It was another frustrating afternoon for the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders went into their Week 14 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings with confidence and what appeared to be a new outlook after taking the Denver Broncos -- one of the best teams in the AFC -- to the brink in overtime. They got healthier in the days leading up to the trip to U.S. Bank Stadium with Noah Brown and Jayden Daniels back on the field, offering a look at what the offense was promised to look like in the offseason.
Instead, the Commanders were plagued with similar problems they have dealt with all season in a 31-0 loss -- their eighth straight in the last two months and their first time getting shut out in six years.
This week, the Commanders were hit with a few more body blows. Daniels, who suited up for the first time in a month, appeared to re-injure his elbow and left the game in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Zach Ertz suffered a knee injury and was carted to the locker room.
It was a difficult day for the Commanders, who had shown progress in their last two games, on both sides of the ball. Although both of their previous games were losses, the team certainly looked more competitive, particularly on defense.
Their matchup against the Vikings (5-8) was a return to some of the Commanders' struggles. Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy led an offense that put up 313 total yards and converted 25 first downs after getting just 10 and 11 in their previous two matchups. McCarthy threw three touchdowns in the win, all of which were to tight ends.
The Vikings also had their way with the Commanders on the ground, as the trio of Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and McCarthy rushed for 162 yards on 4.8 yards per carry.
Washington's offense, which had wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown on the field together for the first time since Week 2, did not experience that success. Their best drive -- their first of the game -- was stopped short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal, as a pass from Daniels slipped out of Samuel's hands.
The Commanders had few answers for the Vikings' defense, which brought consistent pressure on first and second down. The Commanders had just 12 first downs all day and went 3-of-10 on third down.
Daniels finished the game completing nine of his 20 pass attempts for 78 yards, while Mariota went 2-of-4 for 30 yards.
The Vikings got off to a fast start in front of a raucous home crowd and covered 61 yards in seven plays. McCarthy completed all four of his passes on the drive, the last being an 18-yard touchdown to Josh Oliver.
For about eight minutes, it appeared as if the Commanders would put together a performance that resembled the high-powered unit that it routinely had in 2024. They moved down the field on 15 plays with a third-down conversion from Samuel and a 28-yard reception from McLaurin. Chris Rodriguez, who finished with 52 rushing yards, got the offense to the Vikings' 2-yard line. Daniels dropped back for three passes, and all three fell to the turf.
The Vikings set up at the 2-yard line and went on a 19-play drive that covered 12 minutes. The Commanders had four opportunities to get them off the field on third downs of six, nine, 12 and one yard, but the Vikings converted all of them, the last being an eight-yard touchdown run from Mason.
Washington's defense managed to get a pair of stops to end the first half, but the offense couldn't do much with their own possessions. They covered a combined 21 yards on six plays and punted the ball back to Minnesota with 17 seconds left to leave things 14-0 at halftime.
From there, the momentum was entirely in Minnesota's corner.
With help from a defensive pass interference call and a penalty for the Vikings having too many players on the field, the Commanders got to the Vikings' 19-yard line before stalling on fourth down. Daniels and the offense stayed on the field, but the quarterback's pass was batted in the air and caught by Andrew Van Ginkle, who returned it to the Commanders' 30-yard line.
Washington held the Vikings to a field goal but gave the ball back to them four plays later. This time, the Vikings got in the end zone on a second touchdown reception from Oliver. The Commanders moved backwards nine yards on the ensuing drive, and the Vikings marched 66 yards downfield and punched it in with a two-yard touchdown from T.J. Hockenson.
The Commanders' final attempt at getting points on the board to avoid the shutout ended with Mariota fumbling the ball at the Vikings' 20-yard line, allowing Minnesota to run out the clock from there.
