LOVERRO: Play for draft position? Wrong message for this franchise

“What I can say is I can speak for every coach and player and just an unacceptable performance by us tonight,” Quinn said after their 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks four weeks ago.

This week, Quinn could stand up there and be proud of the performance he, his coaching staff, and his players put on against a Denver team with one of the toughest defenses in the league.

“I thought coming off the field, it just felt like those are the games you do love to be a part of, the absolute battles,” he told reporters after the game. “Two teams, like going for it, throwing punches back and forth and, you know, I hate the outcome, but I loved the fight.

“It’s been tough as hell for a while,” Quinn said. “And I thought our guys played hard as hell. All improving. I saw where we can get better and obviously there’s plenty of room to continue to do that, but man, it was nice to have some guys back.”

Taking solace in a loss has its dangers. For this franchise, it seemed like a measurement standard they had left behind. But having receiver Terry McLaurin (seven catches for 96 yards and one touchdown), who has missed seven games this season, and safety Will Harris, who was on the field for the first time since Washington’s 41-24 win Sept. 21 over the Las Vegas Raiders, seemed to have an impact and reason for optimism in a season destroyed by injuries.

A win over the Vikings would damage Washington’s draft standing for 2026. But, like valiant losses, those goals often measure losing franchises. The Commanders need to leave those standards behind.

Amid losing streak, Commanders get strong showings from less heralded players

For a team that has attempted to rebuild for years, Washington may finally be able to say it has two of the most important position groups set: quarterback and offensive line.

The Commanders’ recent investments in the offensive line have paid immediate dividends and are vital for the offense to have any continuity going forward. It started last season, when they gave right guard Sam Cosmi a four-year, $74 million contract extension just before the opener, and continued into this offseason when they traded for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and drafted Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round to develop into their right tackle.

The Broncos produced an NFL-high 41.3 percent pressure rate in their first 12 weeks of the season, per Next Gen. However, in Washington, their pressure rate was 17.9 percent, their lowest in a game since Week 3 of the 2023 season, when they allowed 70 points to the Dolphins.

Tunsil — who allowed just two pressures in his 28 matchups with Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto, according to Next Gen — is working on one of, if not the, finest seasons of his career at 31 years old. His run blocking, especially, has been a boon for Washington, which has the fifth-highest rushing success rate (percentage of carries with a positive EPA) in the NFL through Week 13 at 46.0 percent.

He’s…the team’s best blocking back and is having his best season yet as a runner.

McNichols’ blitz pickups against defenders who often have six inches and 30 or 40 pounds on him are art. He has the will to do it, plus the strength and power to not just hold defenders off, but flatten them.

As primarily a third-down back, McNichols’ speed and low center of gravity make him almost like a pinball as he spins and bounces off tackles to gain extra yardage.

McNichols’ 5.25 yards after contact per carry are the third-most among running backs with at least 10 rushes this season. Additionally, his 11 forced missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, put him on pace for a career high this season.

Bobby Wagner : Picks off pass in overtime loss

Wagner finished Sunday’s overtime loss to Denver with eight tackles (three solo) and an interception. Wagner paced Washington in stops in the loss, and he’s now recorded at least seven tackles in all 12 of the team’s contests this season. The veteran linebacker also notched his second pickoff of the campaign when he intercepted Bo Nix on the third play of the fourth quarter. Wagner has shown no signs of slowing down in his 14th NFL season, recording 115 tackles (including 2.0 sacks) and three defensed passes (including the pair of picks).

2026 NFL draft order projections: Titans, Raiders, Saints at top

Each week during the season, ESPN’s FPI projects the draft order by simulating the remainder of the season 10,000 times. Game probabilities are based primarily on the model’s team ratings and game locations. The draft order is determined by the records the model projects for each team after 17 games, as well as each team’s average draft position across the simulations.

Our FPI predictions are currently giving the Titans the first pick in back-to-back years, but who is behind them in the top 10? Where could teams with two first-round picks end up selecting? Check out our full projections below ahead of Week 14.

7. Washington Commanders (3-9)

Average draft position: 6.7
FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 34.1%
FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 91.5%

Commanders players and coaches don’t want to hear about draft position

To GM Adam Peters’ credit, he is already addressing those needs in any way he can. For instance, when the Titans gave up (in October) on 2022 first-round draft choice WR Treylon Burks, Peters claimed Burks the next week, hoping he would take advantage of his opportunity. There are still five games remaining, much to be done, much to be proven by Burks. But he has flashed some good ability.

