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The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders early season woes: Cause for concern, or too soon to tell?
Jhabvala: Daniels has faced a four-man rush on 75 percent of his dropbacks. Defenses are wreaking havoc on Washington’s O-line without pulling from their coverage.
I want to believe things will get better, especially when Cosmi returns from the physically unable to perform list (he’ll be eligible in Week 5 against the L.A. Chargers, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be medically cleared and ready to play by then). But it may be time for coach Dan Quinn to make a change and replace
either player with Andrew Wylie, Washington’s former right tackle who spent the offseason as a swing at guard and tackle.
Quinn praised Wylie during camp, and the veteran appeared to be one of the team’s more consistent linemen. My vote is to put him at right guard. Keep the rookie in because he needs to learn, and you don’t want to bench a first-round pick after only two outings.
Aldridge: I’m not sure what the idea is with starting Allegretti at guard, when we were told frequently during camp a) how much work Wylie was getting at right guard, and b) how much work Allegretti was getting at backup center behind Tyler Biadasz. Which seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to use Allegretti, as a swing interior lineman.
The right side of the line, with Allegretti and the rookie Conerly, really had a rough night Thursday. Presumably, Washington signed veteran tackle George Fant at the end of the preseason because it thought he could contribute this season. So, why not put Wylie in at guard, leaving Fant and Trent Scott available at backup tackle? Fant has been inactive the first two weeks. Maybe he’s still getting up to speed with the playbook. I don’t know.
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Commanders Film Review: Offense Struggles vs Packers
[T]he Commanders were outplayed in all areas of the game. The most disappointing performance came on offense. Jayden Daniels struggled mightily, but he wasn’t the only one. The offensive line couldn’t handle the Packers pass rush and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and his staff had no answers. It’s led to a lot of questioning of Kingsbury and his play-calling, with many saying this result was down to the Commanders being outcoached. This is a big topic, so settle in for a long breakdown as we work through the Packers defensive game plan, how that impacted Washington’s game plan, and what the Commanders could have done differently.
The Eagles set a bit of a template for this last year when they used a bunch of zone against the Commanders last year and had success. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio coaches quarters coverage as well as anyone in the NFL and they are able to shut down a lot of passing attacks because of it. But the Eagles had great success last year showing very simple looks and playing a bunch of quarters out of the same looks.
The Packers in this game were quite different. They are experts at disguising their coverages. Very rarely do they show one look pre-snap and then run the expected coverage from that look post-snap. They’re always rotating their coverage and changing the look from pre-snap to post-snap in order to try and confuse the quarterback and make him hold onto the ball that extra beat longer as he diagnoses the coverage. The opening third down of the game is a great example of just that.
The Athletic (paywall)
Deep trouble vs. Packers
The Packers have been the most impressive team in the NFL through their opening victories over Detroit and Washington. Both games were at home, which helped. These were methodical, stress-free performances. One way to measure that: Green Bay has entered 11 offensive drives while leading by at least 10 points, most for a Green Bay team through two games since 2003, which means it never happened during Aaron Rodgers’ tenure.
There are many ways to build an early lead. It’s been fascinating to see just how intent the Packers remain to throw the ball downfield. Against Washington, Jordan Love attempted five first-half passes traveling at least 30 yards past the line of scrimmage. (This did not include the 39-yard touchdown on a bomb to Jayden Reed that was wiped out by a holding penalty.) That was the most for any player in the NFL since Love became the Packers’ starter in 2023. It points to a pattern that an opposing coach raised before the season in comments appearing in 2025 Quarterback Tiers.
“When we played them, I was like, ‘Man, this ball is going downfield — he don’t give a s—,’” this coach said during the offseason. “You don’t see a lot of quarterbacks play like that these days. It’s almost like they build it into their offense and see the benefits of making you defend the whole field and hitting a couple in exchange for a pick or two. It was interesting playing him. I came away thinking there is something different about this kid.”
Love completed passes gaining 48 yards against Detroit and 37 yards against Washington on first-half throws traveling at least 30 yards downfield. Green Bay’s seven first-half passes traveling at least 30 yards downfield are the most for any team in its first two games since Philadelphia had seven in 2008.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders’ indifferent early season form doesn’t look so bad now
For the Commanders, those two teams are the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions.
