Denver Broncos (9-2) at Washington Commanders (3-8)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025
Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
Stadium: Northwest Stadium
Location: Landover, Md.
Betting: Washington +5.5 | O/U: 43.5 (DraftKings)
The Washington Commanders will look to end a six-game losing streak during its second Sunday night football appearance of the 2025 season when they host the Denver Broncos, one of the hottest teams in the NFL, looking to improve to 6-0 against sub.-500 teams this season. But how can Washington end its losing streak to pull off the primetime upset? We take a look at three things to watch for:
How much can WR Terry McLaurin help the offense?
After battling a hamstring injury through the bulk of the 2025 season, Sunday night could mark the return of WR Terry McLaurin to serve as a much-needed boost to the weapons around QB Marcus Mariota.
The veteran receiver told reporters earlier this week he hopes to play “as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” but after returning to practice on Monday and being listed as a limited participant on Wednesday, McLaurin was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday’s practice in a positive sign for the Commanders.
That poses the question as to how much McLaurin will play, but more importantly, can the veteran receiver prove to be impactful in his return? Denver enters Sunday ranked sixth in the league in passing yards allowed (185.6) while cornerback Pat Surtain Jr. is expected to return after suffering a pectoral strain that sidelined him the last three games. Could McLaurin’s return be enough to alleviate the defensive focus on versatile WR Deebo Samuel, providing another glimpse into what the offense could look like at full strength? It’ll be a big question for the offense to answer coming out of the bye week and totaling 13 points vs. Miami in Madrid the week prior.
Can Washington slow down Denver’s pass rush?
The Commanders enter Sunday in the middle of the pack with 25 sacks through 11 games as the front seven looks to disrupt and slow down QB Bo Nix and Denver, but the bigger question is whether Washington’s pass protection can slow down Denver on Sunday.
The Broncos enter Sunday with a league-leading 49 sacks, the most by any team through 11 games since the Saints during the 2000 season. Interior DL Zach Allen has been a big part of that success, ranking second at his position with six sacks, while OLB Nik Bonitto leads the league in pressure percentage (21.1%)
It’s a big part of a stout Denver defense that ranks top six in net yards allowed per play, points allowed per game along with both rushing and passing yards allowed per game.
Denver also enters Sunday leading the league in both third-down and redzone defense, allowing under 36% conversion rate for both.
For Washington, protecting the quarterback has been an issue with 27 sacks allowed through 11 games, sixth-most among NFC teams and T-15th heading into the week. QB Marcus Mariota is expected to make his third consecutive start, though the offense has struggled to find any sort of consistency in 2025.
On the flip side, the Broncos’ offensive line has been one of the best in the league, with the 13 sacks allowed in 2025 ranked second-best in the NFL.
Offensive tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz rank among the best in the NFL at their position in QB pressure allowed, doing well to keep QB Bo Nix protected with Denver allowing one sack or fewer in seven of their 11 games in 2025.
Bo Nix enters the matchup with the fifth-most passing touchdowns since taking over as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, while wide receiver Courtland Sutton has produced one of the more efficient seasons at his position across the league with his 649 receiving yards ranking sixth-most among AFC receivers.
Can Washington activate the rushing attack?
The Broncos’ pass rush is a big part of their defensive success in 2025 with the team among the worst in the takeaways with just nine through 11 games, but Washington’s offense will have its hands full.
Whether Washington tries to establish the run to control tempo and slow the game down will be one to watch, with the Commanders ranked sixth in the league in net rushing yards per game (138.5). Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been held to under 50 rushing yards in each of the last five games, in addition to averaging under 3.5 yards per carry with just one run over ten yards during that span. Chris Rodriguez has picked up the slack, though, recording touchdowns in each of the first two games in November before notching a season-high 79 yards on 15 carries in the 16-13 overtime loss vs. Miami.
Activating the rushing attack may be key with a wide receiver room battling full strength and CB Pat Surtain Jr. expected to return to boost Denver’s secondary this weekend.