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.
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.
Loser No. 4
Jayden Daniels - Commanders QB
Fans were apprehensively optimistic about Jayden Daniels returning to the lineup for the first time since dislocating his elbow against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. But it didn't take long to realize this wasn't going to go according to plan.
Daniels looked unusually hesitant. He failed to get into an early rhythm, and the complex pressure packages from Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores gave him endless problems. The Washington Commanders found themselves in a hole, and the signal-caller isn't playing well enough this season to mask their failures.
But it got worse. Daniels threw an interception when Andrew Van Ginkle jumped a screen pass. He decided to chase down the edge rusher and got a vicious block that sent him crashing hard onto the injured arm. He was cleared to go back in, but head coach Dan Quinn took him out of the firing line.
What that means for his status moving forward is anyone's guess, but Daniels has a lot of hard work ahead of him.
Winner No. 2
Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Commanders RB
As previously mentioned, very few Commanders players met expectations. It was a disaster of epic proportions, which only increased the urgency to get things back on track during the offseason.
Bobby Wagner was a shining light amid the chaos, as previously discussed. Although fans were frustrated that he didn't get more involved, the flashes from running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. offered reasons for encouragement.
Rodriuguez started the contest once again, displaying purposeful running and exceptional contact balance during the opening exchanges. Kliff Kingsbury calling three straight pass plays from the one-yard line set the tone of what was to come. The Kentucky product was barely seen after that, which was nothing short of unacceptable in the circumstances.
The 2023 sixth-round pick finished the game with 52 rushing yards on 10 carries. That's a decent return that warranted more involvement, but Kingsbury had other ideas.
Loser No. 5
Dan Quinn - Commanders HC
Just a few short days after head coach Dan Quinn proudly proclaimed that his Commanders squad was not lost anymore, he endured another embarrassing afternoon at the office in a game that was expected to be much closer. And his dejected demeanor after the contest spoke a thousand words.
Quinn and his staff were outcoached from start to finish. Kevin O'Connell picked apart Washington's defense with ease, bursting the bubble of the coach's impact after taking over play-calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. We've already spoken about Kliff Kingsbury's inability to have the offense ready to go, which is either a lack of preparation or motivation.
Either way, it's a problem. Quinn's decision to keep Daniels on the sidelines, even though he was supposedly ready to return, reflected a newfound hesitancy that hadn't been evident before. Unless the Commanders can salvage something from their four remaining games, the good graces accumulated last season will evaporate completely.