Washington Commanders @ Minnesota Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 31, Commanders 0
Writer: Kyle McCarthy (@KyleStats1738 on X)
After getting shut out in Seattle last week, the Vikings pitched a shutout themselves Sunday against the Washington Commanders. It’s the first time that a team won a game with a shutout after being shut out in its previous game since the 1992 Broncos. Minnesota’s 12-minute touchdown drive in the first half was its longest drive this century. Week 14 marked a new low for the Commanders, who dropped their eighth consecutive game, suffered their fifth loss of 20 or more points, and were shut out on offense for the first time since 2019. Jayden Daniels returned from his three-game absence but left early again after landing hard on his elbow after an interception in the third quarter.
Two Up
- J.J. McCarthy — McCarthy took advantage of Washington’s poor defense and easily had the most efficient outing of his young career.
- Jordan Addison — Led Vikings in targets, receptions, and yards. Back-to-back games leading them in targets.
Two Down
- Jayden Daniels — Could just put down the entire Washington offense here. Had only seven drives in the game. Had no answer for Brian Flores‘ heavy blitzing.
- Justin Jefferson — Vikings’ first game scoring 30 points since Week 3, and Jefferson finishes with 3.1 PPR points on four targets. Brutal.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 9/20, 78 Yards, 0 TD, 1 INT | 4 Carries, 16 Yards
Jayden Daniels led a 15-play, 83-yard opening drive that ultimately stalled at the Vikings 2 after Deebo Samuel dropped a would-be touchdown on fourth-and-goal. He looked decisive on that drive, but Washington had just two other drives in the first half, and went three-and-out on one of them and gained 12 yards on the next. Then, after throwing an interception on Washington’s first drive of the second half, Daniels got blown up on the return and landed on his left elbow, and didn’t return. Coach Dan Quinn said he expects Daniels to play again this season after the game, but there are potentially some real concerns about his durability moving forward.
Andrew Van Ginkel bats it in the air and picks off Jayden Daniels!
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— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Marcus Mariota: 2/4, 30 Yards, 0 TD, 1 INT | 2 Carries, 7 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Marcus Mariota entered after Daniels left and threw an interception on his second pass of the game. Brian Flores gamed up Kliff Kingsbury all game long, with no effective response to the relentless pressure and blitz looks.
Running Back
Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 10 Carries, 52 Yards
Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran well in the first half, but was game-scripted out of this one. That’s the risk in his profile since he is a zero in the pass game. Rodriguez ran for 31 of his 52 yards on the first drive and got them down to the 2-yard line on second-and-goal, but inexplicably didn’t receive a carry after that. The game spiraled out of control for Washington after that, and limited what Rodriguez could produce for fantasy managers.
Jacory Croskey-Meritt: 7 Carries, 32 Yards
Bill looked explosive on his seven carries and has now quietly posted back-to-back games with more than 4.5 yards per carry, the first time since Weeks 4 and 5. He’s still firmly behind Rodriguez, but remains involved.
Jeremy McNichols: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Third game this season with only one touch or fewer after having 20 combined over the past three games.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 41 Yards
Terry McLaurin couldn’t replicate last week’s strong performance in his second game back from a quadriceps injury. He caught a 28-yard pass on the first drive and then converted a crucial third down right before halftime, but the entire Washington offense was stymied and ran just 49 offensive plays.
Deebo Samuel: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 27 Yards
Deebo Samuel tied with McLaurin for the team lead in targets and made a few nice plays after the catch. But he dropped a touchdown on fourth-and-goal on the opening drive of the game, which would have at least salvaged his fantasy day for his managers.
Noah Brown: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Noah Brown was uninvolved in his return from a 10-game absence due to knee and groin injuries.
Zach Ertz: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Brutal injury for Zach Ertz. It looks like the all-time great suffered a torn ACL in what could be the last game of his storied career.
Treylon Burks: 1 Target
Treylon Burks was shoved to the side with Brown’s return. His highlight catch last week was sick, but he still has a lot to prove.
Ben Sinnott: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Ben Sinnott caught a ball on the opening drive and will now be on the map in fantasy with the Ertz injury. Sinnott was a 2024 second-round pick and has some athletic upside. He should get a real opportunity to see if he can become a legitimate receiving option for the Commanders going into next season.
Colson Yankoff: 1 Target
Colson Yankoff could also see more opportunities with the Ertz injury.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
J.J. McCarthy: 16/23, 163 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INT | 6 Carries, 19 Yards
J.J. McCarthy had the highest completion rate (69.5%) and EPA/Play (0.39) in this game and looked pretty competent against Washington’s incompetent defense. McCarthy was kept clean for almost the entire game and was consistently put in favorable situations with how well Minnesota ran the ball (55% success rate). It’s easy to forget that it’s only McCarthy’s seventh career game, and while Washington’s defense has been a trainwreck, it’s positive to see the second-year QB take some steps forward.
JJ McCarthy has 3 touchdown passes
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— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Running Back
Aaron Jones Sr.: 14 Carries, 76 Yards | 1 Target
Aaron Jones Sr. had massive rushing lanes all day with Minnesota’s offensive line blasting Washington’s defensive line off the ball. The split with Mason was a bit tighter than past games, and he lost out on the touchdown, but he remains the preferred back for the Vikings in fantasy.
Jordan Mason: 11 Carries, 52 Yards, 1 TD
Jordan Mason had been fading in recent weeks, but like Jones, he was hyperefficient with seemingly every carry going for at least 5 yards. While Mason should still have the upper hand in touches, it does look like Mason has the goal-line role.
Jordan Mason extends the Vikings lead to two scores
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— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards
The frustrating season for Justin Jefferson continues. Minnesota easily had its most efficient offensive performance of the season, with McCarthy showing some signs of life, and Jefferson wasn’t involved again. I mean, you can’t bench Jefferson in fantasy, but the situation has become extremely dire. Even in a matchup against the Commanders, who have been terrible against almost everyone, it just hasn’t happened for the superstar wideout.
Jordan Addison: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 62 Yards
Jordan Addison is still a great player in his own right and has led Minnesota in targets in back-to-back weeks. He’s shown a good connection with McCarthy dating back to the preseason and was able to find the soft spots in Washington’s soft zone defense. Addison is very tough to trust for fantasy, but it’s certainly something the Vikings can build on.
T.J. Hockenson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards, 1 TD
T.J. Hockenson found the end zone for the last of Minnesota’s four touchdowns, and for the first time since Week 9. Like every Vikings pass catcher, Hockenson has been a nonfactor in fantasy this season. Even this performance was the second-best by a Vikings tight end in this game, with Josh Oliver hauling in two touchdowns.
Jailen Nailor: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards
Jailen Nailor looked good on his few receptions, and as crazy as it is to say, he has had a better connection with McCarthy than Jefferson.
Josh Oliver: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards, 2 TD
Josh Oliver doubled his season touchdown total with two scores in this game. McCarthy found Oliver up the seam for the Vikings’ first score of the game, and then found him wide open after leaking out for his second score of the day in the third quarter.
JJ McCarthy finds Josh Oliver again for another touchdown
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— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Zavier Scott: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards | 3 Carries, 15 Yards
Tai Felton: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Ben Sims: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards