The Washington Commanders lost their eighth straight game on Sunday, putting up very little resistance in a 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The loss was embarrassing on many levels, considering the 4-8 Vikings were an opportunity for Washington to pick up a win. Minnesota entered Week 14 having lost four in a row and six of its last seven games.

It wasn’t meant to be as the Vikings dominated from the first possession. While the Commanders had a chance to tie the game in the first quarter after an impressive opening drive, Washington failed to punch the ball into the end zone on three consecutive plays from the two-yard line. After turning it over on downs, the Vikings went on a 19-play, 98-yard drive that went over 12 minutes to take a 14-0 lead.

That was it. The Commanders were cooked. Then, quarterback Jayden Daniels was injured again, chasing down a Vikings defender after an interception. The good news is that he appears to be fine. However, the same can’t be said for veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who suffered a gruesome knee injury. Ertz’s season is likely done. And considering he’s 35, maybe his career.

It was another brutal day for Washington, which fell to 3-10 on the season.

Here are six takeaways from Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.

Rock bottom?

The Commanders have had so many contenders for the question, “Is this rock bottom?” over the years that it’s hard to keep up. There have been several instances this season, including five weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks. That one was notable because it was under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, and we saw Daniels suffer a dislocated elbow. But Sunday’s loss was bad. The Commanders entered the game as road favorites. Yet did not score a single point against a struggling defense, making second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy look as good as he has since entering the NFL in 2024.

Outside of the first drive, the offense struggled. Play-calling wasn’t great. Quarterback play was bad. The run game worked, but the Commanders didn’t commit to it more frequently. The defense was bad again. To put how disastrous this season has been in perspective, Washington lost by 21 or more points five times. When you consider that along with injuries, it’s tough to imagine being any worse.

First drive ended the game

Washington’s defense looked normal on the first drive of the game, allowing the Vikings to go seven plays and 61 yards for an easy touchdown and an early lead. The Commanders appeared to answer, but chose to pass it three straight times from inside the two-yard line. They failed to convert, and Minnesota took over at the two-yard line. The rest is history. While it was an impressive drive, the Commanders couldn’t match it for the remainder of the game. Instead of three straight passes, why not a handoff or two to running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who helped them get down there in the first place?

It’s difficult to say if the Commanders were worse on offense or defense. One thing is certain: failing to score there ended Washington’s chance of winning this game. Daniels was never the same after that drive, and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores harassed him the rest of the day.

Kevin O’Connell, Brian Flores, owned Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury

Kevin O’Connell is one of the NFL’s best play-callers. He was terrific on Sunday, keeping the Commanders’ defense off-balance and getting struggling quarterback J.J. McCarthy comfortable. The Vikings’ offense looked the best it had in a long time and that’s without significant contributions from Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson.

Meanwhile, Flores put on a masterclass. Kingsbury called a phenomenal first drive, but went pass-happy inside the five-yard line and was never the same afterward. Kingsbury had no answer for Flores’ blitz packages. Sure, some of that can be blamed on the offensive line or quarterbacks, but overall, Kingsbury needed to adjust to what Flores was doing. Either he didn’t or he couldn’t. That’s a problem.

Justin Jefferson had 11 yards — and Washington lost by 31

What would you have said if someone told you that the Commanders would hold Minnesota superstar Justin Jefferson to two catches for 11 yards? Naturally, you would’ve said the Commanders probably win by double digits because so much of the Vikings’ offense runs through Jefferson. Nope. While Washington held Jefferson to 11 yards, Minnesota finished with 313 yards, as McCarthy threw touchdown passes — all to tight ends — and the Vikings ran for 162 yards. Unbelievable when you think about it.

Jayden Daniels was bad

It’s OK to admit it: Jayden Daniels was not good on Sunday. Let’s stop offering excuses. Sure, it was a total team effort, but everyone is quick to blame Terry McLaurin if he misses time, or Deebo Samuel if he drops a pass, or Josh Conerly if he allows a sack, or if Zach Ertz drops a pass. We need to hold Daniels to the same standard. By no means does that say you’re down on him or giving up on him. This is a lost season for everyone, especially Daniels. But these games matter. These reps matter. While Daniels has been in and out of the lineup, which is partly why he has struggled, when he has played, he hasn’t been sharp. The ball placement is off. He’s holding the ball too long and taking off too soon. Some of it is due to a lack of trust with his receivers. They have also been in and out of the lineup. But still, he needs to be better. Kingsbury must find a way to help Daniels play with more confidence.

Dan Quinn’s defense stinks

Remember when so many believed that Dan Quinn had magically fixed Washington’s defense after demoting Joe Whitt Jr? Not so fast. Look, Whitt was not a good defensive coordinator. He had no feel for the position and players regressed under his watch. But this product we see on the field each week was never all on him. It’s on GM Adam Peters, it’s on Quinn and it’s on the players. Quinn never wanted to demote Whitt. It wasn’t a case of him looking for a scapegoat. He had no choice after that Detroit game and the previous blowout losses. Things looked better because Miami and Denver didn’t have the same explosive passing offense as the Cowboys, Chiefs and others. You could make the case and no one would disagree that the Commanders need at least nine new defensive starters next season. That’s unlikely to happen, but Washington has no choice but to spend in free agency on young free agents, instead of veterans on their last legs, which it can land on the cheap.