Washington Commanders

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Driskel will serve as Joe Flacco's backup for Saturday's wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans, according to offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Driskel gets the backup nod for the playoffs over P.J. Walker despite the fact he didn't join the Browns until November. The 30-year-old got the start in a meaningless Week 18 regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals and predictably wasn't very good, going 13-for-26 for 166 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first game action of the season. Flacco will return to the starting gig for super wild-card weekend as the Browns look to beat the Texans for the second time in the last four weeks -- they beat the Texans 36-22 back in Week 16 in Houston.

Houston Texans wide receivers Robert Woods (hip) and Noah Brown (back) were both listed as non-participants on the team's Tuesday practice report. Both Woods and Brown were inactive in the Week 18 regular season finale win over the Indianapolis Colts last Saturday to secure the AFC South title. It resulted in Nico Collins going off for nine catches on nine targets for 195 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Dalton Schultz had five catches (seven targets) for 42 yards. Rookie Xavier Hutchinson had four targets. Woods and Brown will need to return to practice over the next two days to have a shot to face the Cleveland Browns on wild-card weekend this Saturday. If neither wideout is able to play, Collins is going to draw a lot of attention from a much better secondary in the Browns.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was terrible again in a Week 18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Ekeler likely ends his Chargers career with an awful performance against mostly Chiefs backups. He ran the ball 10 times, gaining 11 yards total on the ground. He was targeted eight times in the passing game, making seven catches for 38 yards through the air. This wraps up Ekeler's worst season by far and likely his last as a Charger. His days as a three-down back are clearly done, but his track record is good enough that someone will certainly take a chance on him as a third down or change of pace back for next season. He'll be much further down draft boards than he was before this season regardless of his landing spot, and any dynasty league managers rostering him should try to get whatever they can for him now.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught six of eight targets for 56 yards during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Another year, another what-if season for McLaurin. Although the fifth-year receiver had his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season, middling quarterback play still held him back for most of the year. Nothing exemplified this more than quarterback Sam Howell underthrowing a wide-open McLaurin for what would've been a 51-yard touchdown on Washington's first possession of Week 18. There is light at the end of the tunnel for this offense, as the Commanders are locked into the second pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. If the team selects one of the blue-chip quarterback prospects, McLaurin's fortunes could finally take a turn for the better next season.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had nine carries for 25 yards and a lost fumble along with three receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Robinson once again operated as the lead rusher for Washington in Week 18. Unfortunately, the Commanders fell behind quickly and didn't have a game script that favored the run game. However, Robinson did save his day with a touchdown reception early in the second quarter, Washington's only touchdown of the game. With the offseason ahead, the hope is that the Commanders can help their weapons by creating a better environment for offensive success than the one seen this year.