Loser No. 2
Kliff Kingsbury - Commanders OC
Most of the weekend talk centered on a report from senior insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic claiming that Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury would be a strong contender for a head coaching gig in 2026. But any interested parties are not going to look favorably on his efforts in this one.
Everyone knows what the Minnesota Vikings are going to do defensively. Brian Flores is renowned for bringing pressure frequently. He uses creative pressure designs and disguises things exceptionally well. Kingsbury had no answer, and his inability to adjust with more help in 12 or 13 personnel to max protect became an ongoing frustration.
Kingsbury inexplicably called three-straight pass plays at the one-yard line early in the game. The scheme was predictable and easy to understand. That's become a concerning story this season, which could prevent him from securing a top job elsewhere when the hiring cycle begins.
Winner No. 1
Bobby Wagner - Commanders LB
It was hard to pick out any positives from the game, in all honesty. The Commanders were second-best from the first minute to the last. As head coach, Dan Quinn, told his team, it was a significant step in the wrong direction.
Bobby Wagner was among the very few who could look back on his efforts with pride. The veteran linebacker was questionable heading into the game, but proved his fitness. He also gave absolutely everything to the cause as all around him crumbled.
Wagner was fighting to keep the Vikings' offense restricted. The future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer was the only defensive player to get around the football, finishing with 16 tackles and one sack. This surges his season total to 131 tackles, which is highly impressive in the twilight of his NFL career.
If others had shown anything like the same consistency and heart in this one, the Commanders may have been more competitive.
Loser No. 3
Johnny Newton - Commanders DL
The Commanders have a massive Johnny Newton problem on their hands. It's still relatively early in his NFL journey, but the signs suggest that Washington made a bad investment by taking him at No. 36 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That might sound harsh, but there is enough evidence to suggest that's the case. There is still plenty of time for Newton to turn things around, but his woeful performance against the Vikings left far more questions than answers.
Newton blew a run fit early in the game, overcommitting when a little more discipline would have resulted in a decent stop. That was a microcosm of how things have unfolded for the interior defensive lineman, and the fact that he didn't record a single statistic after that spoke volumes.
This offseason will be a make-or-break one for Newton. Based on his output during the current campaign, it could legitimately go either way.