Consider also, Peters went after DE Drake Jackson. Jackson, 24, unlike Burks, was not a first-round draft choice. Jackson was a second-round pick (61) in 2022 by the 49ers. In 23 games for San Francisco, he recorded six QB sacks. However in Week 8 (2023) he tore a patellar tendon in his knee. Then he missed all of 2024, and in May of 2025, Jackson still failed his physical and was released. The Commanders signed Jackson on October 15 and are hoping he can rehabilitate, recover, and rejuvenate his NFL career in Washington.

Those are two examples of attempts to fill needs via players released by their former teams. Another method will be the free-agent signing period next March, followed by April’s draft.

I can very much understand that Commanders players and coaches would be very much insulted if they heard fans cheering for them to lose to tank the season. Rightly so, they should be frustrated and disappointed with fans who have no more respect for the effort players and coaches put in during an NFL season.

Players and coaches work hard each week in preparation for the next game. Imagine putting in all that effort, then playing Sunday night into overtime, only to be exhausted and lose 27-26 on a failed two-point conversion. Then, on Monday morning, finding podcasters, YouTubers, and fans on social media, happy that the Commanders rose in their draft position.

Pro Football Focus (premium content)

NFL Separation Report: Best receivers at beating coverage to get open

What is Separation Percentage?

Separation percentage measures how often a receiver beats the coverage to get open rather than benefiting from a defense more focused on limiting yards after the catch or stopping them short of the first down.

This metric is not limited to just targeted routes. Instead, it looks at all routes run where a defense tries to prevent a receiver from getting open.

Pro Football Focus (premium content)

2025 NFL quarterback rankings ahead of Week 14

In this quarterback rankings breakdown, we’ve evaluated the top performers based on PFF passing grades. Using insights from Premium Stats, we’ll also present a variety of key grades beyond passing grade, including grades under pressure, from a clean pocket, against the blitz and more.

Pro Football Focus (premium content)

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 14

8. Washington Commanders (Up 3)

Projected Week 14 starters:

Washington flashed good offensive line play in Week 13 against the Broncos. Across 55 pass plays, the Commanders gave up five pressures, including just one sack, resulting in a 94.5 pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked second in the league.

Right guard Sam Cosmi is back to his old form after missing the start of the season due to injury. Cosmi earned a 90.4 PFF run-blocking grade against Denver, which ranked third among all offensive linemen in Week 13.

Best player: Laremy Tunsil

Tunsil’s 3.6% pressure rate this season ranks fourth among left tackles.

Commanders O-Line provide bright spot with strong performance vs. Broncos’ pass rush

Nik Bonitto and the Broncos’ pass rush only got to quarterback Marcus Mariota twice, and one of those was off a Broncos player touching Mariota as he lost his footing before taking off upfield.

Although the Commanders aren’t celebrating any moral victories from their 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos, the offensive line’s performance was one of the biggest positives of the evening. The front, which includes two offseason additions and a 2022 seventh-round pick, has shown steady progress throughout the year and quietly become a strength for the offense. While the Commanders have plenty to examine once the season comes to a close, it seems like it could be part of a foundation to build around.

“I was pleased with the pass protection in the game,” head coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “It just felt like they were up for the challenge against a very good pass rushing unit blitzing as well.”

It was a priority for the Commanders to upgrade their offensive line this offseason after quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick and long-term answer at the position, was sacked 47 times.

Tunsil, 31, is the oldest starter. Cosmi signed an extension with the team last season; center Tyler Biadasz is under contract for at least another season; Paul will be a free agent this offseason, but Coleman is available if the Commanders decide not to re-sign him; and Conerly has four years left on his rookie contract.

Conerly, the rookie from Oregon has evened out his play after an up-and-down start to the season. He’s played every offensive snap this season and allowed just five pressures in the last four games, none of them being sacks.

MUST-HAVE: Should Washington Commanders SIGN Brandon Aiyuk with Jayden Daniels Connection?

Producing Hard Knocks in-season

Washington Post (paywall)

Lights, camera, Commanders: Washington makes its ‘Hard Knocks’ debut

Trout said one of the primary misconceptions about “Hard Knocks” is its intrusiveness. In reality, he said, players and coaches often forget the cameras are there after a few days.

“You hardly know they’re around,” said Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who experienced in-season “Hard Knocks” in 2022, his final year as coach of the Arizona Cardinals. “They don’t try to make you look bad and never have, never will. And we get final say. … It can be a positive, as long as you let it be.”

For Trout, piecing together a four-team episode can be a challenging puzzle. It’s not just that he is collecting footage and overseeing more than a dozen remote cameras and microphones in Ashburn but also that other directors and crews are working through the same process simultaneously in Frisco, Texas; East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Philadelphia.

