bill-in-bangkokMon, December 1, 2025 at 7:16 PM UTC·24 min readCommanders links
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The Athletic (paywall)
The Commanders went for the win and lost, but it reminded them of who they were, and could be again
Of course you go for two.
You do it 100 times out of 100, and certainly you do it where the Washington Commanders are, their season tattered and torn.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWashington went for the win. It took a great play from Denver’s great linebacker, Nik Bonitto — who batted Marcus Mariota’s potential game-winning two-point conversion pass to a wide-open Jeremy McNichols — to preserve the Broncos’ victory. Yes, it was Washington’s seventh straight loss. Yes, Jayden Daniels probably would have made Bonitto miss, spun around and hit the still wide-open McNichols for the game-winner. But, Daniels is rehabbing. And while Mariota was a gamer Sunday night, throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns, he couldn’t get that last pass over Bonitto’s head.
It was still the right thing to do.
It was, if not a winning decision, at least a reminder of who the Commanders were last season, and who they’d like to be again next season. They went for it all the time last season, and while their success rate on fourth down was unsustainable, the attitude shouldn’t be tamed. The only way for Washington to get its swagger back in 2026 is to be that team all the time, even when it doesn’t work out.
Going for it was just one of the many reminders of 2024 all over Northwest Stadium Sunday. There was linebacker Frankie Luvu, causing havoc again and coming up with a sack on Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. There was Bobby Wagner, coming up with a second-half interception off of Nix. It was Washington’s first defensive turnover created in nearly a month. (The Commanders have just seven takeaways all season. They had five turnovers alone in the divisional playoff game in Detroit last January.) There was cornerback Mike Sainristil, looking again like the sure tackler Washington drafted in the second round last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd there was McLaurin, back again after missing three games with a re-aggravated quad injury, pulling down seven catches for 96 yards, including that 3-yard slant from Mariota on fourth-and-goal from the Denver 3. You can re-litigate last spring and summer, and McLaurin’s contract holdout and then hold-in, and how that may have factored into the first injury-plagued season of his career. What is inarguable is that McLaurin is still a difference-maker, and someone who needs to be here next season.
Sunday night was for Quinn, and his team, remembering who they were, and how they reached such lofty heights last season. The loss, in a lost season, stung. But if the Commanders are ever going to get their swagger back, it will come from an attitude like their coach displayed in OT. It was better to lose a game after midnight by going for the win, rather than tying one a few minutes later by playing it safe.
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders are coming up empty on this season’s ‘luck dashboard’
After benefiting from good fortune in 2024, Washington is among the NFL’s unluckiest teams in 2025, according to metrics compiled by an NFL data scientist.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAgainst an all-out blitz on the final play of overtime Sunday night, Washington Commanders wide receivers Treylon Burks and Deebo Samuel Sr. created a traffic jam in the middle of the field. Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga got swept up by the crowd, as planned. And the player he was supposed to be covering, running back Jeremy McNichols, slipped wide open into the flat — seemingly destined for a walk-in two-point conversion to win the game.
If Marcus Mariota had thrown the ball with a few more degrees of loft, the Commanders probably win. If Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto had taken a slightly different angle off the edge, the Commanders probably win.
Instead, Bonitto batted down the ball and sprinted downfield in celebration. Mariota took an exasperated knee on the turf. Washington lost its seventh consecutive game, 27-26, while giving Denver its ninth straight win.
Three of Washington’s losses have come by a combined five points, with each realistically boiling down to one simple mistake: The ill-timed fumble by Jayden Daniels against Chicago, the missed game-winning field goal by Matt Gay in Madrid, and the batted ball Sunday night.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn their magical march to the NFC championship game a year ago, the Commanders stayed unusually healthy and seemed to have every pivotal bounce of the ball go their way — from opponents dropping passes in the fourth quarter to missed kicks and, of course, the walk-off Hail Mary victory against Chicago.
This year has almost been the opposite. Washington has been outclassed and beaten emphatically in five games. It has also gone 0-4 in one-score games and been decimated by injuries. Twenty-two players have missed a game due to injury, and seven of the team’s Week 1 starters have had a stint on injured reserve. Starting quarterback Daniels, running back Austin Ekeler and wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown have missed a combined 33 games.
