The Washington Commanders had a miserable afternoon on December 7, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 31-0 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Moreover, the visitors not only lost the game, but they also lost their veteran tight end, Zach Ertz, who is believed to have a torn ACL, according to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
“Early signs say a serious injury,” said Quinn, who added that Ertz will undergo imaging on December 8 (h/t John Keim of ESPN).
Ertz went down with a knee injury late in the third quarter, about two minutes and change before the period ended. He stretched for a second-and-11 throw when safety Jay Ward struck his right leg, and he immediately needed assistance to get off the field.
He couldn’t put any weight on the leg, and trainers eventually wheeled him to the locker room, a towel over his head. Early in the fourth, the team confirmed he would not return.
Despite the hit that led to Ertz’s injury, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is defending Ward’s tackle attempt.
“I hate seeing those things happen,” O’Connell told reporters on December 8. “Just thinking about the rules that these defensive players have to play with, I know for a fact there was no bad intent behind that play. Things are happening fast out there, you gotta be very aware of where guys’ head and neck area are on those plays.
“The unique thing about that is it wasn’t like Zach’s foot was planted on the ground, where you see some of those injuries. He left the ground to make a play and was still in the air when that collision happened.”
Kevin O’Connell Gets Into the Details Over Jay Ward’s Hit
O’Connell explained his view in more depth, saying he didn’t see anything in Ward’s hit that suggested it was done with bad intent.
“Unless we start shrinking the strike zone to go along with the top side and start talking about ‘from the ground up‘ and giving these guys a very, very tiny window to try to make a play,” O’Connell added.
“… It’s easy to play it back and slo-mo it and start to develop hypotheses on things, but the game is happening very, very fast. I always encourage people, when you’re down on the field, to take in just how violent and fast the game is, because you just hate seeing stuff like that.
“It’s the worst part of our game. And in many ways, I do believe it’s unavoidable in certain instances. Our job is to coach up the guys to make sure, if it avoidable, to do those things. Not only for their health, but for the other side as well.”
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Gave Message to Zach Ertz
The referees threw no flags on the play, and it remains to be seen whether the NFL will take any action against Ward. O’Connell mentioned that he spoke with Ertz on Sunday night, and the hope is that Ertz heals up and gets another shot in the league next season.
“Got a chance to connect with Zach last night a little bit, just because I’ve had a relationship with him but I’ve always just thought the absolute world of him as a player,” O’Connell said. “Just wanted to connect with him a little bit in a very casual way.”
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Gives Honest Take on Zach Ertz Injury