Trout estimated they will collectively gather between 200 and 250 hours of footage per week through the end of the season, then try to condense all of that into an episode of an hour or less.

“We’re probably using one half of 1 percent of what we shoot,” Trout said.

NFL Films legend Steve Sabol famously used to compare the “Hard Knocks” production process to building an airplane while mid-flight. While it’s the same general concept as other behind-the-scenes sports staples such as “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” or “Full Swing,” Trout said it’s “a different beast” because it’s being assembled within a fraction of the time. Each episode can go through 12 to 15 iterations before it airs. And it’s common for actor Liev Schreiber, who narrates the series, to not even start recording until late Monday or the early hours of Tuesday — sometimes from wherever he is in the world, working on a movie or a show.

“What’d you call it? A frantic energy? Yeah. We all live on that frantic energy.”

Instant reaction to ‘Hard Knocks: In-Season with the NFC East’ debut episode

If I had to give a one-word review of the debut episode, I’d simply say, “Boring.”

That’s ultimately good news for Eagles fans.

There is no drama bubbling to the surface on camera that the viewers see from the coaching staff, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown or anyone else involved with the organization. There is no palace intrigue from what the front office thinks or how the coaches dissect the Birds’ current rough stretch. It’s just a series of glorified interviews and lowlights from the Eagles’ back-to-back losses to Dallas and Chicago.

Again, it’s kind of a relief that it all felt somewhat pointless. Hurts and Nick Sirianni say all the right things. There are no juicy subplots. It was 55 minutes of just… stuff.

Any Eagles fan terrified of pulling the curtain back on this hellacious turn of the season can breathe a momentary sigh of relief. There’s nothing to be gleaned from here, at least not yet.

No matter how the season ends, Brian Schottenheimer has earned more

If you want a head coach like Ben Johnson, Sean McVay, or Kyle Shanahan, who are arguably more famous for their offensive strategy than their leadership, then Schottenheimer’s not your guy. That’s not a knock on his offensive acumen, but he’s hardly a young innovator. Dallas will need to keep him supported by quality coordinators on both sides of the ball, but that’s no insult. That formula has worked for a long time in Pittsburgh, where Mike Tomlin’s leadership is the key to his head coaching success. Andy Reid has been bolstered by top coordinators in Kansas City throughout their championship run. These guys still have influence, particularly on the sides of the ball they came up through as coaches. But first and foremost, you think of them for how they handle the primary duties of the big chair.

Brian Schottenheimer is proving that he belongs in that chair. Is he the right guy for the Cowboys for the next decade? That remains to be seen. The pressure and noise that come with this franchise have been too much for some. But at least so far, this Cowboys team feels more united and motivated under his leadership than in recent memory. He’s earned the right to keep installing his system and culture in 2026, no matter how this season ultimately ends.

Joe Schoen understands our questions

Schoen said “I understand the question” six times during a roughly 22-minute press conference. That is usually coach-speak or GM-speak for “I know what you want me to say, but I am not going to.” Each time, and several other times when he said he understood something or other, Schoen deflected to a non-answer kind of answer.

Just one word of advice for Schoen. If you think the New York media was out for blood, don’t read the comments section of the livestream from the Giants YouTube channel. Those folks were more aggressive than Patriots defenders trying to separate Gunner Olszewski’s head from his body on Monday night.

Key takeaways from the nearly hour-long firestormCoaching staff has “lost the locker room” — effort is pathetic, receivers quitting on routes, offensive line playing out of sorts.Kevin O’Connell has NEVER succeeded with a QB under 27; young signal-callers lack the mechanical foundation his offense demands.Wes Phillips, Josh McCown, and OL coach Chris Kuper are likely gone; Forness wants fresh creative voices to revive the “illusion of complexity.”Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s lack of Day-2 capital and questionable youth bets have cratered the roster; Forness is losing faith fast.Max Brosmer’s debut was historically bad (worse EPA/play than Josh Freeman); blame falls mostly on coaches for thrusting him in unprepared.Paul Allen noted the Wilfs were mysteriously absent from pre-game sidelines — a massive red flag that heads could roll soon.Justin Jefferson skipping media and looking disconnected raises real trade-request concerns if the vision keeps crumbling.Vikes Views: Rooting for Wins or Better Picks?

The Minnesota Vikings are no longer in the playoff hunt. The team is breaking in their new QBs and it’s not gone as planned. We’ve reached the point where the age-old argument starts. Do you root for the team to win over the next five weeks, or do you actually want to see the Vikings lose out? There are plenty of people that will tell you what makes one view better or worse or what makes you a true fan. I’m not worried about that and I’m not passing judgement either way.