NFL data scientist Tom Bliss has attempted to measure some of these moments across the league with what he has dubbed a “luck dashboard.” He tracks four types of plays — dropped passes, dropped interceptions, missed field goals and fumbles — and calculates their cumulative impact on each team’s winning percentage.
Last year, by Bliss’s metrics, Washington was by far the luckiest team in the NFL. This year, at least as of Week 12, they had been the second-most unlucky. Only the New York Jets had fared worse.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe players in Washington’s locker room are more likely to talk about poor execution in “winning-time moments,” as Coach Dan Quinn calls them, than they are about bad luck. It’s the same reason there was little talk from players about the officiating after Sunday night’s game, despite questionable calls benefiting both teams — including a mysterious false start on McLaurin with less than two minutes to play in regulation.
That’s where any discourse about luck stops: The best teams ultimately create their own advantages. They have the sort of resilience that makes a bad break irrelevant. And that’s what Washington is striving for.
Commanders.com
Instant analysis | Commanders fall to 3-9 in OT heart breaker to Broncos
There’s no such thing as moral victories in the NFL, so the Washington Commanders weren’t celebrating anything in the locker room following their 27-26 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut unlike in previous weeks, there were more positives to be taken from the outcome than the Commanders had experienced in months.
“I hate the outcome,” head coach Dan Quinn said after the game. “But I loved the fight.”
Washington’s defense built on what it showed in Madrid and manufactured opportunities to reclaim momentum. They forced four punts, three of which came in the fourth quarter, and forced an interception from quarterback Bo Nix. Coverage was tighter on Denver’s receiving corps with Will Harris back in the lineup and Mike Sainristil playing as a perimeter corner. The Broncos also struggled to find success on the ground, as they were limited to just 87 yards on 22 carries.
The offense, which had Terry McLaurin back for the first time since Week 8, put up 419 yards — the unit’s best performance since Week 1. They converted eight of 17 third downs, rushed for 143 yards against one of the NFL’s best defenses and kept the league’s best pass rush largely in check with just two sacks.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMcLaurin caught seven passes for 96 yards in his first game back, bringing the Commanders within a two-point conversion of winning the game in overtime. Tight end Zach Ertz, who moved to fifth all-time in receptions at his position, was the only player to surpass him with 10 catches for 106 yards on 13 targets. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a solid night leading the offense, as he completed 28 of his 50 passes for 294 yards and rushed for 55 on 10 carries.
Even some of Washington’s younger players showed flashes; Treylon Burks had the catch of the night in the second quarter, making a one-handed touchdown grab — his first since his rookie season in 2022 — to give the Commanders the lead.
Washington Post (paywall)
Treylon Burks made one jaw-dropping play. That matters for the Commanders.
The receiver has been plagued by injuries, but Sunday night against the Broncos, he gave Washington something to talk about other than a seventh straight loss.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow about Treylon Burks? He’s the author of the play that made you spit out your drink before you could swallow it. He’s the guy Odell Beckham Jr. tweeted about in admiration, because this is the kind of play Beckham used to make himself. We’re talking about what might be the NFL’s catch of the year. Which is saying something.
Here, in one play, is what the rest of this Commanders’ season is about. It’s not the wins and losses, because there have been seven of the latter in a row. It’s about finding players who might help make 2026 a winning campaign. It’s about finding someone — anyone — who can make you say, “Wow. We might have something here.” It’s about finding someone — anyone — who might unlock unrealized potential.
Washington entered this season as a threat in the NFC. It will wind down this season as a destination for people who might need a place to fit in. Burks is an example of why the last five games are still important. What can we learn about who might be a good fit for a truly competitive Commanders team next year?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen second-year receiver Luke McCaffrey went down for the year with an injury, Burks was elevated to the regular roster. In a blowout loss against Detroit, he flashed by catching three balls, including a 37-yarder. He also broke the middle finger on his right hand. (Hold on. That detail is important.)
