Commanders’ season reaches new low in disastrous loss to Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS — The Commanders can’t seem to catch a break. Their nightmarish campaign took another dark turn on Sunday, as they lost quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz to injury in a 31-0 loss to the Vikings.

The Commanders were eliminated from postseason contention with their eighth-straight loss as the sting of an already painful season intensified.  

However, Daniels’ injury was not serious, according to coach Dan Quinn. “Early signs aren’t good,” he said, regarding the potential ACL injury suffered by Ertz.

After the game, Washington’s players quietly shuffled back to the locker room and removed their equipment in a stunned silence. The sounds of disheartened sighs were louder than any of the typical post-game banter.

“It’s tough to see two of our main dogs, our main competitors, go down like that,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said. “You want to keep them in your prayers. At the end of the day, we’re human beings. We play this game, but also at the end, we want to step away from this game and go back to our families.”

Daniels made his first start in more than a month after missing three games with a dislocated left elbow. He reaggravated the injury after tossing an interception in the third quarter — the latest misfortune in a disastrous year for the Commanders.

The second-year signal-caller was medically cleared to return, but coach Dan Quinn said he wouldn’t risk further injuries to the franchise quarterback.

“It was my decision to sit him,” Quinn said after the game. “I just felt we didn’t hit our space to be close like we wanted to be.”

Daniels struggled to connect with his receivers in his first game back. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year completed just nine of his 20 pass attempts for 78 yards.  

Sunday’s defeat — complete with injuries and a lopsided final score — represented the latest embarrassment for the once-promising Commanders.

“31-0, that’s not even a tough day at the office,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “That’s just bad.”

The Commanders looked primed to be a dangerous spoiler for the final month of the season. Their last two games — overtime losses to the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos — were a clear step forward after suffering a series of blowout defeats earlier in the year.

“I thought we took a step forward last week. And tonight, I think we took three steps back,” Quinn said. “None of it was acceptable.”

The trip to Minnesota was supposed to give fans reason for optimism amid a soul-crushing season. For the first time since September, Daniels started with his full complement of receivers. Pass-catchers Noah Brown and McLaurin were both active on Sunday after battling through their own onslaught of injuries.

But the offense struggled, even before Daniels and Ertz were knocked out. Washington reached the Minnesota 1-yard line on their opening drive. The Commanders ultimately turned the ball over on downs after tossing three consecutive incompletions just feet away from the goal line.

“We could have come out with seven and it’s a completely different game,” McLaurin said. Instead, the Vikings left the first quarter with a seven-point lead. The Commanders never came that close to the endzone again.

Trailing by 14, Washington threatened to mount a comeback after receiving the second-half kickoff. A defensive pass interference call extended the drive early. A fourth-down conversion near midfield allowed momentum to build.

But the Commanders could only hold back the Vikings’ defense for so long. On another fourth-down attempt at Minnesota’s 19-yard line, Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel jumped in front of a screen pass. He caught his own deflection and returned the interception 41 yards.

Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers shoved Daniels to the ground during the return. The quarterback reinjured his left elbow — the same joint he dislocated in his last game on Nov. 2 — as he fell to the turf. Daniels never returned to the game.

Backup Marcus Mariota, who faced a 17-0 deficit when he took over, threw an interception to safety Harrison Smith on his second pass of the day.

The Vikings attack, meanwhile, enjoyed a get-right game. Just seven days after being shut out by the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota offense appeared unstoppable.

Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy entered the game as one of the worst passers in the league. His 54% completion percentage was the worst among NFL starters. His 57.9 passer rating placed him in all-time bust territory, ranking worse than every other quarterback selected in the first round since 2000.

He looked like a superstar against the Commanders. The Michigan product completed nine of his first 10 passes, finishing with a career-high three touchdowns and 163 yards. It was easily the best game of McCarthy’s young career.

After knocking Daniels out of the game, Minnesota added another two touchdowns to stretch the lead to 31 by the time the clock mercifully expired. The defeat was Washington’s worst shutout loss since a 36-0 humiliation at the hands of the New York Giants in 2005.

Late in the third quarter, Mariota evaded pressure and tried to find Ertz downfield. The veteran tight end, caught between two defenders, leaped into the air for the high pass.

As Ertz was in the air, Vikings cornerback Jay Ward hit him in the knee. The impact caused Ertz’s lower right leg to contort unnaturally. Team officials quickly ruled him out for the game as trainers carted him back to the locker room.

Ertz wore a towel over his head and appeared to fight back tears as he left the field.

“He’s meant a lot to this team,” center Tyler Biadasz said. “He’s done a great job in regards of being that leader, competing with guys in different positions on and off the field.”

The Commanders (3-10) were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. The 5-8 Vikings kept their postseason dreams alive with the victory.

“It sucks to get kicked in the gut like this, but we don’t got time to lay our heads and feel sorry for ourselves,” McLaurin said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us.”

Quinn’s squad returns to action on Sunday in New Jersey against the 2-11 Giants.