Commanders impress in latest loss, but players wave off ‘moral victory’

NFL players don’t traffic in moral victories and silver linings. But the Commanders said they looked — and felt — like a different team in their back-to-back overtime losses, even as their losing streak hit seven games after Sunday night’s one-point loss to the Denver Broncos.

“Scars are hard, but the lessons are deep,” Coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “Our team showed a lot of resilience, and I felt the energy they displayed for one another, felt it on the field and on the sideline. It was there all night, and that was a good deal. These moments matter; these close fights matter.”

Quinn’s squad entered December at 3-9, barely clinging to the hopes of a miraculous postseason berth. They’d need the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles to lose all five of their remaining games, while the Commanders would have to win out to make the playoffs with a losing record.

But Washington hasn’t won a football game since the first week of October.

“Tough. There you have the moral victory, I guess, if you want to call it that,” tight end Zach Ertz said after the latest loss. “We competed against a really good team, but my soul hurts.”

Not all losses are created equal, though.

November began with the Commanders being embarrassed on national television. During the Nov. 2 prime-time matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, Washington trailed 31-7 at halftime. The football gods added injury to insult when star quarterback Jayden Daniels injured his left elbow in the final minutes of the blowout.

Washington’s locker room was despondent after the Seattle loss, with players holding their heads in their hands and openly worrying about their quarterback’s health.

Daniels’ stomach-churning injury was ultimately not as serious as it originally appeared.

But Sunday’s loss to the Broncos sounded a more hopeful note. 

“We’re going in the right direction. It’s not exactly where we want to be,” said quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started for the still-recovering Daniels. “Regardless of what it looks like for us, it’s all about the process and the journey. The more that we can find ways to improve week to week, I think that sets a solid foundation for what’s to come.”

The offensive improvement could be partially attributed to the return of wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had missed seven games this season with a nagging quad issue. The All-Pro was a difference maker in his first game back, catching seven passes for 96 yards, including an overtime touchdown.

It wasn’t enough to secure a victory, but Washington’s performance kept the locker room buzzing about progress.

“It hurts. I’m proud of the way we played for four quarters, but you don’t get any credit for almost,” McLaurin said after the game. “I know we have a group that’s going to continue to show up to work each and every day, have fun, and find a way to get a win. That’s what it’s all about.”

On the other side of the ball, Washington’s defense continued its midseason resurgence. Since Quinn took over defensive play calling ahead of last month’s game against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, the Commanders’ defenders have played with a renewed intensity.

They hounded an AFC West-leading Broncos team that is vying for the top seed in their conference, forcing four punts and a turnover in Sunday’s tight game.

The defense, despite losing two top cornerbacks and a pair of starting defensive ends to season-ending injuries, is shaping into form.

“It’s just us getting back on the same page. I think we found our connection as a team in Spain,” cornerback Mike Sainristil said. “Every unit is feeding off of each other, based off the plays that’s being made out there.”

Having safety Will Harris back helped. The versatile chess piece proved irreplaceable in Quinn’s defense. 

The group had a notable gap while Harris recovered from a fractured fibula suffered in Week 3.

“I’m so proud of the fight and the resolve in these guys,” he said in the locker room after the loss. “We’re just going to stay in there. You’re talking about a group of guys that love each other and play for one another. A brotherhood that’s unchanged — win, lose or draw, these guys are going to go to work.”

More good news is on the way. Daniels appears increasingly likely to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Quinn said the dual-threat passer isn’t cleared for contact yet, but that will be a focus this week.

“It’s more of the functional contact; think of a stiff arm on a bag, think of diving on the ground,” the coach said on Monday. “That’s the step that we need to see.”