Commanders-Vikings Preview

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last season, the second most in franchise history. The Washington Commanders rode the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner, Jayden Daniels, all the way to the NFC championship game.

Both teams aggressively added to their roster during the offseason, too, seemingly setting themselves up for sustained success. But life comes at you fast in this league. The Vikings are on a four-game losing streak at 4-8, with a once-potent offense that has completely broken down. The Commanders have lost seven straight games to take a 3-9 record into this matchup of vast underachievers in Minnesota on Sunday.

“We want to get back on track and try to get a win this week. It’s been a while since we’ve felt that feeling,” Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. "I know they’re itching for a win as well, so you’ve got two hungry teams.”

During this week’s season debut of the new “Hard Knocks” docuseries, which is following all four NFC East teams, Commanders coach Dan Quinn delivered a poignant postgame locker room speech after Washington’s 27-26 overtime loss to a Denver team that has the NFL's second-best record. With a couple of expletives for emphasis, Quinn urged the Commanders to realize they'd recaptured their competitive edge in a second consecutive narrow defeat after dropping the previous four games by 21-plus points.

“We lost,” Quinn said, "but we’re not lost anymore.”

The message seemed to resonate with the players.

“We don’t question what he believes in, and we believe in him,” right guard Sam Cosmi said. “Even though we haven’t been getting the results we wanted, that’s why we keep fighting.”

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has had his hands full trying to guide new quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft - eight spots after Daniels - who has missed 24 of a possible 30 games because of injuries.

After dropping close, winnable games at home to Baltimore and Chicago, the Vikings were blown off the field the past two weeks at Green Bay and Seattle.

“We've got to stop doing things to lose games before we get ourselves a chance to win them,” said O'Connell, whose team has by far the league's worst turnover margin at minus-15. The Commanders are third worst at minus-eight.

Even if the playoffs are an extreme long shot, important auditions will be held at several positions down the stretch for 2026 roster spots and starting jobs. The foundation O'Connell has helped build over four years will continue to undergo vital stress-testing, too, as the Vikings try to get back on track.

“It’s about trying to go 1-0 this week, and if you’ve ever understood or questioned why a cliche like that is used, we’re in a moment where it matters more so now than ever,” he said.

The Vikings are just 1-4 this season at U.S. Bank Stadium, where their exasperated fans last saw the offense produce three turnovers and six punts in a 19-17 loss to Chicago on Nov. 16 despite a late rally to briefly take the lead. Over losses at Green Bay and Seattle since then, the Vikings have been outscored 49-6 with eight more turnovers and a woeful average of 3.3 yards per play. If they didn't notice the boos against the Bears, they'll surely hear a louder expression of disdain if the offense continues to be stuck.

“Since I’ve been here, there's a certain way that, no matter what, you kind of know you should be seeing some things when you show up to watch the Vikings play, so I understand when the frustration sets in,” said O'Connell, alluding to the team's top-six rank in the NFL in passing yards in each of his first three seasons. “I understand how passionate our fans are and how much they love the Minnesota Vikings, and that is not lost on me in one moment.”

Washington’s defense has looked much more competent and capable over the past two games since Quinn took over the play-calling on that side of the ball from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Part of the improvement has been strategic, with a greater reliance on zone coverage in the back end, instead of man to man. Another part of it has been a simplifying of the scheme - or “more vanilla,” as Quinn put it. The former defensive coordinator - on back-to-back Super Bowl teams with Seattle - said he missed the excitement of play-calling and the closer connection it provides him to players.

“During the game, I’m on the trip with them and riding it with them,” Quinn said, “and I want to make sure I’m giving them every chance they can to play at their best.”

The Vikings have wasted several stellar defensive performances during this losing streak. One of the bright spots on that side of the ball has been edge rusher Dallas Turner, who now leads the team with 5½ sacks after forcing two fumbles at Seattle last week.

“I just feel like it’s playing fast and physical at a high level. It’s not really like a ‘he’s here’ type of thing,” said Turner, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft. “I’m just playing football.”

Treylon Burks had just one reception last week, but what a catch it was: a leaping, falling, one-handed grab for a touchdown - the hand on which he recently had finger surgery, no less – that made every list of best plays of the season. It was just the second touchdown catch in the NFL for Burks, a first-round pick by Tennessee in 2022 whose career was derailed by injuries. He signed with Washington's practice squad in October.

“It starts in practice. Just doing that type of stuff in practice, it builds confidence. It gave me the confidence to do it in the game,” Burks said. “So I just keep being the player I am for this team and trying to help us win.”

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AP National Writer Howard Fendrich contributed from Ashburn, Va.

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