The Minnesota Vikings hosted the Washington Commanders on Sunday. With a 4-8 record , there was very little for Kevin O'Connell's team to play for. Mercifully they ended a stretch of ineptitude and shut out Dan Quinn's team.
Now at 5-8, the Vikings would need a miracle to find a way to substantiate anything of substance for this year . If fans are looking for ties to former players in order to celebrate , multiple connectors took a hit there as well on Sunday.
For whatever reason the Indianapolis Colts have been allowing Daniel Jones to play through a fractured fibula . He has parlayed his experience with the Vikings into a strong season, but everything came crashing down on Sunday.
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Here's the play on which Daniel Jones was hurt: pic.twitter.com/RLJkYCAn4b
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2025
A potential downside to playing through an injury is how the body compensates to keep the ailing part healthy. Jones was dealing with a fractured fibula, and on Sunday it looked as though he suffered a torn achilles in the opposite leg.
That's beyond unfortunate considering how he was playing. Before exiting early on Sunday, he had pushed the Colts to an 8-4 record . Jones was completing passes at a 67.9% clip and had a 19/7 TD/INT.
Now with what likely will be a year-long injury, Jones has almost certainly missed out on a multi-year deal , and could be unlikely to receive a franchise tag as well. It's bad for the quarterback and bad for the Colts.
After being a healthy scratch for the Minnesota Vikings , Adam Thielen sought greener pastures to finish his career . The Pittsburgh Steelers wound up claiming him , and that gave future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers another target. Despite being active just days after his acquisition, the veteran wideout was an afterthought.
2018 Pro Bowler Adam Thielen with the grab for the Steelers pic.twitter.com/7XDqQNwJ2U
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 7, 2025
Despite changing franchises, little changed for Thielen from a usage standpoint. He saw just a single target from Rodgers, and hauled in a four yard reception to make his Pittsburgh debut.
Minnesota's third wide receiver Jalen Nailor , which was the role Thielen was originally acquired to hold down , hauled in all three of his targets for 30 yards on Sunday .
Last weekend the Minnesota Vikings faced off against the Seattle Seahawks and Sam Darnold . They couldn't get the job done as Max Brosmer struggled . This weekend Darnold played against other former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins . It did not go well for the Atlanta Falcons starter .
Kirk Cousins gets picked off.
Nick Emmanwori was credited with his first career interception, Falcons gonna lose another game 💀 pic.twitter.com/Jd3aDKvCT0— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) December 7, 2025
Filling in for the injured Michael Penix Jr. , and expected to look like the competent starter that signed yet another gaudy deal , Cousins was terrible. He went 15-of-30 for just 162 yards and threw a pair of interceptions. Cousins earned an 18.4 quarterback rating on Sunday.
On the flip side, Sam Darnold continues to be great with the Seattle Seahawks . Reinvigorated by Kevin O'Connell , the veteran was 20-of-30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns. His one interception ended up being inconsequential in the 37-9 victory.
The longtime veteran has been a merchant of bag chasing while providing next to nothing of substance in the win column. It looks awful now for the Falcons, and this offseason gives them a potential out on the deal. Don't expect the Vikings to come calling if he's looking for another payday either.
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