With a chance to flush the overtime loss in Madrid through the bye week, the Washington Commanders leave Sunday Night Football’ with a familiar feeling after falling vs. Denver, 27-26, for the second straight overtime loss and seven consecutive in 2025.
Denver opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal on the opening possession before Will Lutz added another from the same distance midway through the second quarter, handing Washington an early 6-0 deficit. The rushing game would loom large, as would TE Zach Ertz, as the offense found its groove before RB Chris Rodriguez punched in an eight-yard TD for Washington’s first lead of the day, 7-6, just ahead of the two-minute warning.
It was enough time, though, for Denver to drive 64 yards in under two minutes to reclaim a 13-7 lead second ahead of halftime.
WR Treylon Burks would follow it up with a jaw-dropping one-handed reception to open the second half, his first touchdown of the season and pushing Washington back ahead, 14-13.
But just like earlier, Denver RB RJ Harvey would cap off another efficient Broncos drive that ended with a touchdown and spanned nearly six minutes.
K Jake Moody would step up in the fourth and knocked through his first two field goal attempts as a Commander, first from 38-yards then 32, before the overtime back and forth.
Denver opened overtime with a 76 yard drive spanning just five plays, ending in Harvey’s second rushing touchdown of the day. Washington would answer back with receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel stepping up downfield before McLaurin punched in a three-yard receiving touchdown, his second of the season. Washington stayed on the field to go for the win on the two-point attempt, but Mariota’s pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage to solidify the primetime loss.
Washington wins the battle on the ground
All eyes were on how the two teams would fare in the run game with both Washington and Denver among the league’s best rushing attacks in 2025.
RB Chris Rodriguez drew the opening snaps where he was explosive once again in his appearance, eventually breaking loose for the game’s first touchdown after breaking through the heart of the Broncos’ defense for an eight-yard rushing touchdown for the game’s first score. RB Jeremy McNichols would add to the Commanders’ success in his limited reps after finishing with 30 yards on six carries, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt posted 20 yards on four attempts. But with Rodriguez leading the way on Sunday night with 41 yards and Marcus Mariota adding a game-high 55 yards on the ground, the Commanders were efficient on the ground while averaging over four yards per carry.
Defense has its moments
On the flip side, Denver was held to 82 yards to hold them to their third consecutive inefficient ground game with no Bronco running back eclipsing 30 yards and holding the team to under four yards per carry.
LB Bobby Wagner came down with his second interception of the season to give the offense a short field, but the offense turned in just 16 yards on five plays to bring Jake Moody out for his first field goal as a Commander to trim the deficit to three for what proved to be the game’s final points.
The lone blemish of the night proved to be the final drive of the first half in response to Chris Rodriguez punching in the game’s first touchdown, allowing Denver to drive 64 yards to answer with their own touchdown during the two-minute drill to cement a 13-7 deficit at halftime.
Still, Washington’s defense would give the offense two more chances in the closing minutes after forcing two punts, including a three-and-out with just over three minutes left. In yet another ugly win for Denver in 2025, the defense gave the offense plenty of chances.
That was until overtime, of course, after Denver went 76 yards in five plays highlighted by a 41-yard catch and run by TE Evan Engram to set up RB RJ Harvey for a five-yard TD, his second of the day.
Zach Ertz makes history while shining all night
Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury made clear what the gameplan was through the air with routine quick passes and getting the playmakers in space, but no person benefitted more than veteran TE Zach Ertz after proving to be the safety blanket that quarterback Marcus Mariota needed.
With 106 receiving yards on nine catches on Sunday night – both new career highs along with his first 100-yard receiving game - the future Hall of Fame tight end moved up in the history books after passing Jimmy Graham for eighth-most receiving yards among tight ends in NFL history in addition to passing Shannon Sharpe for fifth on the all-time receiving yards list.
But he also proved to be a big piece of Washington’s passing attack with QB Marcus Mariota leaning on the veteran to move the sticks. Six of Ertz’s ten catches resulted in first downs with the veteran adding 35 yards after contact, a byproduct of the approach against an efficient and lethal Broncos’ front seven.
Offense does just enough
It was far from a consistent night for the Commanders, which started with a ten-play drive into Broncos territory before opting to punt from Denver’s 39 yard line. Touchdowns on consecutive possession in the middle eight gave Washington life, highlighted by WR Treylon Burks’ highlight-reel one-handed catch in the endzone to give Washington its second lead of the night.
But with a one possession game through the fourth quarter, Washington squandered ideal field possession off Wagner’s interception before punting on the next two possession with just one first down and 13 yards of offense to show for it.
But against a defense on a historic pace with 49 sacks through 11 games, no team did better than Washington with just one sack allowed on Sunday night. The offense was also a big part of the run game finding success, while quarterback Marcus Mariota came alive on the final drive of regulation to send the game into overtime after opening the second quarter with a horrid interception.
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