The Commanders’ season is on the line when they host the Denver Broncos in prime time Sunday night. Washington could be officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, a nail in the coffin of a disastrous season.
Injuries derailed the campaign. Eleven Week 1 starters have missed time due to various ailments, including a nagging quad issue for All-Pro receiver Terry McLaurin and a slew of injuries for star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has missed the last two games with a dislocated left elbow.
Daniels and McLaurin returned to practice this week, as did fellow receiver Noah Brown and safety Will Harris. Coach Dan Quinn isn’t eyeing a postseason berth at this point in the season.
He’s trying not to lose all the momentum and goodwill that his squad developed during last year’s run to the NFC championship game.
“I told the team, for a year and a half, we’re building something good. The only way it’s going to be great is if you find these standards and find the details to take it to the next space and take it to the next space,” he said Wednesday. “It’s not something that you just turn on and off like a faucet.”
The final six-game slate is daunting, though. It begins with Sunday’s showdown with the AFC West-leading Broncos and features a pair of games against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and a Christmas Day matchup against the rival Dallas Cowboys.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing, but the season isn’t over yet, last time I checked, because I’m mathematically not out of anything,” McLaurin said. “So, you just take it one day at a time.”
A Thanksgiving practice session featured more preparation for the Broncos, a daunting task for a Commanders offense that has struggled to maintain continuity this season.
Denver’s defense ranks third in the league in points and yards allowed per game. The defensive front has terrorized opposing signal-callers with a league-high 49 sacks. The unit is on track to beat the NFL’s single-season sack record, set by the vaunted Chicago Bears in 1984.
The Commanders have their work cut out for them.
“They’ve done an unbelievable job. They do a great job of getting off the rock. And it’s not just one; I think across the board, they all do an unbelievable job of that,” said Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota, who will likely start on Sunday. “They create pressures from different looks, and at the same time, being able to communicate that across the board for us is going to be huge.”
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has been responsible for scheming up a plan to slow down that pass rush. It’s easier said than done.
“It’s a tough challenge, like trying to figure out how to block them in every play,” he said. “It’s been a long week.”
To make matters more difficult, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II returned to practice this week. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year missed the last three games with a pectoral injury.
“He’s one of the dominant corners in the league. There’s not many, I’d say, that are shutdown guys, and he’s one of them,” Kingsbury said. “You’ve got to know where he’s at. He’s one of those guys that can kind of eliminate one of your options on each and every play.”
The Commanders’ offense has struggled enough without playing one of the top defenders in the league. The Washington defense rallied in their last game before the bye week — a 16-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid. Kingsbury’s attack was inert, though.
Without Daniels under center and McLaurin out wide, explosive plays have evaded the Commanders. The return of their top pass-catcher has the Commanders’ locker room buzzing with anticipation for Sunday.
“We know it’s a long season, but we just want to just take it one week at a time. You can’t look at how many more games you got left,” rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt said. “You just got to attack what’s in front of you.”