The Giants — who Washington held to six points in Week 1 — exploded offensively against the Dallas Cowboys in another NFC East rivalry game.
Though Dallas ultimately won in overtime, this was a completely different Giants team than the one the Commanders played. Russell Wilson looked like his old self, passing for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Malik Nabers, who was relatively held in check by Washington, caught nine passes for 167 receiving yards and two scores.
This could also be an indictment of how poor the Cowboys’ defense is. But then again, they nearly beat the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 1. So, if anyone comes out of that game looking good, it’s the Commanders.
The Lions — who Green Bay beat 27-13 in Week 1 — absolutely dismantled the Chicago Bears, racking up more than 50 points during a one-sided demolition job. They looked back to being the team that led the NFL in scoring in 2024, embarrassing their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, along the way.
Obviously, every team’s performance is fluid from week to week. But what we can take from the Commanders in 2025 is that they’re significantly better than the Giants, who went toe-to-toe with the Cowboys, who were competitive against the Eagles. They also lost to the Packers by a smaller margin than the Lions, who look like they’ll be an NFC heavyweight once again.
Commanders Wire
Did Commanders GM Adam Peters make a mistake moving on from Bengals WR?
Should Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters have kept wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley?
Commanders fans were asking the question when Tinsley made two acrobatic touchdown receptions in a preseason game in Washington. They were asking the question again Sunday afternoon when Tinsley held on for a very nice catch in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown catch in a regular-season game. Here is Tinsley’s TD catch.
The Commanders released Tinsley on February 3, and the Bengals then signed Tinsley the very next day (February 04, 2025) to a futures contract. In the season opener last week, against the Browns, Tinsley played five offensive snaps with no receptions. Sunday’s big-time one-handed TD catch was, therefore, Tinsley’s first NFL reception.
Podcasts & videos
The Truth Behind the Washington Commanders Offensive Crisis
Stadium
Inside Mayor Bowser’s $4 Billion Plan to Bring the Commanders Home
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys vs Giants: 5 thoughts on the crazy OT win by Dallas
Time to believe in Javonte Williams
Most were skeptical, but Javonte Williams is creating some believers. After a quality first game of the year where he mixed elusiveness with power and always falling forward, he had a really, really good game against the Giants. Williams had 18 carries for 97 yards (5.4 YPC) and one touchdown. He tacked on six catches for 33 yards.
Williams has shown a nice blend of quickness and power. He doesn’t excel in any one thing, but does many things well. The Cowboys do not have to fear using Williams in short-yardage and goal line situations. When the Cowboys finally get Jaydon Blue into the mix, their running game might be just fine for this year.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles-Chiefs snap counts: Za’Darius Smith looks good in debut
Good to see Landon Dickerson was able to make it through the entire game.
A.J. Brown only missed two snaps. He led the Eagles in targets with eight … but only had five receptions for 27 yards.
DeVonta Smith saw a smaller workload than usual. He was in pain after landing on his back at one point. Despite this, he led the Eagles in receiving with 53 yards on four receptions. His six targets ranked second-most only behind Brown.
Jahan Dotson had a small role as WR3. His sole target resulted in a four-yard catch. Dotson had played 46% of the Eagles’ snaps in Week 1.
For the second week in a row, Darius Cooper played more offensive snaps than John Metchie. The undrafted rookie has yet to be targeted but he’s being called on to block.
Andrew Mukuba continued to be the safety in nickel with Sydney Brown playing in base.
Newcomer Za’Darius Smith overtook Joshua Uche for the third edge rusher role. But Uche’s snap count percentage only dropped by 4% from Week 1. Za’Darius benefited from Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt also seeing a slightly decreased snap count percentage. The veteran edge rusher played pretty well in his Eagles debut with four tackles (two solo), half a sack, and one TFL. Vic Fangio’s mainly using a four-deep rotation with Patrick Johnson seeing some sparing snaps as the fifth option.
