Denver Broncos (9-2) @ Washington Commanders (3-8)
Sunday, November 30, 8:20 PM ET
Before the start of the 2025 season, this matchup between the Broncos and Commanders looked like it was going to be a marquee matchup of two Super Bowl contenders with top-tier young quarterbacks.
Now, it's looking like it might be another stepping stone for the Denver Broncos on their way to their first AFC West division title since Peyton Manning was under center for the team. The Commanders are beaten up, and Jayden Daniels' status is still a question mark.
The question for the Commanders is simple: Even if Jayden Daniels is healthy enough to play in this game, do you want him coming back against the NFL's best pass rushing team?
The long-term health of Daniels is obviously the priority at this point with the Commanders at 3-8 and not looking like a factor whatsoever in the NFC East. They obviously aren't going to mail in this season yet, but coming off of a bye week, do they really have a great advantage over the Broncos, who are also coming off of a bye?
Denver is a 6.5-point favorite on the road this week. That would be egregious based on the way we saw the Commanders rolling last season, but it's not so crazy now. It'll be fun to see Vance Joseph scheming against his old pal Kliff Kingsbury, who was his boss with the Arizona Cardinals for a handful of years.
That Broncos defense is possibly getting Pat Surtain II back this week. Even with these teams both being inconsistent on offense this season, I'm banking on Sean Payton's team coming off of a bye and keeping their lead in the AFC West.
Prediction: Broncos win 24-15