He had surgery. He missed one game. He returned.
The catch…was stunning. Moss was draped all over him. When Burks leaped, his back was to the ground. He reached up with his right hand — the one with the busted digit — to haul the pass in one-handed. It was eye-popping, jaw-dropping, you-name-it impressive.
Riggo’s Rag
5 winners (and 2 losers) from Commanders’ heartbreaking defeat to the Broncos
Winner No. 3
Mike Sainristil – Commanders CB
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for cornerback Mike Sainristil this season. His switch to the slot didn’t go as well as fans thought. Although his interception numbers were up, his feast or famine approach was something opposing offenses exploited with alarming frequency.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSainristil has been switched back to the boundary after four-time Pro Bowl corner Marshon Lattimore and second-round rookie Trey Amos were both ruled out for the campaign. The Commanders didn’t have much choice, but it provided the spark that ignited the Michigan product to brighter fortunes.
There is no doubt that Sainristil looks much more comfortable on the outside these days. There was urgency and aggression in everything he did versus the Broncos, adding an extra sense of fire to the secondary that had been sorely lacking previously.
The Commanders should make Sainristil a permanent feature outside the numbers moving forward. One only has to look at the growth being displayed in recent weeks to see that.
Winner No. 4
Josh Conerly Jr. – Commanders OT
As previously mentioned, the Washington Commanders’ offensive line held up remarkably well in the face of stern opposition. And even though he got a lot more help than left tackle Laremy Tunsil, this was another accomplished outing from first-round rookie Josh Conerly Jr.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementConerly endured a baptism of fire to start his NFL career. The Commanders were willing to put up with growing pains, but their faith in the former Oregon standout never wavered during his transition to the right tackle spot. Those in power were rewarded with gradual growth, and the No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 draft has come to life over the second half of the campaign.
His footwork and hand placement have developed significantly. Conerly still needs to add some strength to his core base, but the trajectory is pointing up. With another offseason to hone his craft, the sky is the limit in 2026 and beyond.
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders Week 13 Player of the Game: TE Zach Ertz
Ertz, 35, caught 10 of his 12 targets for 106 yards, leading Washington in catches and receiving yards. He hauled in the second-longest catch of the day for Washington, a 21-yard grab, and converted a crucial fourth down with under a minute remaining in the game with an eight-yard grab [although] he did let a potential game-tying touchdown catch on third down in overtime slip out of his fingers, which would have been his 11th catch of the game and fifth touchdown of the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[However], Ertz made history by surpassing former Broncos Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe for the fifth-most receptions by a tight end in NFL history.
He entered the game with 814 career receptions, needing just two to pass Sharpe, who was bumped out of the top five, a group that now contains Tony Gonzalez (1,325), Jason Witten (1,228), Travis Kelce (1,063), Antonio Gates (995), and Ertz (824).
Ertz’s 10-catch performance marked the 12th time in his career with 10-plus receptions, and the first time since Nov. 24, 2019, when he hauled in 12 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Heavy.com
John Bates : Two catches vs. Denver
Bates caught both of his targets for nine yards in Sunday night’s 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos. Even with Zach Ertz’s monster performance (10-106-0), Bates was still involved in the Commanders’ passing attack during Sunday night’s loss. The Boise State product has appeared in 10 games this season, catching eight of 12 targets for 71 yards. He’s likely to remain a minimal portion of Washington’s offensive game plan in the Week 14 matchup against the Vikings.
