ClutchPoints
In a thrilling Sunday Night Football matchup, the Washington Commanders fell 27-26 in overtime to the Denver Broncos at Northwest Stadium in Week 13, leaving them with a 3-9 record on the season. Even in defeat, veteran tight end Zach Ertz made NFL history, moving past Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to claim fifth on the all-time tight end receptions list.
Ertz entered the game with 814 career catches, needing just two to move past Sharpe’s tally. The 35-year-old didn’t waste any time, cashing in with three receptions in the first quarter alone. By the end of the night, Ertz finished with 10 catches on 12 targets for 106 yards, his first 100-yard game of the 2025 season and his 12th career game with double-digit receptions. His performance placed him behind only Tony Gonzalez (1,325), Jason Witten (1,228), Travis Kelce (1,063), and Antonio Gates (995) among all-time tight ends.
Ertz also recorded a 21-yard catch, the second-longest reception for Washington, and converted a crucial fourth-down grab with under a minute remaining. Though he dropped a potential game-tying touchdown in overtime, it was his best performance of the season so far.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota kept Washington in the fight with a series of clutch plays. The veteran completed 28 of 50 passes for 294 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while also leading the team in rushing with 55 yards on 10 carries. Mariota engineered pivotal drives in both the fourth quarter and overtime, overcoming penalties and third-and-long situations to tie the game at 20 heading into extra time.
The Commanders’ wide receivers were in the spotlight, making each catch count. Terry McLaurin returned from injury to catch seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, though another score was nullified due to a penalty. Rookie Treylon Burks contributed a highlight-reel one-handed touchdown in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Washington held Denver to just 69 rushing yards on 3 yards per carry and limited the Broncos to only two sacks, an impressive feat against a team that entered the game with 49 sacks on the season. Linebacker Bobby Wagner led the Commanders with eight tackles, adding one interception and a pass deflection.
While Washington’s losing streak hit seven, Ertz’s milestone was a silver lining. In his second season with the Commanders, following nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles, three with the Arizona Cardinals, and one with the Detroit Lions, he remains one of the game’s most reliable pass-catchers.
Ultimately, it was linebacker Nik Bonitto who won it for Denver. The Broncos’ defense gave up a late touchdown in overtime, but Washington went for two rather than a tie. Mariota’s pass to Jeremy McNichols was blocked by Bonitto, giving Denver a 27-26 victory.
Next week, the Commanders will travel to face the Minnesota Vikings, hoping to build on individual performances like Ertz’s while striving for the first win since early October.
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