The Commanders showed well in Philadelphia but not well enough to beat the Eagles. That Week 1 affair proves that every snap counts, with but a few explosives allowed and offensive opportunities missed separating a win from a loss.
Washington’s intriguing to be sure, with plenty left to learn about this group as we move forward. There are plenty of questions about the state of the franchise and what must be better heading into Week 2 in this Wednesday mailbag.
That’s to everyone who suggested a discussion
topic. Let’s get right to them, right now:
“Let’s say the Commanders have a respectable season, but miss out on a Wildcard spot. Does DQ stay? Where is the line for Peters?
I’m not asking this question to be inflammatory, and in general I’m in favor of keeping continuity and ideally keeping AP and DQ in that scenario. To me, even if our team was extremely good, it would be an uphill battle given our division and general NFC playoff picture. But the clock keeps ticking. Would love to hear the HH writers’ thoughts on this.” — “Evgeny Last Words?”
I ponder this question a bit just before the season and it generally follows Evgeny’s logic. I think the Commanders want Dan Quinn and Adam Peters sticking together. They’re also on different timelines. I don’t think Adam Peters’ seat is even warm. He’ll be around another cycle at least, even if things go really bad in 2026 (which they won’t).
It’s Quinn who might be in trouble. Anything close to a 2025 repeat and I think we’re covering a coaching search next year. If the Commander reach eight wins with this schedule – that’s a three-victory improvement – and DQ still has buy-in, he sticks. Six or possibly seven and things get murky.
I believe continuity’s the goal here. Quinn’ the culture builder. If his coordinator hires develop and his game management is good, you stick with what you’ve got. If not, you’ll likely start all over with a new head and another new play caller for Daniels.
“May be too early but does the FO plan to extend JD after this season or drag the process out through year 4 and into the option year (year 5). Personally, I think if they do it after this season, they will probably save money in the long run; ie the most lucrative contract in NFL history this year will be less than the most lucrative contract in NFL history next year.” — DGOLD510
One thing the NFL’s quarterback won’t do is go down. There’s only inflation on the horizon here, and the amount someone gets paid is far less about their ranking among the NFL’s best and far more about who’s next.
While there is some merit-based pay involved here, there’s no way Jayden Daniels gets cheaper the farther we go from his next extension. The smart play here is to extend him when he’s first eligible, following this season. The team should have some leverage for that first season – even Daniels doesn’t want to play two more seasons without generational guarantees – but it makes sense to lock something down then.
The Patriots, Bears and (possibly) Broncos will be thinking the same thing next offseason, so those salaries should be bunched together. If you’re Washington, you want Daniels done before Caleb Williams and maybe even Drake Maye, so those contracts don’t elevate costs.
One situation where you may want to put the contract off a year: If Daniels has a 2025 repeat, where he can’t stay healthy. That might create some doubt in a long-term deal. If Daniels is healthy, he’ll play well and deserve the money given. I think it’s part of the front office plan to get it done next offseason. They’ve budgeted for it. I think they’re prepared to lock Daniels down.
And as for a more game-oriented question, how has Caleb Downs looked so far and do they think he will be a major factor in this week’s game? — B&G Beatdown
Caleb Downs looked pretty, pretty good in Week 1, to the tune of eight tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. The Dallas defense overall was putrid, but Downs can play. He’s a do-everything safety that must be accounted for and game-planned against.
The Dallas defense, overall, looks exploitable.
Who’s available at corner to replace Mikey? Me in Madden, he’s gone. — ComplainingIsAPayne
Mark Tyler wrote about Mike Sainristil one in Tyler’s Take and advocated for a quick hook. Here’s what he wrote: “Mikey has to be benched. There is no other nice way to put this. Amik Robertson played a heck of a game against Philly on Sunday, but the worry is who plays outside opposite him until Trey Amos can return off injured reserve. What I would do is elevate Terell Smith, the 6-foot, 207-pound athletic corner from the practice squad and get him up to speed quickly. For now, Rasul Douglas showed enough against Philly to hold down that outside spot, but Smith may be the better long-term option if he’s finally back to health following a torn patellar during the 2025 preseason.”
Adding more to Douglas’ plate sounds like the immediate option, with coaches keeping a close eye to see how Sainristil responds to a relative demotion. There are enough slot options to account for this move, especially with CeeDeeLamb and George Pickens looming on Sunday.
I have covered Smith before and he’s a really good player. The Commanders will know how his knee is doing and whether he was the same player he was before the injury. It was an excellent practice-squad pickup that will pay off at some point this season.
Dan Quinn is normally reserved regarding public player criticism, but he said Sainristil’s two big plays allowed were unacceptable. The Commanders simply can’t have that, when there are other options in wait while Amos gets healthy.
