The Washington Commanders were already in the midst of a miserable season, but in Week 14, things went from bad to worse. At 3-9, the Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz to possible injuries.
Daniels, who is coming off a left elbow injury, was the first player to go Sunday. After the interception, he was pushed onto his already injured left elbow and left the game.
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That brought in backup Marcus Mariota, who threw the ball to veteran tight end Zach Ertz shortly after entering the game. Ertz has to jump up and try to catch it. Ertz was unable to catch the ball when it hit his hand. But before hitting the ground, Ertz was hit directly in the knee area by Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward.
Content Warning: Video of injuries is horrific.
Ertz had to be helped off the field. He was emotional as he was sent back to the locker room.
Ertz, 35, is having another solid season with the Commanders. While Ertz is no longer a huge threat in a 1,000-yard season, Ertz became a reliable red zone target for Daniels last season.
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That connection appears to have continued this season, with Ertz scoring a touchdown in each of the first two games started by Daniels. Ertz then fell into a scoring drought and Daniels missed the game due to a knee injury. But Daniels scored touchdowns in each of his next two starts.
Prior to Week 14, Ertz had 49 catches for 493 yards and four scores, all of which came in games where Daniels started.
This story will be updated.