ESPN
NFL Week 13: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Commanders
Can the Commanders play spoiler? After consecutive overtime defeats, the Commanders finally look like a competitive team again. They still have NFC East games left versus Dallas (at home) and two versus the Eagles. Washington is in better shape to finally spring an upset and perhaps impact the playoff race. In the two games since coach Dan Quinn took over defensive playcalling duties, the Commanders have allowed a combined 42 points. They have a healthier group of receivers with Terry McLaurin back, and quarterback Jayden Daniels should return soon. At 3-9, it’s a lost season, but their improved play could help decide the NFC East.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMost surprising performance: Washington’s offensive line. Denver entered the game with an NFL-high 46 sacks, but the Broncos couldn’t generate a consistent rush versus the Commanders, recording only two sacks. A quick pass game helped, but the Commanders’ O-line did well overall. And against the NFL’s top-rated run defense, Washington averaged 4.3 yards per carry. — John Keim
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
NFL.com
NFL Week 13 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday’s 11 games
Former first-rounder turns in CPOY candidate. Forever remembered as the player drafted in the trade that sent A.J. Brown from the Titans to the Eagles, Treylon Burks was an unequivocal bust in Nashville, as the 2022 NFL Draft’s No. 18 overall pick was waived in October and ended up in D.C.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Sunday night, Burks turned in a catch-of-the-year candidate in the third quarter. Burks skied for a one-handed touchdown catch over Riley Moss, hauling in the greatest play of his career with his right hand as he fell to the turf for a 5-yard touchdown pass from another former Titans first-round pick, Marcus Mariota, who was 28 of 50 for 294 yards and two TDs.
Burks had surgery on the middle finger of the right hand he used for the catch just 14 days prior to mend a spiral fracture, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. It was just his second career TD and his first since his rookie campaign. It’s been a rough go over four seasons for Burks and a trying 2025 for the Commanders. On Sunday, Burks provided a memorable highlight for both.
My, how things can change in one NFL year. This was one crazy game, but when the chaos subsided, the end result was the expected one, and just how speedily fortunes can change in the NFL was on center stage. A season ago, Jayden Daniels, Dan Quinn and Co. had resurrected a franchise, while Bo Nix, Sean Payton and the Broncos were attempting to squeeze into the playoffs for the club’s first berth in a decade.
Now, with Daniels inactive Sunday, Washington has lost seven straight — two more defeats than the team had all of last regular season (12-5). Nix, Payton and the Broncos, meanwhile, have been victorious in nine straight and are fighting for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and their first AFC West title since 2015 — when they won the Super Bowl.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s obvious how different the directions are in which these teams are going this season, but it likewise appears crystal clear how greatly the trajectory has changed for both franchises: The Broncos are continuing their ascent to AFC heavyweights, while the Commanders have freefallen from a 2024 campaign that ended with nothing but promise for the future but now appear to be staring head on at another reconstruction. Washington put up a fight on Sunday night, but this was a prime-time reminder on how much can change in the blink of an NFL season.
NFL Research: Zach Ertz had a game-high 10 receptions for 106 yards, giving him 824 for his career as he passed Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe (815) for the fifth-most receptions by a tight end in history.
Commanders.com
Commanders-Broncos Stats & Snaps
Washington had 30 first downs against Denver. It is their most first downs gained in a single game this season and the most in a single game since Week 10 of the 2020 season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWashington recorded 419 total net yards, their second-most of the season and most in a single game since Week 1 against the New York Giants.
Washington committed five penalties, their second fewest in a single game trailing only three committed against Kansas City in Week 8.
Washington had eight third down conversions, which was their most in 2025 and most in a single game since Week 15 of the 2024 season.
Washington joined the Indianapolis Colts as the only two teams this season to record 400-plus net yards against Denver.
Podcasts & videos
Another Gut Punch | John Keim ReportPhotos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Commanders vs. Broncos, Week 13
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during their Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
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NJ.com
Eagles are falling apart — and Nick Sirianni’s poor decisions might be the biggest reason behind it
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni deserves the most criticism for the team’s and the offense’s underperformance.
Heading into the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Philadelphia ranks 24th in total offense (304.8 yards per game), 22nd in passing (196.3 yards per game), 22nd in rushing (108.5 yards per game) and 18th in scoring (22.5 points per game).
Over the past two weeks, the Eagles have been flagged 16 times for 154 yards, causing many offensive drives to sputter.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Eagles are the only team in the NFL to lose multiple games after leading by 14 or more points this season, blowing a 14-point lead to the Denver Broncos in Week 5 and a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. Then they responded poorly in the following weeks, getting overpowered in losses to the Giants in Week 6 and to the Bears in Week 13.
