Scouting the Enemy: Washington Commanders

Fresh off their bye week, the Denver Broncos are hoping to finish their last six games of the season strong. After an impressive Week 11 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos are now in the driver’s seat of the AFC West and in the hunt for the top seed in the conference. This week’s matchup? Taking on the Washington Commanders on the road for Sunday Night Football. Let’s take a deeper look at Denver’s Week 13 opponent and what the Broncos need to accomplish to earn their tenth victory of the season.

2024 Washington Commanders Season Review

In the first season of the Dan Quinn era, the Commanders finished 12-5 for second place in the NFC East. They eventually lost the conference championship to the Philadelphia Eagles. Their offense was fifth in points scored and seventh in yards gained. Their defense was eighteenth in points allowed and thirteen in yards allowed.

2025 Offseason Additions and Departures

With a good outing in ‘24, the Commanders retained a lot of their in-house talent in their pursuit of chasing an NFC East title this season. However, they did make a few big additions from the outside. They added left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel via trade to bolster their offense. On defense, their biggest signing was adding former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw to shore up their trench game.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Commanders has just five selections. However, four of them have made some good contributions for them thus far. First-round right tackle Josh Conerly has started every game for them and defensive back Trey Amos earned a starting role in their secondary. On top of that, wide receiver Jaylin Lane has done well as a return specialist and seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt is their leading rusher.

Offensive X-Factor: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel

Jayden Daniels certainly would have earned this designation based on how well he performed as a rookie. Unfortunately for the Commanders, Daniels remains sidelined for Sunday Night Football due to an elbow injury that has hampered his availability this season. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was a thought as well—he has been a terrific player—but McLaurin has missed all but four games this season.

In McLaurin’s absence, Deebo Samuel has been the focal point of the Commanders’ aerial attack. In ten games, Samuel has 53 catches on 68 targets for 470 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has certainly been the favorite target of backup Marcus Mariota, who is often throwing the ball short to him in order for Samuel to make plays in space and gain yards after the catch.

The Broncos’ secondary has performed admirably over the past few weeks outside of untimely penalties. Keeping Samuel’s explosive play ability in check will be a primary goal for Denver this weekend. I expect Vance Joseph’s defensive backs to play disciplined and believe they will do a good job of keeping Samuel’s impact on the game minimal.

Defensive X-Factor: Defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne

The Commanders defense has a handful of longtime veterans who’ve played at a high level in the National Football League. Von Miller and Bobby Wagner come to mind, but I’ve got a different player in mind for their defensive player to take note of. That’s veteran defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne.

In his eighth season in the NFL, Payne continues to be a high-quality player. His productivity as a pass rusher isn’t what it quite used to be, but he is still a plus defender against the run and a strong anchor at the point of attack. He is also alignment versatile and can be disruptive at various positions along their defensive front.

In order for the Broncos to achieve victory, their offensive line will have to ensure Payne doesn’t disrupt their attempt to establish the run. I’m looking forward to seeing how Denver’s rushing attack looks after the bye with the continued absence of J.K. Dobbins. They will need a strong ground game against the Commanders and down the stretch for their offense to be successful.

How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Commanders

At the beginning of the year, I had this matchup pegged as potentially one of Denver’s hardest of the season. However, the Commanders have experienced a significant drop off this year with injuries being the primary culprit. I’m not trying to underestimate Washington, but they haven’t been a good team in ‘25.

Ultimately, I think the extra week of rest and preparation bodes well for the Broncos. With the Commanders struggling mightily on defense, I think this is a game where Bo Nix and Denver’s offense can continue to make strides. Head Coach Sean Payton made some great changes last year at the bye, and I believe we might see some new wrinkles in Denver’s offense Sunday night. All things considered, I believe the Broncos will fare well under the bright lights and earn their tenth victory of the season.

Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 30, Commanders 13.