Nobody was expecting much from the Washington Commanders in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. Head coach Dan Quinn's squad was coming off their bye, but they had their work cut out for them versus an in-form squad harboring ambitions to go deep into the postseason.
Couple this with a six-game losing run and superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels still on the shelf after dislocating his elbow, and fans were bracing themselves for another challenging evening with the national NFL audience watching on.
However, the Commanders proved that they are not going to give up without a fight down the stretch.
Commanders showed more fight than they have in weeks against the Broncos
Washington quickly became more competitive than most experts predicted. It wasn't perfect, but nobody expected it to be. And considering how many blowout losses they'd suffered in the weeks leading up to their extended rest period, this performance cannot be seen as anything other than encouraging.
Quinn wanted to see a massive response from his players. He acknowledged everyone was depleted heading into the bye, which is understandable considering how things have unfolded. But with time to rest, heal, and refocus, the same subpar standards would not be tolerated.
The message was heard loud and clear.
Washington's defense looked much improved. The Commanders' offensive line held up relatively well against the Broncos' vaunted pass rush. The ground game set the tone effectively, and the passing attack also showed signs of life. They didn't do quite enough to get over the hump in overtime, but they left everything on the field.
The Commanders have a lot of hard work ahead to get back among the contenders. But this performance proved beyond all doubt that Quinn still has the locker room. There wasn't much doubt about that, but it's nice to silence the skeptics in any case.
Quinn will be the first to admit that things haven't gone according to plan this season. The Commanders were expected to reach the playoffs and potentially dethrone the Eagles. It's been a disaster, albeit with mitigating circumstances attached, but this team is not ready to throw in the towel yet.
Not by a long shot.
If the same trend continues over Washington's final five games of the season — four of which come against their fierce division rivals — the Commanders might be able to salvage some semblance of positivity from the season. And after so much abject misery that fans have had to endure, the resolve represents a slight glimmer of hope among the doom and gloom.
Even if it wasn't enough to secure success, their two-point conversion attempt wasn't executed effectively.