J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes without a turnover. Jayden Daniels re-injured his left elbow. Zach Ertz tore his ACL. Washington’s eight-game losing streak reached a new low.
The Minnesota Vikings walked into Week 14 at 4-8 with the NFL’s worst turnover differential and a shutout loss the week before in Seattle. Washington came in favored by a point and a half.
What followed was one of the most complete beatdowns of the 2025 NFL season. The Commanders lost 31-0 at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 7, 2025 — their eighth straight defeat — and were officially eliminated from playoff contention before the final whistle. 2024 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels re-injured his previously dislocated left elbow midway through the third quarter. Tight end Zach Ertz was carted off with what turned out to be a torn ACL. Marcus Mariota came on in relief and threw an interception before losing a fumble.
J.J. McCarthy, meanwhile, played the best game of his young career.
Below is the full breakdown of the Washington Commanders vs. Minnesota Vikings player stats, scoring plays, box score, and defensive numbers from December 7, 2025.
Table of Contents
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Play | Drive Info | WAS | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 11:03 | Josh Oliver 18-yd TD pass from McCarthy (Reichard kick) | 7 plays, 61 yds, 3:57 | 0 | 7 |
| Q2 | 5:41 | Jordan Mason 8-yd TD rush (Reichard kick) | 19 plays, 98 yds, 12:01 | 0 | 14 |
| Q3 | 7:01 | Will Reichard 45-yd FG | 4 plays, 3 yds, 1:15 | 0 | 17 |
| Q3 | 2:53 | Josh Oliver 6-yd TD pass from McCarthy (Reichard kick) | 4 plays, 37 yds, 2:04 | 0 | 24 |
| Q4 | 11:26 | T.J. Hockenson 2-yd TD pass from McCarthy (Reichard kick) | 9 plays, 66 yds, 4:52 | 0 | 31 |
Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis | Attendance: 66,810 | Duration: 2:39
McCarthy Returns, Vikings’ Offense Finally Shows Up
A week after sitting out in Seattle with a concussion — watching his team get shutout 26-0 for the first time in 18 years — McCarthy came back and delivered the shutout himself.
He finished 16-for-23 for 163 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 129.2 passer rating. All three scoring throws went to tight ends: Josh Oliver caught an 18-yarder in the first quarter and a 6-yarder in the third, T.J. Hockenson caught the fourth-quarter score from two yards out. It was McCarthy’s seventh career NFL start, coming off a rookie year lost entirely to knee surgery and five games missed earlier in 2025 with a sprained ankle.
“It’s just something I feel like should’ve happened a lot earlier,” McCarthy said. “I absolutely love those guys for the grace and patience they’ve had with me, but we’ve got to continue to do it again.”
The most remarkable stretch of the day came in the second quarter. Minnesota ran 19 plays over 98 yards and held the ball for 12 minutes and 1 second — the longest drive by time in the NFL since a San Francisco 49ers possession that consumed 13:05 against Jacksonville in 2021. For the Vikings specifically, it was the longest drive by duration on record, as far back as Sportradar data covers. The offense converted all five third-down attempts on the possession, three of them with six or more yards to gain. Jordan Mason finished it off with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Aaron Jones and Mason combined for 128 yards on 25 carries. Justin Jefferson, held to four catches for 15 yards over the two prior games, grabbed two receptions for 11 yards and spent much of the afternoon pumping his fist after completions that moved the sticks.
“As long as we win, that’s what I really care about,” Jefferson said.
“It felt good to play to the standard our fans expect,” said coach Kevin O’Connell.
Minnesota posted a +0.298 average EPA per play on offense — 93rd percentile in rushing efficiency and 92nd in passing efficiency for the week — and converted all four red zone trips into touchdowns.
