Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders were blanked by the Minnesota Vikings 31-0. Their 31-point shutout loss is by far their worst loss of the season, and it comes at a time when Washington exuded so much optimism after a close loss to the then 9-2 Denver Broncos. Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel looked electric at times, Zach Ertz hauled in ten receptions, the offensive line looked amazing, Treylon Burks went viral with an incredible touchdown catch, and to top it off, Jayden Daniels was cleared to play against the Minnesota Vikings. The staff, media, and most fans were very interested in seeing how the offense could look with that unit finally appearing fully healthy. The Vikings obliterated any and all optimism that people may have had for the remainder of the season. Adding insult to injury, it appears that Zach Ertz may have been lost for the season due to a knee injury. The Commanders failed to pass for 100 yards on the day, and between Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, each threw one interception. While the run game showed plenty of life against the Vikings, they only rushed the ball 17 times between Chris Rodriguez and Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
There was optimism on the defensive side of the football as well. Not too much, but Quinn showed a different side of the defense in the last two games. In my last article, I asked whether he had waited too long to take over the defense. Many commenters suggested that he waited too long, and I completely understood why. But the Vikings’ offensive production, while superstar receiver Justin Jefferson was held to just 11 yards on two receptions, thwarted the narrative that Quinn was the answer all along. It also seemingly exonerated Joe Whitt Jr., who had been the scapegoat all season. Granted, what is important to note is that the Minnesota Vikings have a championship-caliber offense surrounding their quarterback. It’s just the quarterback position that’s their issue. So, in essence, Washington was going to have their hands full regardless, but it is no excuse to perform as they did yesterday.
In the Trap or Dive post-game recap, we discussed in detail the abysmal performances by both sides of the football.
You can listen to the full Trap or Dive post-game recap below. We also discussed:
Podcast:
YouTube:
