MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn thought his team had turned a corner last week in an one-point overtime loss to first-place Denver.
For the first time since Week 2, they had their starting quarterback and top three wide receivers in the lineup on Sunday at Minnesota, facing a reeling opponent that had been struggling at home.
Instead, Jayden Daniels hurt his elbow again in the third quarter, veteran tight end Zach Ertz suffered a serious knee injury moments later, and Washington failed to score in a humbling 31-0 loss to the rejuvenated Vikings.
Ertz was carted off the field with what the Commanders feared was a torn ACL. Meanwhile, Quinn kept Daniels on the sideline down 17-0 to protect him while backup Marcus Mariota finished Washington’s eighth straight loss.
“He was questionable to return and could have,” Quinn said. “It was my decision to sit him out. We were off as a team, and I felt that it was the right call.”
Daniels was injured with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter and Washington facing fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 30-yard line.
He tried to hit wideout Terry McLaurin with a quick pass toward the left sideline. But Vikings edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel jumped in front of the ball and secured the deflection for an interception and 40-yard return.
During the runback, Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers delivered a clean block on Daniels, knocking the quarterback off balance at midfield, where he landed hard on his left arm.
Daniels retreated to the bench clutching his elbow in pain and was surrounded by Washington medical staff. Then he got up, slammed his helmet to the turf and was sent for treatment in the medical tent as Mariota took over.
Daniels completed just 9 of 20 passes for 78 yards with four rushes for 16 yards, leaving with Washington trailing by two touchdowns. Mariota completed 2 of 4 passes for 30 yards, was also intercepted, and lost a fumble.
One of the league’s worst defenses let struggling Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy march the Vikings down the field for a game-opening touchdown. The second-year quarterback finished with three touchdown passes while the Vikings rushed for 162 yards after quickly seizing control.
Meanwhile, the Commanders gained only 206 total yards, were shut out for the first time since 2019 and fell to 3-10 just 11 months after playing in the NFC championship game.
“I thought we took a step forward as a team last week,” Quinn said. “Today, we took three steps back. We didn’t find our rhythm and we lived in theirs. None of it was acceptable.”
The mood was somber in the Commanders locker room as a team with lofty expectations for 2025 tried to process another double-digit defeat and the loss of two more injured stars.
“It’s tough because you watch those guys work hard, especially Jayden,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner. “Who doesn’t want to see their quarterback hustle down the field to try to stop a touchdown? It’s tough to see good men, true competitors go down. Our job as teammates and brothers is to be there for them to lean on.”
Ertz, who was upended on an incomplete pass over the middle, left the Washington locker room on crutches. Quinn said the 35-year-old would have an MRI on Monday, but the team fears the worst.
“The early signals aren’t good,” Quinn said. “Let’s hope for the best.”
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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) looks to pass while being chased by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
LONDON (AP) — Britain's Treasury chief Rachel Reeves sought Tuesday to paint a rosy picture of the state of the U.K. economy even as oil and gas prices soared and shares slid in the wake of the fast-evolving Iran war that has cast a pall over the global economic outlook.
Unveiling the latest U.K. economic forecasts compiled by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, Reeves insisted her policies since the Labour Party returned to power in the 2024 election are bearing fruit.
Though economic growth this year is expected to be lower than predicted at the time of last November's budget at 1.1%, it's set to be higher than anticipated in both 2027 and 2028 at 1.6%. Inflation and borrowing are expected to fall more quickly than previously thought, she added.
“The forecasts today confirm that the choices this government has made are the right ones,” she said.
Reeves had hoped her statement to the House of Commons would be a relatively low-key affair, but economists are warning that the Iran war could upend the forecasts, depressing growth, stoking inflation and increasing debt.
The price of Brent international oil standard has spiked by more than 15% this week to over $80 a barrel, while global gas prices, which the U.K. is particularly reliant on, have nearly doubled. If sustained, both would certainly lead to higher energy bills and prices at the pump, fueling inflation and keeping a lid on growth. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 2.75% on Tuesday.
“The conflict in the Middle East is already pushing up oil prices, gas prices and expectations for interest rates,” said Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. “It could yet cause more far-reaching economic disruption.”
Reeves started off her speech by acknowledging that the world has become “yet more uncertain” in the past few days following the decision of the United States and Israel to launch strikes against Iran, which saw the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as other members of Iran's leadership. However, she did not announce any tax or spending measures that could cushion any potential blow.
“It is incumbent on me and on this government to chart a course through that uncertainty, to secure our economy against shocks, and protect families from the turbulence that we see beyond our borders,” she said.
Opponents of the government said Reeves was in denial and that the British economy, the world's sixth-largest, remains vulnerable to outside shocks.
Her counterpart in the Conservative Party, Mel Stride, said Reeves has “undermined” the country’s potential with a slew of tax increases since she became chancellor of the exchequer.
“The chancellor has the temerity to suggest that she is creating the conditions for renewed growth," he said.
Britain’s Labour government, which has lost significant support since it won the general election in 2024, has been hoping that 2026 would be the year that it was clear the British economy was on a sounder footing than it has been for years.
Some recent economic indicators have pointed to a pickup in growth in the early part of 2026. Inflation is also set to fall sharply in the coming months, prompting the Bank of England to cut interest rates further. Last month, the bank kept its main rate unchanged at 3.75% and indicated there could be a cut in March.
It's early days, but the Iran war may have put paid to that hope.
Artist Kaya Mar poses with his newest painting edition for photographers outside Downing Street before Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A fox runs past the 10 Downing Street door before Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street to deliver the Spring Statement in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
