The Washington Commanders will attempt to secure their 11th win of the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. Kirk Cousins was the anticipated matchup that Commanders fans were looking forward to. Unfortunately for Cousins, too many turnovers and not enough wins landed him on the bench following the Falcons’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

This is a high-stakes matchup featuring two rookie quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix, who are attempting to lead their team to a playoff berth. The Commanders still have areas that need improvement; running back Brian Robinson Jr. and Washington’s run game has been stagnant for an extended period. In five out of the last six games, the Commanders’ running backs have averaged 19 carries for 58 yards. The lone exception where the Commanders’ running backs haven’t averaged three yards per carry came against the Tennessee Titans defense, where they rushed for over 200 yards. Daniels’ has carried the running game in recent weeks, mostly on scrambles, which is not sustainable long-term.

On Sunday, Washington must re-establish their identity against Atlanta if they want to have a legitimate shot at advancing in the playoffs. The running game issues are not a one-group issue; the offensive line has struggled to win at the point of attack. Their ability to get back to their early-season ways is not trending in the right direction as defenses have begun to adjust to them. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is very aware of the problem, and aludes to the issue primarily being a player-based issue, but can they get things turned around this week?

You can listen to the full Trap or Dive game post-game recap below. We discussed:

• Falcons offense much better with Penix?
• Can the Commanders run game get back on track before postseason play?
• How Washington should approach Bijan Robinson-led Falcons offense
• Injury updates; Marshon Lattimore and Jon Allen current game status

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A fire ripped through an apartment complex on Christmas Day in Suitland, Maryland, leaving nearly a dozen families displaced.

A cell phone video shows flames shooting through the roof of the apartment building on Curtis Drive. The fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. as families were having dinner and spending time together.

Fire investigators say everyone was able to get out safely. Residents in two buildings were affected by the fire. There was smoke and water damage, and at least a dozen families are getting assistance from the Red Cross, including food, water, blankets and longer term resources.

“That includes financial assistance. It includes mental health support for those who need someone to speak with, someone to talk to, and other recovery resources like replacing eyeglasses, replacing medication,” said Bethany Bray Patterson with the American Red Cross.

Officials say there are more fire hazards around the holidays, from cooking, to heating sources to Christmas trees that haven’t been properly watered.

“Folks are cooking more around the holidays, re inviting their families over there, they’re cooking, we have a lot of open flames with candles and heating sources,” said Assistant Chief Donald Fletcher with Prince George’s County Fire and EMS. “As the temperatures get colder out, we’ll see a lot of space heater fires.”

With that in mind .. firefighters returned to the apartment complex Thursday to speak to residents, provide fire safety information and remind residents of the sometimes hidden fire dangers that come with the holiday season.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and residents are receiving help finding new housing.

Anyone affected by the fire can call 1-800-RED-CROSS for assistance.

Following Trump’s victory against Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party has yet to find a new person to emerge as the new voice and face of its movement. York, the chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, assessed that this situation stems from how Democrats lost the White House and the Senate last month while also failing to retake the House of Representatives.  

‘UNCOMMITTED’ VOTERS BLAME HARRIS ‘CHOOSING PATH OF LIZ CHENEY’ FOR THEIR TURN TO TRUMP

“And even at this moment, of course, President Biden seems to be more out of it than he was even in the past, so they have no one to lead,” York argued on Fox News’s America Reports. “The only bright spot they’ve had in the last week or two has been that Republicans in the House have so much trouble getting their act together, and they hope — the Democrats hope that that will help them trip up the Republican Party in the coming year. But right now, there’s one leader, and that’s the president-elect, Donald Trump, and Democrats don’t have anybody to match his stature.”

York also agreed with the assessment of some Democrats that the most successful candidates among Democrats over the past cycle were those who ran against the party’s brand. He added that the party needs to have a proper debate over where the party went wrong in 2024, in which some could argue the party pushed its policies too far while others could argue the massive loss was due to a messaging problem.

York’s assessment comes after billionaire Bill Ackman, who endorsed Trump shortly after the president-elect’s first assassination attempt, argued the best-case scenario for the Democratic Party in the 2024 election cycle would be “a massive loss,” as this would force the party and its leadership to undergo a “reboot.”

Ahead of the Democratic National Committee’s election for its new chair, 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson has launched her bid for the role, though York argued she would ultimately not win this election. Among the competitors she faces for DNC chair is Ben Wikler, the party chairman for Wisconsin, with York calling his bid “smart,” as Democrats could have won the 2024 election if they had won Wisconsin in the Electoral College. 

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“So you’re going to have a contest for the Feb. 1 election for the DNC chair,” York stated. “You’re going to have a contest among people who actually had some background in the party and people who have actually held positions in the party.”

Amid the Democratic Party’s struggle to find a new face going forward, Democratic strategist Tad Devine assessed that his party has “no leadership now at the highest level.” Another person has argued that Democrats are “absolutely committed to their own ideas, even when they’re failing.”