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The Denver Broncos look to take another step toward their first AFC West crown since 2015 when they fly east to visit the struggling Washington Commanders. The Broncos (9-2) come in having won eight straight games, the league's second-longest active winning streak behind the New England Patriots, while the Commanders (3-8) have lost six straight.

Amid an up-and-down season for Bo Nix, the Denver defense has been consistently excellent. The Broncos lead the NFL with 49 sacks, with Nik Bonitto (9.5) and Jonathon Cooper (7.5) combining to form one of the league's best pass-rushing duos. Opponents are averaging just 4.4 yards per play against Denver, the lowest rate in the NFL, and completing just 58% of their passes, the second-lowest rate in the NFL.

That means Marcus Mariota and the Washington offense is in for a tough task. Mariota, making his third straight (and sixth overall) start in place of an injured Jayden Daniels, struggled in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins and will look to bounce back following the bye week. Daniels returned to practice this week but is considered unlikely to play.

Here's how to watch this inter-conference "Sunday Night Football" matchup as well as betting information, keys to the game and a prediction.

Where to watch Commanders vs. Broncos live

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 30 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • Where: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Maryland)
  • TV: NBA | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Broncos -6.5; O/U 43.5 (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Commanders vs. Broncos: Need to know

  • Bo Nix is coming off a strong performance. It's been a bumpy ride for Nix, not just week-to-week but even within games; Denver has been a very slow starter and a very strong fourth-quarter team this year, and Nix has five fourth-quarter comebacks this season, tied for most of any quarterback. That included a crucial 22-19 win over the Chiefs in Week 11; Nix threw for 215 yards in the second half and had multiple huge fourth-quarter completions to help the Broncos get a key divisional win. Nix also snapped a streak of four straight games with at least one interception, and his 295 passing yards were his second-most this season.
  • The Broncos' defense has been dominant. Here's an incomplete list of categories the Broncos' defense leads the NFL in through 12 weeks: yards per play, sacks, quarterback hits, third-down conversion rate, red zone touchdown percentage. Though Bonitto and Cooper lead the charge up front, Zach Allen has been one of the more under-appreciated players in the league; he has six sacks and 45 pressures this season. Behind an imposing defensive front is a talented secondary, currently headlined by Talanoa Hufanga, Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian. There's a chance 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II could return from his pectoral injury suffered in Week 8, too.
  • Can Commanders get the ground game going? During their 3-2 start, the Commanders led the NFL with 5.9 yards per carry. Since then, their 4.2 yards per carry is 16th. The Commanders have switched things up in the backfield recently, with bruiser Chris Rodriguez Jr. starting to get more opportunities ahead of seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Washington's path to victory could start with establishing the run to take the load off of Mariota. Denver is allowing the fewest yards per carry this season but allowed 136.5 rushing yards per game in its two losses this year.

Commanders vs. Broncos pick, prediction

The Broncos find a good opportunity to get the offense more consistent coming out of the bye. Washington is allowing a league-high 6.3 yards per play through 12 weeks. Expect the Broncos to get into a solid rhythm early -- something they've been unable to do most of the season -- and allow their defense to feast on a backup quarterback without many weapons around him. Pick: Broncos -6.5, Under 43.5