Dan Quinn wanted to see a positive response from his players after getting some time to reflect over the bye week. The Washington Commanders' season hasn't gone well, but the head coach urged his squad to display the resolve needed to gain some respectability from a lost campaign.
That wouldn't be easy against the in-form Denver Broncos, who were heading in the opposite direction. Sean Payton's men had an eight-game winning run to protect on Sunday Night Football. Not many gave the Commanders a chance of being competitive, but it didn't take long to realize this was going to be a lot closer than the experts initially envisaged.
It was a pulsating encounter. Momentum swung back and forth, but a strong end to the contest saw Washington take it to overtime. And when they matched Denver's touchdown, Quinn wanted to seal the victory outright by going for two.
This was the correct call. The Commanders were 3-8 and going nowhere fast. The play-call was perfect, leaving running back Jeremy McNichols wide open. Unfortunately, veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota couldn't lift his pass over edge rusher Nik Bonitto, and Washington lost the game.
Even so, there were far more positives than negatives to take from the contest. With this in mind, here are five winners and two losers as Washington fell to its ninth defeat of the season in dramatic fashion.
Winners and losers from the Commanders' heartbreaking loss against the Broncos
Winner No. 1
Zach Ertz - Commanders TE
The Washington Commanders' offense relied heavily on veteran tight end Zach Ertz to move the chains in Week 13. Aside from a couple of concentration lapses, it was a highly productive evening at the office for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Ertz was finding the soft spots in coverage extremely well. It was a tiring outing, especially for an aging player. Fatigue began to show near the end, but there was a lot to like about the way he dug deep. And the Commanders wouldn't have kept this game so competitive without him.
The former Stanford standout brought in no fewer than 10 receptions from 13 targets for 106 receiving yards. Ertz passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on the all-time list for tight end receptions, and he'd have also had a touchdown if not for a drop.
With nobody else in the tight end room offering anything in the passing game, a strong end to the campaign could see Ertz rewarded with a new deal. But that could still legitimately go either way right now.