The Washington Commanders took plenty of heart from their overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. However, head coach Dan Quinn's squad reverted to type with a complete capitulation against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14.
This was as bad as it could get. The Commanders didn't look like they even belonged on the same field as the Vikings, who had won just four games before the contest. They were unprepared, unmotivated, and lacked the composure needed to stem the tide. Once they got into an early hole, there was no coming back.
Quinn looked infuriated and dejected in equal measure after the contest. He'd read the riot act to his players in the locker room, and the brutal ACL injury sustained by veteran tight end Zach Ertz was the latest heartbreaking health concern to navigate.
Some extreme soul-searching is needed. The Commanders are now on an eight-game losing run, and this shutout defeat was arguably the worst of all. This team is nowhere close to contending. One could even argue that no one in the league has played worse football since Week 5. That's how poorly things have gone for a team with a crucial offseason of roster construction ahead.
That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, here are two winners and five losers from the Commanders' disintegration at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Winners and losers from the Commanders' embarrassing beatdown at the Vikings
Loser No. 1
Mike Sainristil - Commanders CB
Mike Sainristil had begun to show signs of life in recent weeks. The second-year cornerback was forced back to the boundary after season-ending injuries to Marshon Lattimore and Trey Amos. This brought a brief upturn in production, but Week 14 was not his most profitable afternoon at the office by any stretch of the imagination.
Sainristil looked lost. He failed to provide the consistency needed in coverage and was actively targeted by his old college quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, throughout. There was a lack of physicality when tasked with any tackles, a far cry from the encouraging signs the player displayed during his sensational rookie year.
The Commanders have no option other than to keep Sainristil on the boundary over their remaining four games. What comes after that is less clear, but it's starting to look like adding another productive cornerback will be high on general manager Adam Peters' long list of priorities when the 2026 offseason begins.
Something is missing with Sainristil this season. The Commanders need a complete rethink in the secondary, and everyone aside from Amos should be nervously looking over their shoulder.