NFL.com
Cowboys signing veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to one-year deal
Dallas is signing three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, the owner/president/general manager told an imposing gaggle of reporters on Sunday. It’s a one-year deal for $3.5 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys are underdogs heading into Week 3 game with 0-2 Bears
Dallas managed to win over the New York Giants, 40-37 in overtime, but they sure took the hard way getting there. It was almost like they were using a new strategy where they didn’t cover the opposition’s receivers. That’s a bold strategy.
Winning when it comes to the team’s record and the chase for the playoffs is either yes or no. You either won or you didn’t. But when it comes to people believing in you, winning ugly and winning pretty do make a difference. The Cowboys have flaws and they were on full display in that game. There was definitely some ugly.
So even though Dallas is 1-1, and their opponent next week, the Chicago Bears, is 0-2, the Cowboys are still the underdogs. 1.5-point underdogs according to FanDuel. Yes, Dallas has to go on the road for this game, but underdogs? I guess if you squint just right, you can still see Malik Nabers running behind the Cowboys secondary, so maybe they should be underdogs.
Big Blue View
‘Things I think’: Giants’ defense didn’t do its part vs. Cowboys
After his historically bad opening drive in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys — four penalties committed for 40 yards and one sack allowed — offensive tackle James Hudson III is the most vilified member of the New York Giants. At least among the players on the 53-man roster.
After an impressive summer, Marcus Mbow played well (without the Pro Football Focus grades or a second look at the game) subbing for the out of control James Hudson. I still wonder if, to get him on the field more as the year goes on, the Giants will work him in at guard. That is where most analysts thought he would end up in the NFL.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was also an easy target for frustrated fans after the ballyhooed defense allowed 40 points, 478 yards and could not protect a three-point lead in the final 25 seconds of regulation.
At issue mostly was a second-and-10 call from the Dallas 33-yard line that saw defensive backs 10 yards off the line of scrimmage and backing up at the snap. FOX analyst Greg Olsen was aghast at the depth of the secondary before the snap. Sure enough, an 18-yard completion from Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson put the Cowboys in position to let Aubrey work his magic.
“We knew Aubrey had a long leg. Got to play tight coverage,” said head coach Brian Daboll. “Got to do some things rush-wise. Made some good plays. They just made one more play than we did.”
The Giants did not, though, play tight coverage in that instance. And it proved costly as they fell to 0-2.
Expectation does not guarantee results
Throughout the spring and summer expectations for a revamped Giants defense with one of the league’s best front sevens were off the charts. Veteran players like Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, though, warned that the Giants had to prove on the field that they deserved the attention.
So far, they have not.
Against the Washington Commanders in Week 1, the Giants gave up 432 total yards (220 rushing) and 21 points. It would have been worse if not for at least four dropped passes by Washington receivers and a myriad of Commanders penalties that cost them opportunities.
In the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Giants offense handed the defense leads three times.
The Giants surrendered 478 yards and are last in the league in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed.
The Giants are 31st in the league, giving up 5.9 yards per rushing attempt. The coverage hasn’t been good enough. The Giants are giving up 69.51% completions, 25th in the league, and 14.5 passing first downs per game, 28th.
Even though 37 points should be enough to win an NFL game, let’s not completely absolve the offense. The Giants were just 1 of 5 in scoring touchdowns when the reached the red zone, and are now 1 of 7 (31st in the league at 14.29% efficiency) in the red zone after two games.
0-2 is a standard start for the Giants. The Kansas City Chiefs? Not so much. After losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs will come to MetLife Stadium for Sunday Night Football winless after two games. Does that mean the Giants have a chance to win their home opener, or will the angry Chiefs take out their frustrations on the Giants?
Upcoming opponent
ESPN
Why Geno Smith feels at home — finally — as a Raider
Las Vegas — Smith’s fifth team in 12 seasons — has offered more than preferable weather to satisfy his hunger.
For the first time in his career, Smith walked into a new organization as Plan A at quarterback.
When Las Vegas traded for Smith from Seattle in exchange for a third-round pick on March 7, it did so with the intention of Smith leading the franchise and providing stability at the most important position on the field. Smith didn’t have to worry about a training camp battle.
“I finally got my team,” said Smith, whose Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). “I always felt like I was trying to replace Russell [Wilson in Seattle], and you can never replace all the great things that he did. So I never felt like Seattle was my team.