Minnesota Vikings Full Player Stats
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SK-YDS | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.J. McCarthy | 16/23 | 163 | 7.1 | 3 | 0 | 4-12 | 129.2 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Jones | 14 | 76 | 5.4 | 0 | 18 |
| Jordan Mason | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 1 | 12 |
| J.J. McCarthy | 6 | 19 | 3.2 | 0 | 16 |
| Zavier Scott | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Team | 34 | 162 | 4.8 | 1 | 18 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Addison | 4 | 7 | 62 | 15.5 | 0 | 21 | 13 |
| Jalen Nailor | 3 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 0 | 12 | 15 |
| Josh Oliver | 2 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 2 | 18 | 6 |
| T.J. Hockenson | 2 | 3 | 12 | 6.0 | 1 | 10 | 6 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2 | 4 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 13 | 12 |
| Tai Felton | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 12 |
| Ben Sims | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
| Zavier Scott | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 11 |
| Team | 16 | 23 | 163 | 10.2 | 3 | 21 | 79 |
Washington’s Offense: Gone Before Halftime
The Commanders had one real shot and wasted it in the opening drive.
Washington moved 83 yards on 15 plays, reached the Vikings’ 2-yard line with a first-and-goal, and threw three straight incompletions on the final three plays — including a Deebo Samuel drop on fourth-and-goal. Turnover on downs. The Commanders would not reach the end zone for the rest of the game.
From that point, the offense was in quicksand. Daniels spent the first half scrambling under pressure — he was pressured on 28% of his dropbacks — and finished with 78 yards on 20 pass attempts before his day ended early. Trailing 17-0 in the third quarter, he threw a fourth-down interception to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel at the Minnesota 19-yard line. Van Ginkel returned it 40 yards. Chasing the play downfield, Daniels was blocked by cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and landed on his left elbow — the same one he had dislocated in November, which had already cost him three games that season. Dan Quinn held him out the rest of the way. Tests the following Monday confirmed no structural damage.
Mariota came on and went 2-for-4 for 30 yards, took a sack for a loss of eight, threw an interception, and lost a fumble forced by Eric Wilson in the fourth quarter — recovered by Javon Hargrave.
“When you get beat 31-0, it’s not about offense or defense,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “We just didn’t play any kind of complementary football, and this is the result.”
Washington Commanders Full Player Stats
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SK-YDS | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | 9/20 | 78 | 3.9 | 0 | 1 | 1-1 | 35.0 |
| Marcus Mariota | 2/4 | 30 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | 1-8 | 35.4 |
| Team | 11/24 | 108 | 4.5 | 0 | 2 | 2-9 | 24.3 |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 10 | 52 | 5.2 | 0 | 15 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | 7 | 32 | 4.6 | 0 | 10 |
| Jayden Daniels | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Marcus Mariota | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 |
| Team | 23 | 107 | 4.7 | 0 | 15 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin | 3 | 6 | 41 | 13.7 | 0 | 28 | 8 |
| Deebo Samuel | 4 | 6 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 15 | 24 |
| Noah Brown | 1 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 6 |
| Ben Sinnott | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Jeremy McNichols | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Colson Yankoff | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Treylon Burks | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Team | 11 | 20 | 108 | 9.8 | 0 | 28 | 54 |
Full Team Stats
| Category | WAS | MIN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 206 | 313 |
| Net Pass Yards | 99 | 151 |
| Rush Yards | 107 | 162 |
| Total Plays | 49 | 61 |
| Yards per Play | 4.2 | 5.1 |
| First Downs | 12 | 25 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 7 | 15 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 3 | 8 |
| Penalty 1st Downs | 2 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 3/10 — 30% | 6/11 — 55% |
| 4th Down Conv. | 1/3 — 33% | 2/2 — 100% |
| Red Zone (TD/Att) | 0/2 — 0% | 4/4 — 100% |
| Total Drives | 7 | 8 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 0 |
| INTs Thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 | 4 |
| Yards Lost to Sacks | 9 | 12 |
| Penalties | 4 for 34 yds | 3 for 24 yds |
| Time of Possession | 25:08 | 34:52 |
| Avg EPA per Play | -0.425 | +0.298 |
Defense & Turnovers
Minnesota forced three turnovers and committed zero. The Vikings held Washington’s offense to 206 total yards, a 30% third-down conversion rate, and zero points across seven possessions.
Van Ginkel’s 40-yard interception in the third quarter was the game’s defining defensive play. Harrison Smith intercepted Mariota on the following series and returned it 11 yards. Hargrave recovered the Mariota fumble in the fourth to close out any remaining hope Washington had of getting on the board.
