Hogs Haven
ESPN
It wasn’t the sort of December celebration the Washington Commanders hoped to have this season. It was what they needed. After two months of nothing but losses, frustration and injuries, the Commanders could exhale, smile and congratulate one another again.
That it came vs. a New York Giants team with only two wins did not matter to Washington. The players hugged one another, laughed and smiled, creating scenes that resembled a team that had clinched a division title.
“We’re not trying to think about next season,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner, unsigned beyond this season. “We’ve got a lot of dogs in here, trying to do our best to close the season out strong.”
Eight straight losses can wreck a team. Five of those losses were by 20 or more points. There were two overtime losses that were inches from being wins — a missed 56-yard field goal at the end of regulation vs. Miami; a tipped two-point conversion pass that was headed to an open target vs. Denver. There was a last-second field goal by Chicago’s Jake Moody to start the streak — and it was Moody who booted three field goals Sunday to help end it.
The win Sunday featured multiple young players who factor in the future: running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had 96 yards and a 16-yard touchdown on a career-high 18 carries. That’s two less than in his previous three games combined. During the losing streak, thanks to lopsided scores and less play time overall, Croskey-Merritt averaged only 3.3 yards per carry and finished no games with more than 61 yards rushing.
Quinn’s job did not appear to be in any jeopardy so soon after what happened last year. Still, nobody in the organization wanted to contemplate what a 12-game losing streak to end the season would have meant.
“There has never felt like there has been an emotional letdown like as in our season is over, let’s just hang it up,” McLaurin said. “I have never felt that from this locker room, and it is a testament to the leaders that we have. We have to find a way to get another one. When you get a win, it is an addictive feeling. When you lose, it stinks; especially as much as we have lost. But we won and we are going to enjoy it.”
The Athletic (paywall)
The Washington Commanders are shutting down quarterback Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the season and turning to backup Marcus Mariota for the final three games.
Daniels’ second NFL season was limited to seven starts because of injuries to his knee, hamstring, and, most recently, left elbow. He dislocated the elbow in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and aggravated it in his first game back, a 31-0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Coach Dan...