“Also, I didn’t feel like I fit the aesthetic of the Seattle organization. The Raiders just fit me.”
Smith and Carroll are the 18th head coach-quarterback duo to serve as head coach and starting quarterback in at least one game together across multiple franchises, and the third such Raiders duo (Dennis Allen and Derek Carr for Las Vegas and the New Orleans Saints; Mike Shanahan and Steve Beuerlein for the Raiders and Denver Broncos).
Carroll said he viewed Smith as an “immediate fix” at quarterback. Before Smith’s arrival, the Raiders had seven quarterbacks start in a game since 2022, including three last season (Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder).
Of his coach, Smith said, “I know what he’s going to bring to the table, and I know that he’s going to mean what he says. That loyalty and honesty mean a lot to me.”
NFL league links
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ESPN
Sources: Bengals’ Joe Burrow needs toe surgery, out 3 months
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Burrow was hurt with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday’s 31-27 home win when Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead sacked him. The play resulted in Burrow being under other players who had fallen on him.
In his place, quarterback Jake Browning led the Bengals to a comeback victory, capped by his 1-yard leap over the goal line with 18 seconds left in the game.
Burrow, the No. 1 draft pick in 2020, had season-ending injuries in 2020 (knee) and 2023 (wrist) that caused him to miss a combined 13 games. He also played through a calf injury suffered in training camp ahead of the 2023 campaign.
In 14 games without Burrow as their starting QB, the Bengals are two games under .500 and average just under 20 points per contest.
Discussion topics
ESPN
NFL Week 2: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Vikings
Why was the offense so rough? The Vikings have played eight quarters this season and managed at least one touchdown in only one of them. Their three-touchdown explosion in the fourth quarter against the Bears in Week 1 got them a victory, but they were inept throughout Sunday night’s game. It’s easy to blame the growing pains of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, in his first year as the starter, and he played a big role by taking six sacks and throwing two interceptions. He also had an off-target rate of 24%; the league average in 2024 was 15%. But the issues were more widespread. Injuries forced the Vikings to finish the game with their second-string center (Michael Jurgens) and third-string left tackle (Walter Rouse), and tailback Aaron Jones Sr. left because of a strained hamstring. In the end, they managed only two possessions of more than four plays.
Eagles
Could rookie safety Andrew Mukuba be the difference-maker this Eagles defense needs? His playmaking prowess in college showed up, as he took advantage of Travis Kelce’s bobble near the goal line early in the fourth quarter and came up with his first career interception — thwarting what would have been Kansas City’s go-ahead drive. It wasn’t all pretty for Mukuba, as he was run over by Patrick Mahomes on third down in the first half and yielded a fourth-down catch to Kelce. But Mukuba bounced back with a quality second half, which included a third-down stop on a pass to Hollywood Brown. The Eagles needed someone to step up in the secondary after the departures of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and corner Darius Slay this offseason. Mukuba answered the call.
Most surprising performance: Newly acquired edge rusher Za’Darius Smith made the most of his limited role, posting four tackles, three stuffs and half a sack. Smith, an 11-year veteran, signed with Philadelphia last week and immediately helped a group that was held without a sack against the Cowboys. — Tim McManus
Panthers
Can the Panthers be patient after an 0-2 start? QB Bryce Young looked dreadful in the first quarter, committing two turnovers to give him five in his first five quarters this season. Then, in the second half, it all started to click. Young led a comeback that could have stopped coach Dave Canales from considering a QB change at 0-2 for the second straight year. Young remained calm and steady, finishing with a career-high 328 passing yards and three touchdowns. The near comeback should provide some patience for Canales and Young.
Cowboys
Just how big was this victory for the Cowboys? Imagine if the Cowboys were unable to put together a last-minute touchdown drive? They would have been 0-2 for the first time since 2010, and 0-2 in the NFC East. Questions would have come up about coach Brian Schottenheimer’s tenure and a defense that could not contain a Giants offense that had failed to score a touchdown in their first game. And the Cowboys would have had their eighth loss at AT&T Stadium in their past 10 home games. But quarterback Dak Prescott and kicker Brandon Aubrey (64-yard game-tying field goal) rescued things in regulation and again in overtime. With a 14-yard scramble, Prescott set up Aubrey’s game winner on the final play of overtime from 46 yards. It was the first winner of Aubrey’s career. It wasn’t a pretty win, but 1-1 is infinitely better than 0-2 or 0-1-1.
