Game Recap Week 12 – Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders

December 1, 2025

By Noonefromtampa

Commanders Lose Heartbreaker at Home to the Broncos

First Quarter

Washington won the coin toss and deferred until the second half. Marvin Mims returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to the Denver 26 yard line. RJ Harvey ran up the middle for 11 yards on the first offensive play. He was stopped for no gain on the next play by Jordan Magee. Bo Nix rolled out and hit Adam Trautman for 13 yards. After two incompletions, Nix checked down to Tyler Badie who picked up 13 yards and the first down. Troy Franklin caught a 17 yard comeback route on the right side down to the Washington 20. Harvey ran for 5 yards over the left side. Will Harris, in his first game back since his injury, broke up a pass to Evan Engram. Noah Igbinoghene knocked the ball away from Pat Bryant on third down.  Wil Lutz connected on the 33-yard field goal attempt to give Denver a 3-0 lead.

Washington got lucky with an illegal formation penalty on the kickoff which allow them to start at the 21 instead of the 10 after Deebo Samuel muffed the first try. Chris Rodriguez was held to no gain on the first play. Marcus Mariota hit John Bated for 7 yards and then found Samuel for 4 yards to extend the drive with a first down. Samuel caught another pass for 5 yards and Rodriguez broke a tackle to rush for 11 yards. After gaining 6 yards on two plays, Terry McLaurin drew an illegal contact penalty for a first down. The drive broke down at that point only gaining two more yards. Tress Way punted it to the Denver 10 yard line where it was fair caught.

Washington’s much maligned defense was able to force a three and out. After the punt, Washington started at their own 42 yard line.

Rodriguez started the drive off with a 9 yard run. After an incompletion, Mariota ran for 2 yards to pick up the first down. Zach Ertz had an 11 yard reception for another first down. Following a three-yard loss by Rodirguez and an incompletion, Jeremy McNichols broke several tackles on a carry for 16 yards to end the quarter.

Second Quarter

After a 4 yard run by Rodirguez, Mariota made a horrible jump throw which was intercepted by Dre Greenlaw near the goal line who returned it 27 yards.

Denver to move the ball again by mixing short runs and passes. The biggest play on the drive was a 22 yard completion to Trautman on fourth and one. The drive fizzled out at the Washington 10 and Denver had to settle for a field goal again making the lead 6-0.

Samuel returned the kickoff 26 yards. Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 5 yards over the left side and followed it up with a 13 yard run over the right side, after a strange play where Mariota tried to lateral to Bates to avoid a sack, which cost them 5 yards. Samuel caught a 5 yard pass. Mariota then scrambled for 12 yards and the first down. Mariota lost a yard on a run but floated a nice pass to Ertz for a 21 yard gain. Following a 1-yard run by Croskey-Merritt, McLaurin had an 11 yard reception to the Denver 11 yard line. Brandon Coleman was called for an illegal formation penalty cost Washington 5 yards. After a no gain run by Mariota, Denver was called for unnecessary roughness for pulling on Tyler Biadasz while he was on the ground. Rodirguez scored from the 8 yard line. New kicker Jake Moody converted the extra point to give the Commanders a 7-6 lead.

Starting with 2:14 on the clock, Nix was able to drive the Broncos down the field, converting the one third down they faced. The three longest plays on the drive were a 13 yard pass to Engram, a 12 yard catch by Courtland Sutton and an 11 yard touchdown to Sutton on a great throw by Nix on his way to the turf. The extra point was good giving Denver the lead back 13-7.

Washington took a knee to end the half.

Third Quarter

Samuel returned the kickoff 26 yards and Rodriguez ran for 6 yards on the first play. Ertz caught passes for 18 yards and 12 yards. Mariota ran for 19 yards on an option keeper.  After gaining 1 yard on two plays, Mariota found McLaurin for 13 yards down to the Denver 3 yard line. Samuel lost 2 yards on a direct snap. Following an incompletion to McLaurin, Treylon Burks made an incredible one-handed catch over the defender to get the 5-yard touchdown. The extra point was good, giving Washinton the lead back at 14-13.

After the kickoff, Nix scrambled for 10 yards on third and eight. Mims ran for 9 yards. On a trick pass play, Harvey dropped the pass. Denver was called for multiple penalties on the next play and Washington chose the holding call to put Denver in third and 10. Washington was unable to generate much of a pass rush and Nix hit Sutton for 31 yards. Two plays later on third and 5, Nix hit Bryant for 21 yads down to the Washington 3 yard line. Harvey scored two plays after the big catch. The extra point was good making Denver’s lead 20-14.

After a run for no gain, Mariota found McLaurin for 14 yards. McNichols ran for 6 yards on two plays and then Laremy Tunsil was called for a false start. On third and nine, the Denver pass rush forced a errant deep throw over McLaurin. Way punted the ball to the Denver 14 where it was downed.

After a 1 yard run by Harvey, Nix found Bryant for 16 yards to end the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Following a Sutton 2 yard catch and an incompletion, Bobby Wagner intercepted a pass and returned it 6 yards to the Denver 36 yard line.

Colson Yankoff had a 14 yard catch to start the drive, but Washington gained only two more yards. Moody made his first field goal for Washington of 38 yards to cut the lead to 20-17.

Washington’s defense forced its second three and out behind a third down sack by Frankie Luvu. Denver’s defense returned the favor forcing, Washinton into a three and out. Denver lost about 10 yards of field position on the exchange of punts.

Jaleel McLaughlin ran for 14 yards to begin Denver’s drive.  After an incompletion and a two yard run by Harvey, Nix found Adam Prentice for an 11 yard reception. Washington stopped a run for no gain, and the pass rush forced an incompletion. Engram only gained 6 yards on a checkdown on third down to force a punt which resulted in a touchback.

Mariota found McLaurin for 16 yards and then Croskey-Merritt ran for 1 yard. Then another official miscue occurred when Mariota was ruled as having been sacked, but video review showed that he was tripped by the Denver player which could not be called on the review. Alex Singleton broke up a deep completion to Ertz punching the ball out his hands.

Washington was able to force another three and out when Jacob Martin knocked the timing off on a slant play to make the throw go incomplete.

After the punt, Washington was able to pick up two first downs, one on a Mariota scramble and McNichols got another on fourth and 1 from the Washington 35 yard line. Ertz caught a 14 yard reception for another first down. Then Washington encountered some more questionable officiating which put them in a 3 and 25. McLaurin caught a 19 yard pass and Ertz had an 8 yard catch for the first down on fourth down. Washington was able to move the ball down to the Denver 12, but time ran out and they had to settle for a 32 yard Moody field goal to tie the at 20-20 as time ran out.

Overtime

It took Denver 5 plays to score a touchdown. Two 12-yard completions to Harvey and Trautman and then a 41 yard catch and run by Engram. Sutton had a 5 yard catch and Harvey ran it in from the five. The extra point was good for a 27-20 lead.

Washington fought back with a 20 yard catch by McLaurin. The drive got extended by a defensive pass interference on fourth down. A McLaurin touchdown was negated by a Josh Conerly holding penalty. Mariota came back to Samuel for a 38 yard completion down to the one-yard line. On fourth and three, McLaurin made the touchdown catch. The Commanders went for the two-point conversion, but Nik Bonitto knocked down the pass that was going to a wide open McNichols. Denver won 27-26.

Thoughts

The NFL needs to fix its officiating problem. Make everything reviewable and let coaches challenge penalties.

Hard to win games when your defense can’t stop people on third down. Also hard to win with hardly any pass rush.

The defense got worn down by long Denver drives.

Washington was up and down on offense with drops and penalties stopping drives.