In that loss to the Giants, the Eagles rushed for just 73 yards and surrendered 172 yards on the ground. The offense turned the ball over twice, went 1-of-9 on third downs and gave up 11-of-16 third downs.
It was a similiar story against the Bears: Philadelphia’s defense allowed 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai, and another 125 yards and a touchdown to veteran D’Andre Swift, who played for Philadelphia in 2023. The Eagles were penalized seven times for 44 yards, turned the ball over twice on offense, rushed for just 87 yards and lost the time-of-possession battle 39:18 to 20:40.
Big Blue View
NY Giants head coaching search: Could Mike Tomlin become a real option?
The Steelers are stumbling toward their first losing season since 2003 and the first of Tomlin’s 19-year career as their head coach. The Steelers haven’t always been a juggernaut under Tomlin, but they’ve never lost like they did Sunday evening against the Buffalo Bills.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementChants of “Fire Tomlin” echoed through Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) as the Steelers gave up 249 rushing yards to the Bills en route to a 26-7 loss at home.
So could Tomlin actually be a realistic candidate to be the Giants’ next head coach? All things must eventually come to an end, and Tomlin is only 53 years old. There’s talk among pundits and fans that the game has passed (the not-old) Tomlin by, and that he appears burnt out. However, he’s probably the most qualified candidate Giants fans could hope for.
Upcoming opponent
Daily Norseman
Everything Ends Badly, Otherwise It Wouldn’t End
So where do we go from here?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt wasn’t supposed to be like this. Sure, the Minnesota Vikings weren’t going to go 14-3 again after the run they had in 2024, but surely they were going to be a solid contender again in 2025, weren’t they?
tonight, after watching the Vikings fall to 4-8 after a thoroughly embarrassing 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the first shutout the team had put up in nearly two decades, it’s starting to look like this team is every bit as far away from contention. . .and, perhaps, even farther. . .than they were when the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah/Kevin O’Connell regime took the reins ahead of the 2022 season. Meanwhile, the rest of the NFC North has lapped them. The Detroit Lions, though they’ve stumbled a bit this season, are still well ahead of the Vikings, and the Green Bay Packers are still solidly ahead of the Vikings as well. Perhaps the most telling is that the Chicago Bears, who have spent most of the last few years as the doormat of the division, would be the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs if the season ended today.
There isn’t really a lot of sunshine and lollipops to be had here, folks.
you need answers on a whole lot of other players. You need answers on a whole lot of coaches. And if you’re Mark and Zygi Wilf, there are questions that, hopefully, you’re getting ready to ask. Because, if you’re a Vikings fan, you might need to start bracing yourself for something that none of us have ever had to sit through as fans of this team:
A full-on, no-kidding, “blow everything up and start from scratch” rebuild of the entire operation.
I’m talking new GM, new coach, new faces of the franchise, the whole nine yards. No “competitive rebuild,” no “let’s have one or two good years and then keep our fingers crossed,” no “let’s hope we can make an NFC Championship Game once every decade.” I mean taking swings at actual, sustained, long-term success, and continuing to swing until you finally get there.
Is that what’s going to happen this offseason? I don’t know. I’m just saying that, given what has happened this season and how quickly this entire franchise has done a 180 from what we were experiencing less than 12 calendar months ago, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
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NFL.com
Chargers QB Justin Herbert to undergo surgery to fix break in left hand suffered in win over Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is scheduled to have a procedure on Monday after suffering a broken bone on the back of his left non-throwing hand during Sunday’s 31-14 win over the Raiders, head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters.
Harbaugh added that he was unsure if Herbert will miss any games and they will see how the week progresses.
“I know that he’s as tough as they come,” Harbaugh said. “You know, taped it up, glove, and plameyed a great game.”
It remains to be seen if Herbert will be able to go in Week 14, but Los Angeles’ date with the Philadelphia Eagles next Monday night does provide one extra day for the star QB to recover — and for now he’s of the mindset he’ll be out there.
NFL.com
Vikings waive Adam Thielen following WR’s request to be released
Thielen posted on social media that this is his final season, and he’d like to join a contender.
“Last week, Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement. “Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success.”