Winning “culture” is hard to establish. Even if the coaches and GM are secure in their position with the team, it helps to build a winning culture. Also, it’s more fun to win. If you don’t enjoy the Vikings winning, are you even a fan? My fantasy team also would like some points from Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones.

The most obvious is a higher draft pick. The more they lose, the better the pick will be in the Spring. There’s also a more sinister reason: you’re hoping someone gets fired. KOC, Kwesi, someone else. Maybe a more subtle change of play calling duties being passed on could land you here too.

Steelers claim veteran WR Adam Thielen, waive CB Darius Slay

The team was awarded former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen off waivers Tuesday. The addition came amid a flurry of moves that also saw the Steelers waive veteran cornerback Darius Slay. Additionally, the Steelers are signing cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the active roster from the practice squad, a source told ESPN.

Thielen was waived by the Vikings a day after he was a healthy scratch in the team’s 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thielen’s agent asked for a release last week as the 35-year-old receiver sought to make a greater contribution elsewhere in the final weeks of his final season before retirement. Once Minnesota’s wide receiver corps returned to full strength following Jordan Addison’s reinstatement, Thielen’s role dwindled. He played just three snaps in his final game against the Packers in Week 12.

“Since this past Spring, I knew this was going to be my last season playing in the National Football League,” Thielen wrote in a post on social media. “Given that, the Vikings allowed me the opportunity to go compete elsewhere for the last few weeks of my career.”

Thielen now lands with a Steelers team that has struggled to generate much offense this season. With Rodgers, who turned 42 on Tuesday, at the helm, the Steelers’ passing attack is 24th in the league, averaging just 187.8 yards per game. DK Metcalf, acquired by the Steelers in a blockbuster trade this spring, leads the team with 605 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions but is averaging a career-low 50.4 yards per game. The receiver depth behind Metcalf is lacking, too, after another Steelers trade sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason. Calvin Austin III has the next most yards among Steelers wide receivers with 278, and he’s averaging just 27.8 yards per game.

After completing under 50% of his pass attempts in a 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Rodgers seemingly called out his wide receivers when asked how he could get on the same page with them, particularly on the deep balls.

“When there’s film sessions, everybody shows up,” Rodgers said of how to solve the issues. “And when I check to a route, do the right route. Like, Jonnu [Smith] and I just weren’t on the same page. I checked to the in-breaker, and he ran the out-breaker. You know, Jonnu is a true professional, so I’m sure he’s sick about that.”

Fresh off winning the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, Slay signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Steelers in free agency and started nine games in Pittsburgh this season. He missed the Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a concussion sustained in a Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and when he returned for the Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears, he came off the bench as former undrafted free agent James Pierre moved into the starting role opposite Joey Porter Jr.

Slay played just 20 snaps (30.8%) against the Bears, his fewest of the season other than the injury-shortened Chargers game. Slay finished his brief Steelers tenure with 3 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 36 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. With Slay inactive against the Bills, the Steelers had to turn to Samuel when Pierre exited with a concussion.

Ben Roethlisberger played his entire 18-year career with the Steelers, and the final 15 of those years were for Mike Tomlin. Roethlisberger thinks it might be time for the Steelers and Tomlin to separate.

Roethlisberger said on his podcast that he thinks the Steelers might be better off with a new coach and Tomlin might be better off with a new job.

“It’s being talked about around here a lot: Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”

Roethlisberger isn’t advocating for the Rooney family to fire Tomlin, but is advocating for an honest conversation in which all parties admit things aren’t working and that everyone might be better off with a fresh start.

“Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’”

The Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969. Chuck Noll spent 23 years on the job, followed by Bill Cowher for 15 years, and now Tomlin has been the coach for 19 years. The Steelers like to have stability, but eventually every coach has to go.

“You go, ‘Hey, coach, listen, it’s probably best for all parties involved, let’s start over.’ It happened with Chuck Noll, it happened with Coach Cowher,” Roethlisberger said said. “Coach Tomlin’s been here a long time. You’d give him a statute, whatever you’ve got to do, because he deserves it, he’s earned it. But it’s time to find that next guy. Who’s that next guy that could be here for the next 20 years?”

Roethlisberger compared the Steelers’ situation to the Eagles when they parted ways with Andy Reid. That worked out for both parties, as the Eagles have won two Super Bowls since then, and Reid has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs. Roethlisberger said Tomlin might like the idea of trying that himself.