, there’s plenty of time for Conerly to get stronger. Having five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil as his mentor has helped Conerly through his rookie season.
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders TE Ben Sinnott deserves more opportunities
This was supposed to be the week that Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott emerged. The second-year tight end from Kansas State was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft to be the Commanders’ tight end of the future.
It didn’t happen as a rookie.
In Sunday’s 29-21 win over the New York Giants, Sinnott received one target from quarterback Marcus Mariota. The good news is that play was Washington’s second-longest from scrimmage, a 36-yard completion late in the fourth quarter, where Sinnott beat one of the league’s top-paid safeties for a huge play.
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Blogging the Boys
Cowboys vs. Vikings Stock Report: Brian Schottenheimer, Matt Eberflus fail team
[T]his was a game that the Cowboys had to have. They knew it. We knew it. Everyone knew it.
Dallas was coming off of a Thursday game and had the mini-bye to rest up and prepare for their final sprint where they needed to run their race and hope for help outside of it. But as we sat down hoping to see a 10-round fight for a playoff spot over the next few weeks, the Cowboys got knocked out in the first. They didn’t even make it to inside of a week to Christmas for the party to be over.
We can understand and rationalize that this is not easy. The Cowboys are trying to do something difficult and were trying to climb out of a huge hole (a self-inflicted one to be clear).
But these last two weeks have undone some of the good will that Brian Schottenheimer earned for powering his team through the previous three wins (talking about football to be clear here, obviously this team has been dealing with a tragedy that transcends a game). It is harder to look back on the three wins and feel like they were stout and not more of a result of an Eagles team struggling with their identity and the Chiefs falling apart (oh and the Raiders). Brian Schottenheimer had a chance to pass the test on Sunday, passing in general would have been fine, and he flunked it. His team was unprepared and he was conservative to make things even worse.
Big Blue View
Are NY Giants set up for success after the 2025 season? NFL experts weigh in
The Giants believe they are better than their 2-12 record indicates. Do NFL insiders, analysts agree?
The New York Giants are finishing yet another season gone wrong. They have fired the head coach and defensive coordinator. They might yet decide to replace the general manager.
As they head toward an offseason with major decisions to make about their future, they appear to believe at least two things.
- They have more talent than a 2-12 record would indicate. Coaching has been the primary issue.
- In Jaxson Dart, they have a quarterback to build around.
Are the Giants right? What do others in and around the game think. We surveyed executives, people who have worked in the league, and a number of SB Nation writers for opposing teams to get their opinion of a variety of questions regarding the Giants.
Their answers are below.
The Giants feel they have a good nucleus of talent and should be better than they are. Are they right, or are they fooling themselves?
An NFC executive:
“The team has some good pieces, but the record over the past two seasons is what it is.”
A former NFL scout:
“They have some key players at valuable positions (Burns, Nabers, Thomas, hopefully Dart). That said, other key areas (other parts of OL, secondary, DT/LB) are real needs. Doesn’t feel as good as recent comments from them indicate they think it is.”
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Over the Cap
49ers Place Aiyuk on Left Squad List
When the breach occurs in the regular season it triggers a 25% forfeiture which could be as high as $1.15 million for this year. As long as he fails to honor the contract the team could continue to ask for up to $4.6 million (or whatever the number is post insurance) over the next three years of the contract which covers the prorated years of the bonus.
The timing of this decision by San Francisco was likely related to a massive option bonus they paid Aiyuk this year which was worth $22.855 million. The rules regarding option bonus recovery are different than the rules regarding signing bonus money. A signing bonus can always be attacked in any contract year a breach occurs regardless of when the bonus was earned. An option bonus can only be attacked in a contract year the bonus was actually earned, meaning if the 49ers did not act in 2025 to trigger an official breach the $22.855M would be free and clear for the rest of the contract even if Aiyuk never reported to the team. By triggering the breach in the year paid, it is my understanding that the 49ers now can go after future allocations of the bonus if Aiyuk refuses to return to the team next year. The number at stake for Aiyuk this year would be 25% of $3.809 million or $952,292. It should be $3.809 million per year moving forward.
Aiyuk also now forfeits the remainder of this years P5 which is $260,000 bringing the total that the team may recover to about $2.36 million. The 49ers do not have to go after any of the bonus money but it would be shocking if they did not. Of course getting the salary back from the player can be a process but that is a different topic.
The next decision would seem to be in Aiyuks court. He has five days to return to the team and they would be forced to reinstate him. While this would not change the money he has forfeited it might protect him from losing significantly more of that option bonus as he should only need to get through the remainder of the 2025 season to keep the rest protected from future breaches. If he refuses to return the 49ers can officially “retire” him and maintain their ability to ask for all of that future salary back.
If he does not return then Aiyuk’s best course of action would be to mend the fences with the 49ers in the offseason so he can return to active standing in the league. Once he returns to the team he should reset the clock on any breaches. Since the option forfeiture and only be triggered in the year earned another breach in 2026 after coming back should keep him free from any other potential paybacks on that bonus. Clearly he does not want to be in San Francisco anymore so it would seem that this now opens a window to negotiate a way out via paying back some bonus bonus to facilitate his return and eventual release from the 49ers.
Discussion topics
The Athletic (paywall)
As NFL stars deal with season-ending injuries, let’s end the 18-game season talk
As Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons hobbled to their respective locker rooms Sunday evening, moments after each tumbled to the turf and writhed in pain while trainers and team doctors rushed to their aid, a sickening feeling settled over all who watched.
Two of pro football’s brightest stars, we soon learned, each tore an ACL in an otherwise spectacular day of late-season football. Now, Mahomes and Parsons face surgeries, long recovery roads and uncertainty over when/if they will regain their elite forms. The three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback and the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year joined hundreds of their football brethren who have landed on injured reserve this season. (According to NFLPA figures, 309 players have been placed on IR through 15 weeks of regular-season action, which is slightly down from 319 through 15 weeks in 2024, but up compared to 274 through this point in 2023.)
The adage, “Injuries are part of the game,” is true. Yet, with each torn knee ligament (entering Week 15, 59 players were on IR with such injuries) and popped Achilles tendon (11 seasons have ended in such fashion), it grows harder to grasp the prudence of further expansion of the regular-season schedule.
More football is great, but at what cost? Will the unquenchable thirst for more — more money, more games — eventually take its toll and lead to the shortening of careers and the deterioration of the game?
It’s impossible to predict when the injury bug will strike. Any of those players had the same chance of getting hurt in Week 1 as they did in Week 15. However, players feel it is unwise to heighten the risk of injury by expanding their workload with a longer regular-season schedule. Sure, you can trim the preseason further, but most veterans don’t play in those contests anymore anyway. You can implement a second bye week, but the pounding will still pile up.
If NFL team owners are smart, care about the quality of the game and the investments that make the league go (the players), they would abandon thoughts of an 18th game. Yet, we all know where their priorities lie. That’s why the players — once they finally get their leadership structure figured out — should resist at all costs.
Opting for quality over quantity would best serve everyone. The players avoid the increased risk of injury and shortened playing careers, and the owners receive a stronger product to dole out to the world.
Injuries are indeed an unfortunate part of the game, but unnecessarily embracing heightened risk defies logic.
