MINNEAPOLIS — The Commanders’ nightmare season hit rock bottom in Minnesota on Sunday, as quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz were both injured in a 36-0 loss to the Vikings.
Daniels made his first start in more than a month after missing three games with a dislocated left elbow. He aggravated the injury after tossing an interception in the third quarter — the latest misfortune in a disastrous year for the Commanders.
Washington has now lost eight straight, with Sunday’s defeat representing the latest embarrassment for coach Dan Quinn’s squad.
The trip to Minnesota was supposed to give fans reason for optimism amid a soul-crushing season. For the first time since September, Daniels started with his full complement of receivers. Pass-catchers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin were both active on Sunday after battling through their own onslaught of injuries.
But the offense struggled, even before Daniels was knocked out. Washington reached the Minnesota 1-yard line on their opening drive. The Commanders ultimately turned the ball over on downs after tossing three consecutive incompletions just feet away from the goal line.
The Vikings’ attack, meanwhile, enjoyed a get-right game. Just seven days after being shut out by the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota offense appeared unstoppable.
Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy entered the game as one of the lowest-rated passers in the league. His 54% completion percentage was the worst among NFL starters. His 57.9 passer rating placed him in all-time bust territory, ranking worse than every other quarterback selected in the first round since 2000.
He looked like a superstar against the Commanders. The Michigan product completed nine of his first 10 passes, finishing with 163 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
McCarthy led the Vikings on a pair of first-half touchdown drives, as Minnesota took a 14-0 lead into the halftime break. A formidable deficit for the Commanders, but not insurmountable.
The game wasn’t pretty, as the Commanders defense was stuck on the field for 12 minutes in the second quarter, but it was far from a beatdown.
That changed in the second half.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, Washington threatened to mount a comeback. A defensive pass interference call extended the drive early. A fourth-down conversion near midfield allowed momentum to build.
But the Commanders could only hold back the Vikings’ defense for so long. On another fourth-down attempt at Minnesota’s 19, Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel jumped in front of a screen pass. He caught his own deflection and returned the interception 41 yards.
Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers shoved Daniels to the ground during the return. The quarterback reinjured his left elbow — the same joint he dislocated in his last game on Nov. 2 — as he fell to the turf. Daniels never returned to the game.
A 45-yard field goal by Vikings kicker Will Reichard on the next drive extended the Minnesota lead to three possessions.
Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota wasn’t ready to mount an unlikely, come-from-behind victory. He tossed an interception to Vikings safety Harrison Smith on his second pass of the game, putting a bow on a dominant Vikings victory.
Minnesota added another two touchdowns to stretch the lead to 31 by the time the clock mercifully expired.
The defeat was Washington’s worst shutout loss since a 36-0 humiliation at the hands of the New York Giants in 2005.
Late in the third quarter, Mariota evaded pressure and tried to find Ertz downfield. The veteran tight end, caught between two defenders, leaped into the air for the high pass.
As Ertz was in the air, Vikings cornerback Jay Ward hit him in the knee. The impact caused Ertz’s lower right leg to contort unnaturally. Team officials quickly ruled him out for the game as trainers carted him back to the locker room.
The Commanders (3-10) were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. The 5-8 Vikings kept their postseason dreams alive with the victory.
Quinn’s squad returns to action on Sunday in New Jersey against the Giants.
