Washington Commanders Merry GAME DAY Christmas!

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Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders name Josh Johnson starter for Christmas game against Dallas

The 39-year-old quarterback, who has played for 14 NFL teams, will step in for the injured Marcus Mariota.

This will be Johnson’s first start since 2021, when he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He struggled last week when called upon to replace Mariota against the Eagles, but the coaching staff still feels confident in his abilities.

Quinn said Jeff Driskel, whom the Commanders signed off Arizona’s practice squad this week, will back up Johnson in Thursday’s game. Washington promoted Sam Hartman from the practice squad to the active roster, and he will serve as the third emergency quarterback on game day.

The Athletic (paywall)

The chaos of an NFL emergency signing: ‘You got to roll with it, or you can go home’

[Jeff Driskel] received word just minutes before kickoff Sunday, then hopped on a red-eye flight to the D.C. area Monday morning, landing just in time to take a physical and join the Commanders’ morning meetings before taking the field for a walkthrough and then practice.

His locker had yet to receive a nameplate and instead was designated by the two suitcases parked in front.

“It’s way more common than people think,” he said with a grin. “You get used to it.”

Such is the life of the emergency signing, players acquired on short notice to step in for depth or even a starting role and make it all somehow look seamless, as if they had practiced for months, not hours, with teammates whose names they’ve yet to fully learn.

Common? Sure — in the NFL, where injuries are all but guaranteed each weekend.

But easy? Hardly. The trick is making it appear so. Behind the scenes, NFL teams do this weekly, with emergency lists of free agents and practice squad players, and a well-rehearsed operation involving staffers from multiple departments bringing in new players on a moment’s notice.

A to Z Sports

Commanders LT Laremy Tunsil one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs after being a top player at his position

He will still be rewarded after the season with a new contract, though.

Despite being 4-11, there have been some players who have played like the Super Bowl was on the line. Individual performances should still be rewarded, no matter how bad the season has been. That’s what the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors are for.

There are a lot of great offensive tackles in the NFC, but Tunsil has been the best, and it’s not even close. Penei Sewell, Trent Williams, and Tristan Wirfs were all selected to represent the NFC, and Tunsil has been better than all three of them this season.

Despite being a Pro Bowl snub, Tunsil still has a chance at All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, and more importantly, a new contract. Tunsil had his contract reworked at the start of the season, which gave him more bonus money for this season, and also freed up $14.4 million in salary cap space for the team to work with. Reworking his contract and adding the three void years makes it a lot easier for the Commanders to extend him whenever they want to after the season.

Pro Football Focus

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 17

8. Washington Commanders (Down 1)

Projected Week 17 starters:

LT Brandon Coleman
LG Chris Paul
C Tyler Biadasz
RG Sam Cosmi
RT Josh Conerly Jr.

The Commanders’ issues up front were apparent in Week 16 against the Eagles. The line gave up nine pressures — including one sack — on 25 pass plays en route to a 25th-ranked 80.0 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating this week.

Washington was without Laremy Tunsil in the loss to the Eagles. He was replaced by Brandon Coleman, whose 38.7 PFF pass-blocking grade was the lowest figure on the team’s offensive line.

Best player: Sam Cosmi

Cosmi gave up only one hurry against Philadelphia. He earned a team-best 80.2 PFF pass-blocking grade for his efforts.

Riggo’s Rag

Drake Jackson could be the biggest winner from Commanders’ lost season

The return from injury was encouraging, but what comes next is more important.

Drake Jackson, whose re-emergence in Week 16 offered a glimpse of what could be both a short-term spark and a longer-term solution, was a beacon of light throughout his first snaps in Washington.

While the box score won’t jump off the page, the underlying performance absolutely should. On just 22 defensive snaps — seven of which came in true pass-rush opportunities — the USC product generated three pressures and three quarterback hurries, consistently stressing the edge.

What popped on tape wasn’t just the pressure totals; it was how Jackson won. He was explosive off the snap from varying alignments, showed good hands, and the flexibility to turn the corner without losing balance — traits that are hard to teach and often take time to return after injury.

For a Commanders defense that has battled injuries and inconsistency along the defensive line all season, Jackson’s presence offers a potential injection of juice.

Now, he draws another opportunity on Christmas against a young and physical Cowboys offensive line that has endured its own growing pains. While Dallas will test him with power and length, Jackson’s speed-based approach can stress inexperienced offensive tackles, especially in obvious passing situations.

Commanders Wire

5 Washington Commanders players to watch closely in final two weeks

WR Treylon Burks

Burks was in a similar spot to Jackson when he signed in October. Burks, a former first-round pick, dealt with injuries on his previous team. He’s been outstanding with the Commanders. While he hasn’t been a featured part of the offense, he delivers every time the ball comes his way. He had the NFL’s catch of the year a few weeks ago. Last week, Burks beat Cooper DeJean in the end zone on a play that DeJean should have been flagged for pass interference on. Like Sinnott, it may be hard for Burks to show much without Daniels or Marcus Mariota under center. But just like he has done since he debuted, Burks needs to make every target count. He’s also a free agent in 2026. While the Commanders need to add a couple of receivers in the offseason, it would appear that Burks has played himself into the franchise’s plans. A strong finish would certainly help him.

Washington Post (paywall)

The NFL’s Christmas matchups are the presents you would like to return

NFL primer: Injured QBs and underperforming teams sap the league’s holiday slate, which features three games lacking much firepower.

When the NFL scheduled the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs to play on Christmas, it was reasonable to project that the league was putting some of its best and most attractive teams on the field for a holiday showcase.

The Commanders were coming off an appearance in the NFC championship game in quarterback Jayden Daniels’s rookie year. The Lions and Vikings played for the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed in the final game of the 2024 regular season. The Chiefs were, well, the Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and appearances in five of the previous six Super Bowls.

Instead, Thursday’s matchups of Cowboys-Commanders, Lions-Vikings and Broncos-Chiefs are mostly devoid of relevance.

Four of the six teams are eliminated from playoff contention — the Commanders, Cowboys, Vikings and Chiefs, who have a combined record of 23-36-1. The Lions are 8-7 and barely hanging on to their postseason hopes. They trail the Green Bay Packers for the NFC’s final wild-card playoff spot by 1½ games with two games left. Only the Broncos, who are coming off a 14-point loss at home Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars but remain in position to secure the AFC’s top playoff seed, are in the thick of the postseason chase.

Podcasts & videos

HC Dan Quinn Previews Cowboys vs. Commanders | Washington Commanders | The Gameplan | NFL

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