The Winners and Losers from Vikings Win over Commanders
The vile four-game losing skid is over for the Minnesota Vikings, getting off the schneid and toppling Dan Quinn’s club in Week 14. These are heroes and villains from that event.
The Vikings blanked Washington 31-0, and here are the biggest winners and losers from a dominant showing against the Commanders.
Minnesota proved they still have some juice left in the tank this year, and although the postseason is an extreme long shot, the Vikings won’t roll over and die.
Studs and Duds from Vikings-Commanders
Here’s the sweet and salty.
Winner: J.J. McCarthy
Well, well, well. The man was left for dead by some fans and became the No. 1 with a bullet subject of memes and jokes around the NFL over the last few weeks.
But McCarthy responded mightily on Sunday, delivering 3 touchdowns, no turnovers, and a modest 163 passing yards. No turnovers might have been the most important feat. McCarthy — finally — showed poise all afternoon, and along with an effective running game, Minnesota showed how the McCarthy era could work, in theory, when the young passer begins to take his final form.
As of Monday morning, McCarthy ranked sixth in the NFL among all Week 14 passers per EPA+CPOE. There’s no other way around it; the guy won the day.
Loser: Vikings WRs in the Redzone
If you like tight ends, Sunday’s game brought all the flavor. Josh Oliver grabbed two touchdowns from the sky, while T.J. Hockenson scored, too, after a nifty broken tackle that sent two Commanders defenders to the turf. The Voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen, called it a “tough guy touchdown.”
Who didn’t score? The wide receivers. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor were not included in the scoring festivities, and for a pass-catcher in Jefferson who has been visibly frustrated over the last few weeks, it would have been fantastic to get him involved.
Still, Minnesota won by 31 in a shutout, so “no WR touchdowns” is a bit nitpicky. It’s just that McCarthy couldn’t find his primary WR threats for paydirt.
Winner: Harrison Smith
Smith grabbed the 38th interception of his career in Week 14, and there’s a decent chance the errant pass from Marcus Mariota was his last. Of course, Smith could still notch a pick in the next four games, but if assigned an official probability, that was probably Smith’s final interception as a pro.
And it happened in a shutout.
His old friend, Anthony Barr, blew the Gjallahorn, too, on Sunday before kickoff, and Barr did that while wearing a Smith jersey — the ultimate sign of respect. Smith won all around.
Loser: Jayden Daniels
Daniels now ranks as the league’s 25th-best passer among 34 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE in 2025 — also known as a bottom-10 passer. Last year, he pulled down a Top 8 ranking.
Returning from an elbow injury did Daniels no favors against Minnesota’s stingy defense. Washington would have been better off sitting him down for the rest of the year because a) It has nothing to play for b) He got hurt again thanks to a mean Isaiah Rodgers tackle.
Daniels has encountered a classic sophomore slump, but because he’s likable, nobody really cares.
Winner: Kevin O’Connell
O’Connell finally did it. He got the memo, and he ran the football.
For weeks — months, even — fans have begged the young ball coach to run the football, as his quarterback play has bent so terribly. O’Connell has refused.
Heading into Week 14, the Vikings have run the ball 258 times through 13 games, the lowest total in team history for this point in a season. When they did hand it off, they averaged 4.6 yards per carry, ranking as the 11th-best average the franchise has ever posted. Long story short: they run the rock quite efficiently — but just don’t do it.
Yet, in Week 14, O’Connell changed his habits. He ran the ball 34 times to 23 passes — exactly what the doctor ordered when a team produces poor quarterback performance.
Against Washington, it was the first time in four years that the Vikings had 3+ passing TDs in a game, along with 150+ rushing yards as a team. O’Connell saw the light.
Winner: Jalen Redmond
Redmond posted six stops, two behind the line, and a sack. That’s Pro Bowl-level stuff. If he carried a bigger brand or more buzz, the voting would be automatic. Across the league, he still gets tagged as a “UFL guy,” but that label is outdated — he’s a straight-up baller.
If there’s any justice in the NFL, Redmond will receive some Pro Bowl votes. He’s not well enough known to get the nod, but he deserves consideration.
He’s a beacon of consistency. Week 14 was no different.
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