Washington Commanders (3-9) vs. Minnesota Vikings (4-9):
The Commanders dropped their seventh straight game in a heartbreaking 27-26 loss to the Denver Broncos in overtime. Quarterback Marcus Mariota kept the offense in it until the end, throwing a touchdown on fourth-and-goal to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders will be facing the struggling Minnesota Vikings, who are also coming off a brutal loss to the Seattle Seahawks 26-0, marking the first time Minnesota has been shut out in 14 years. With quarterbacks JJ McCarthy (concussion) and Carson Wentz (shoulder) out, third-string rookie quarterback Max Brosmer got his first NFL start. He threw four picks and no touchdowns, although the Vikings are catching a break given McCarthy has cleared concussion protocol and will be the starter against the Commanders.
Despite the loss, there were positives for the Commanders that they can bring into Week 14. McLaurin's presence on the field drew attention from defenders, which got tight end Zach Ertz more touches as the Commanders' leading receiver. Wide receiver Treylon Burks, who just had surgery to repair a broken finger, had the catch of the game -- a one-handed touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone.
The offensive line was also a bright spot, neutralizing the Broncos' No. 4 pass rush (43% pass rush win rate). The Broncos led the league with 49 sacks coming into the night, and the Commanders allowed just two on Mariota. Right guard Sam Cosmi had his best game since coming back from last season's ACL injury, allowing just one pressure on 55 pass blocks. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil allowed just two pressures in his 28 matchups.
On defense, linebacker Bobby Wagner intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (64.4%, 321 yards, one touchdown, one interception), which the offense capitalized on with a field goal. The Commanders' run defense also jumped up to No. 27 (133.3 average rush yards allowed) after the game, thanks to holding the Broncos' No. 14 run offense to 87 yards. The Broncos only notched three runs over 10 yards and were held to an average of 3.8 yards per carry.
Safety Will Harris' return is also key against the Vikings. With Harris on the field, cornerback Mike Sainristil was able to move to the outside, giving him more comfort on defense. Although wide receivers Evan Engram and Courtland Sutton still made their plays, the secondary limited explosive downfield plays.
The Vikings' run game is helped by their offensive line, which boasts the No. 1 run block win rate 74%. The Commanders held strong against the Broncos running back RJ Harvey, although stopping the running back tandem of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones is comparable. Washington has a strong run stop win rate of 32% (No. 7), which should force McCarthy into the air where he is more prone to generate turnovers.
As the Commanders prepare for their trip up north to U.S. Bank Stadium, let's look at how the rest of the division is faring.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4):
The Eagles are coming off their second straight loss, falling to the Chicago Bears 24-15 on Black Friday. Despite outgaining the Bears in yards per play, Philadelphia's defense gave up 425 all-purpose yards, 281 of those yards gained on the ground.
Chicago's top rushing threats in Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift combined for 255 yards and two touchdowns alone. There's a reason Chicago is ranked No. 2 in the league in rushing (153.8 average rush yards), and it's because they can burn teams like Philadelphia, who can't stop the run very effectively (No. 27, 28% run stop win rate). The Eagles will have an easier test against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are ranked No. 12 in rushing (122.1 average rush yards).
Los Angeles lost running back Najee Harris (Achilles) and rookie Omarion Hampton (ankle) earlier this season, with running back Kimani Vidal taking up the mantle. Hampton, however, is on track to return against the Eagles. The Chargers straight up outplayed the Las Vegas Raiders in their 31-14 win, although it's worth noting that they generally leaned toward the ground game.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert broke his left hand in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He underwent successful surgery on the hand Tuesday and is considered day-to-day. If he can't go, the Eagles will be facing backup quarterback Trey Lance, who has yet to start a regular season game since his stint with the Cowboys, a 23-19 loss to the Commanders in Week 18 last season.
No matter who is under center, the Chargers have a multitude of weapons in wide receivers in Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston. What hurts Los Angeles is their offensive line, which has one of the worst pass block win rates in the league at 55%. The Eagles' pass rush has been middle of the pack with a 36% pass rush win rate and top rusher Jalen Carter is dealing with a shoulder injury, so it could become weaker than in past weeks.
Aside from the run defense, what hurt the Eagles the most on offense was their inability to convert third downs. Philadelphia converted just four of 12 third downs. Much of that has to do with the Eagles run game, which has faltered all season. The Bears' No. 28 (133.8 average rush yards allowed) rush defense held the Eagles to 87 yards on the ground. Running back Saquon Barkley was held to 13 carries for 56 yards.
The Chargers' rush defense bottled up rookie running back Ashton Jeanty (15 carries, 31 yards). The Raiders only put up 31 yards on the ground and effectively stopped the quarterback scramble – which is essential to their game against Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (55.9%, 230 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (78.3%, 165 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) was tackled for loss on scrambles twice, losing six yards.
Hurts has been more apt at throwing the ball given the Eagles' recent struggles on the ground. Top wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 180 yards and two touchdowns in Week 13. Brown has the upper hand in his matchup against the Chargers' secondary, which Philadelphia will surely take advantage of.
Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) vs. Detroit Lions (7-5):
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off three straight wins, their latest coming against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Thanksgiving. Both teams needed a win to stay on track to make playoffs, and this week is no different for Dallas. Facing the Detroit Lions, who lost their must-win divisional matchup to the Green Bay Packers, 31-24, on Thanksgiving.
Coming into this week's Thursday Night Football matchup, both teams are working through injuries. The Cowboys have already ruled out cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) and tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle), while the Lions will be without safety Kerby Joseph (knee) for the game and cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder) for the rest of the season. Detroit's top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was also listed as questionable after exiting last week's game with a low-ankle sprain.
If St. Brown can't go, quarterback Jared Goff's top target on offense will be wide receiver Jameson Williams. Goff obviously has more limited weapons in the pass game without St. Brown or tight end Sam LaPorta (back) on the field, which bodes well for the Cowboys considering their pass defense isn't as strong as their run defense.
Consistent with their performance all season, the Cowboys defense is still ranked among the worst in the league at No. 29 overall. It didn't hold them back, however, against the Chiefs – Dallas outgained Kansas City by nearly 100 all-purpose yards and averaged 7.0 yards per play while the Chiefs averaged 6.0 yards per play. They also sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes three times and forced the Chiefs into a 38.5% third down conversion rate.
Nonetheless, Mahomes and the Chiefs still made several crucial passing plays. Wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy combined for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown added another two touchdowns, exposing the Cowboys' No. 30 (251.5 average passing yards allowed) passing defense.
The Cowboys' run defense, however, shined. Dallas held Kansas City to 119 rush yards and running back Kareem Hunt under 60 yards on the ground. A strong run defense is crucial against the Lions, whose running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are punishing. The No. 4 rushing offense had a quieter game against the Packers' T-7th-ranked rush defense.
Allowing 316.2 average yards per game in the middle of the pack, the Lions' defense has had an up and down season. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson led the Lions pass rush against the Packers. Detroit has a 32% pass rush win rate, and will be going up against Dallas' 65% pass block win rate.
The Cowboys' offense has been propelled by quarterback Dak Prescott and the wide receiver tandem of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Both are deep threats that have proven they can haul in launched passes week after week; Lamb's longest catch of the day was 51 yards and Pickens 39 yards.
On the ground, the Cowboys haven't been as successful. Against the Chiefs' No. 9 (100.9 average rush yards), running back Javonte Williams had a long run of just 11 yards although running back Malik Davis broke off for 43 yards. The Lions rush defense is comparable to the Chiefs (103.7 average rush yards allowed), so Dallas could play it similarly to Week 12.