Minnesota Vikings — Defensive Stats
| Player | TKL | SOLO | AST | SK | TFL | PD | INT | INT YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Cashman | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Jalen Redmond | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Eric Wilson | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Harrison Smith | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 40 |
| Josh Metellus | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Javon Hargrave | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Byron Murphy Jr. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Isaiah Rodgers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Jonathan Allen | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Jonathan Greenard | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Dallas Turner | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Fabian Moreau | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Jay Ward | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Team | 60 | 21 | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 51 |
Washington Commanders — Defensive Stats
| Player | TKL | SOLO | AST | SK | TFL | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Wagner | 15 | 6 | 9 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quan Martin | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Sainristil | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jacob Martin | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Von Miller | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Frankie Luvu | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Antonio Hamilton Sr. | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Igbinoghene | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonathan Jones | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jordan Magee | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Preston Smith | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Goldman | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Harris | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daron Payne | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarcus Walker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | 70 | 33 | — | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Two Starters Down: Daniels Elbow, Ertz ACL
Washington’s loss in the stats column was compounded significantly in the injury report.
Jayden Daniels — Left Elbow (re-injury): Daniels had already missed three games in November after dislocating the same left elbow. He re-injured it on December 7 chasing Van Ginkel’s interception return, blocked by Isaiah Rodgers and landing on the elbow. Quinn held him out for the remainder of the game given the score differential and precautionary concerns. Tests the following Monday showed no structural damage.
Zach Ertz — Torn ACL, Right Knee (season-ending): Ertz came down from a jump ball on an incomplete Mariota pass and absorbed a hit from safety Jay Ward to his right knee. He was carted off immediately. Quinn confirmed the torn ACL the following Monday. Ertz, 35 years old and in the final year of his contract, finished the 2025 season with 50 receptions for 504 yards and four touchdowns. Quinn said after the diagnosis: “Tough news. He has meant a lot to our team both on and off the field.”
Kicking, Punting & Return Stats
Kicking
| Player | FG | PCT | LG | XP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard (MIN) | 1/1 | 100% | 45 | 4/4 | 7 |
Punting
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LG | In 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tress Way (WAS) | 3 | 140 | 46.7 | 49 | 1 |
| Ryan Wright (MIN) | 1 | 43 | 43.0 | 43 | 0 |
Kick Returns
| Player | RET | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deebo Samuel (WAS) | 4 | 87 | 21.8 | 25 | 0 |
| Myles Price (MIN) | 1 | 35 | 35.0 | 35 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Player | RET | YDS | AVG | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Price (MIN) | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 8 | 0 |
PFF Initial Grades — Top Performers
| Player | Team | Pos | PFF Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Oliver | MIN | TE | 92.7 | 40 |
| Javon Hargrave | MIN | DI | 91.1 | 27 |
| Harrison Smith | MIN | S | 90.7 | 52 |
| Jonathan Jones | WAS | CB | 85.5 | 51 |
| Brian O’Neill | MIN | T | 79.5 | 61 |
| Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | MIN | DI | 76.9 | 15 |
| Aaron Jones | MIN | HB | 76.6 | 29 |
| J.J. McCarthy | MIN | QB | 74.9 | 64 |
| Bobby Wagner | WAS | LB | 70.1 | 64 |
Grades are initial PFF assessments, subject to review.
What the Numbers Say About December 7, 2025
Minnesota went into that Sunday as a team that had lost seven of its last nine games. Washington was favored. The Commanders had one of the NFL’s better rushing attacks on paper, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on the season — and they put up exactly that number on the ground. The run game was not the issue.
Every other number was.
Washington’s offense touched the end zone zero times across two red zone trips. Minnesota touched it four times out of four. The Commanders threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, and allowed their quarterback to leave the field hurt for the second time in two months. Minnesota committed no turnovers, held the ball for nearly 35 minutes, and McCarthy completed 69.6% of his passes against a defense that entered the game as one of the more respected units in the NFC.
For Washington, the shutout in Minneapolis effectively closed the book on the 2025 season. For McCarthy and the Vikings, it was the kind of afternoon that made everything that had gone wrong that year look like it might eventually work itself out.
All stats sourced from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and ESPN. Game played December 7, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
