LANDOVER, Md. -- The highlight reel catch exploded across social media: Treylon Burks reminded the league of what he could do, twisting in the end zone before reaching up with his right hand and snatching the ball for a touchdown. And he did it with the same hand that required surgery two weeks ago.
But the real highlight for Washington was, finally, seeing Terry McLaurin back on the field. And that allowed the Commanders to remind the NFL what their passing game could look like with a little bit of health.
Washington lost its seventh consecutive game Sunday night, and second in a row in overtime, when a failed two-point conversion resulted in a 27-26 defeat against the Denver Broncos. But, amid the wreckage of their season, the Commanders can once more start to see what their offense could look like. When healthy, of course.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota, subbing for the injured Jayden Daniels, threw for 294 yards -- the second-highest total of any QB against Denver this season. It also was the most a Washington quarterback has passed for in 2025.
Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow in Week 9 vs. Seattle, could return soon -- possibly this week at Minnesota. When he does, it's possible the Commanders will finally show what they had hoped to be offensively this season.
"Just the playmaking ability," coach Dan Quinn said of what they finally started to see again. "Hopefully there's some more guys on the way."
Receiver Noah Brown, who hasn't played since Week 2 and is on injured reserve with a groin injury, has returned to practice, but the 21-day window for his return has yet to open.
At 3-9 Washington's playoff hopes will be extinguished with one more loss or another Eagles win, but that stopped being the focus long ago. Re-establishing their passing attack, when healthy, would at least provide a happy finish to a bad season.
"We're all just trying to maximize who we are with this group before this thing's over," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said last week, "and see what we can become."
Even without Daniels, it simply helped having a stronger complement of receivers. McLaurin, returning from a quad injury that has limited him to one game since Week 3, caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Thanks in part to having McLaurin back, Deebo Samuel had his second most productive day in the last six games with five catches for 64 yards.
And Burks, signed to the practice squad on Oct. 17 and to the active roster on Nov. 5, has helped. He had only one catch for 5 yards, but he's excited Washington by what he's shown since his arrival. In three games, he has five catches for 77 yards. The Commanders' enthusiasm extends beyond the numbers; coach Dan Quinn said he's showing up at 6 a.m., and receivers coach Bobby Engram has raved about his detailed notetaking.
"He wanted to prove it," Quinn said of the 25-year-old receiver. "He wanted to show it. There's a lot there, and I'm really excited he's here."
That's why, after the game, Quinn stopped by Burks' locker to express his appreciation for what the wideout has shown. Burks missed the Week 12 loss vs. Miami after breaking a finger on his right hand, requiring surgery.
"There's going to be a big plan for you here," Quinn said he told the 6-2, 225-pound Burks, who is signed through this season.
Burks failed with the Tennessee Titans, who drafted him 18th overall in 2022, during an injury-filled stint. The last two years he suffered a torn ACL and then a fractured collarbone in training camp, prompting the Titans to release him. They had declined his fifth-year option in the spring.
He did not blame his tenure on health.
"I just feel like God put me through a situation to help me grow as a man, as a player," Burks said. "Everything's going to work out fine."
He also said he used being signed to the practice squad "as fuel."
"I know what's in me," Burks said.
Whether he finds a home here and/or becomes a consistent contributor remains to be seen. He has just 57 receptions and two touchdowns in four seasons. But he's flashed in games and practices, whetting the appetite.
"You can see the first-round talent ooze out of his play style," McLaurin said. "He's very physical, he could win down the field. He caught a ball on a route this week [in practice] that was probably 10 or 12 feet up in the air on the run."
But McLaurin remains the engine. He held out, then held in, this summer and missed all of training camp while negotiating a contract extension that he finally agreed to on Aug. 25. He had a sluggish start with 10 catches for 149 yards in the first three games, before hurting his right quad late in the third quarter of Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
He returned for one game, a Week 8 loss at Kansas City, and re-injured the quad after three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Sunday, McLaurin was on a snap count that was supposed to limit him to 25 snaps; he played 42.
McLaurin caught two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown when facing man coverage vs. Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II. McLaurin's other receptions came against zone coverage. Tight end Zach Ertz had his most productive day -- by far -- in McLaurin's return. Ertz caught 10 passes for 106 yards -- his previous highs were six catches and 64 yards.
Not all of that can be attributed to McLaurin. Eight of the catches occurred with McLaurin on the sidelines. But Ertz did benefit from attention paid to McLaurin on a pass with two minutes left in regulation when McLaurin ran a shallow cross and drew the attention of two defenders. Ertz snuck behind for a 14-yard grab.
Only one hand necessary 😌
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 1, 2025
📺 #DENvsWAS NBC pic.twitter.com/bnM5gnzsx8
"You see the attention he gets, how much more space there is in the middle of the field," Ertz said. "It doesn't matter who's guarding him, he makes plays. I loved having him back out there."
With McLaurin and Burks, both of whom can play the outside and flanker positions, Samuel could return to being the versatile piece they brought him in to be this season.
"Having Terry helps everybody," Engram said. "Those two complement each other well."
Of McLaurin's seven catches, four occurred in the fourth quarter or overtime. He caught a 19-yard pass on third-and-25 on a game-tying drive at the end of regulation. He capped his day with a 3-yard touchdown on a slant vs. Surtain in overtime.
McLaurin's 96 receiving yards tied Samuel for the most in a game for Washington this season. Ertz became the first Commander to top 100 yards. Last season, McLaurin did so five times.
"You can see it out there. He's a special player; the more that we can get him to rock he's going to make plays for us," Mariota said. "We're fortunate to have him."