The NFL’s Week 13 Sunday slate will come to a close at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., as the Commanders welcome the Broncos to the D.C. area for a prime-time matchup.
Denver enters this one riding an impressive nine-game win streak behind an elite defense and solid play by second-year quarterback Bo Nix. They're currently 9–2, are in first place in the AFC West, and if the season ended today, would hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Commanders, meanwhile, are working through a disappointing follow-up to their NFC Championship Game appearance last season. Not only is Washington 3–8, but they’ve also lost six straight games and will once again be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels as he continues to recover from an elbow injury.
With one team trending upward and the other spiraling, here are three bold predictions for Broncos vs. Commanders.
Courtland Sutton will log first two-touchdown game of 2025 season, add 100-plus receiving yards
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been among the Broncos’ top beneficiaries since they selected Nix in the first round of last year’s draft.
Over the last two seasons, the 30-year-old has established himself as Denver’s top pass-catching threat, logging his second 1,000-yard campaign in 2024 while finding the end zone a total of 12 times. He’s also become Nix’s go-to option, leading the team with 81 receptions last year and posting a career-high 57 first-down conversions. In 2025, Sutton has picked up right where he left off, already converting 32 first downs—a team best.
Against a banged-up Commanders secondary on Sunday night, I expect Sutton to put together his best outing of the 2025 campaign. Look for the veteran to record his second 100-plus yard performance of the year while finding paydirt twice for the first time this season.
Marcus Mariota will be sacked four-plus times by blistering Broncos defensive front
Taking over in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota has been sacked in each of his appearances this season while also being taken down twice in four of his six starts. Now heading into a contest against one of the league's best defensive fronts in football, the former Oregon Ducks has his work cut out for him on Sunday night.
On the year, the Broncos lead the NFL in sacks (49) and pressure rate (41.3%) while also logging the second-most quarterback pressures and the second-highest sack percentage (11.2%). Additionally, Nik Bonitto, Jonathan Cooper, Zack Allen, John Franklin-Meyers, Ja’Quan McMillian, and Justin Strnac have all logged three-plus sacks on the year.
With that, I’m predicting Denver to get after Mariota on Sunday night to the tune of at least four sacks—and plenty more quarterback hits.
Denver wins their ninth in a row in a three-score rout of the Commanders
While picking a Broncos win may seem obvious in this one, the way I think it’ll happen is what makes it bold.
All things considered (any given Sunday, NFL team vs. NFL team, Commanders at home, etc.) Washington should at least be able to play this one competitively against a Denver team whose last three wins have all come by just three points each.
However, with the Commanders in free fall and the Broncos looking to cement themselves as one of the AFC’s best, look for coach Sean Payton’s team to come out flying in this one and, rather than let their opponents up for air, step on their throats in what becomes Week 13’s largest margin of victory.
Long story short, I’m predicting Denver to win this one 31–10 as they win their ninth in a row and get themselves to 10–2 on the 2025 season.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Broncos vs. Commanders: Three Bold Predictions for ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 13.