What to make of the QB performance: In Week 1, Prescott was unable to deliver a late drive to beat the Eagles. He didn’t have a repeat of that in Week 2, delivering at the end of regulation and eventually in overtime. It wasn’t Prescott’s cleanest performance — he had a delay of game penalty on the first drive, managed the clock poorly at the end of the half and opened the third quarter by forcing a pass that was picked off. But with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, he delivered a 71-yard touchdown drive. And with 25 seconds left, he set up the game-tying drive. In his third drive of overtime, Prescott found Pickens for 20 yards and ran for 14 more, which was a feat considering how his season ended last year with a hamstring avulsion. — Todd Archer
Giants
Trend to watch: The penalties. Offensive tackle James Hudson III committed four penalties on the opening drive before getting benched. But he was hardly alone. The Giants had 14 penalties for 160 yards. That doesn’t even include the three penalties they committed on the same play in the second quarter that was offset by an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. This lack of discipline cost the Giants a chance to win. — Jordan Raanan
Bears
What are the biggest issues the Bears must address after 0-2 start? Ben Johnson hinted that things would look rough early on when he declared that the Bears are “not going to be a finished product in September,” but what happened in Johnson’s homecoming at Ford Field was a brutal embarrassment. Another fast start for Caleb Williams quickly cooled to the point where the quarterback was pulled for Tyson Bagent with the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter. Penalties continue to be an issue for Chicago and directly point to the struggles along the offensive line (which accounted for five of the team’s eight flags). The Bears ran the ball better but still struggled to build rhythm with their ground game. Chicago’s defense let Lions QB Jared Goff finish with a near-perfect passer rating (156.0) while throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns.
Packers
Is defense the Packers’ identity this year? Not that quarterback Jordan Love & Co. haven’t had their moments (Love threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns Thursday, and Josh Jacobs had his 10th straight game with a rushing touchdown), but the tone of this team has been set by the defense. Maybe it would’ve been the same story had they not traded for Micah Parsons. Maybe the acquisition only reinforced what was already in place. Either way, 12 hits on quarterback Jayden Daniels and five pass breakups by cornerback Keisean Nixon made a statement.
Commanders
How will Washington bounce back after being dominated? The Commanders had multiple issues that hindered the team Thursday, and those issues could show up again versus the Raiders. Daniels was pressured on 46% of his dropbacks, the highest total in his brief career. The Packers have a terrific pass rush, but Washington’s protection must immediately improve against Maxx Crosby. Washington’s depth will also be tested, as it lost two strong leaders in running back Austin Ekeler (Achilles) and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (quad).
Trend to watch: Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin have not clicked this season, preventing explosive plays for the offense. When targeting McLaurin last season, Daniels had a completion percentage of 67.3% and a total QBR of 89.4. This season, he’s completing 53.8% with a QBR of 48.8. The pass protection hasn’t been great, so some shots aren’t available. But McLaurin missing camp due to a contract situation could have impacted their timing and rhythm. — John Keim
ESPN
New NFL overtime rules: Big questions on coin flip strategy
We got our first overtime frame of the 2025 NFL season in Week 2, when the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys ended regulation tied at 37 after three scoring plays in the final minute. The Giants won the coin toss in overtime and chose to have the second possession. Neither team scored on their first drive — Dallas ultimately won on a 46-yard field goal with just 4 seconds left in overtime — but it brought up a question: Should NFL coaches take the ball first or second in OT? We say they should take it first — but it’s a close call and there are arguments for both sides.
ESPN surveyed analytics staffers from nine NFL teams with a series of questions about the new regular-season overtime rules for the 2025 season. This year marks the first regular season in which the overtime coin flip decision is a meaningful moment — one in which sharp teams might find an edge. But as our survey shows, those edges still aren’t totally clear.
When teams win the coin toss, what should they choose?
Responses:
- Lean first possession, but matchup factors could make second possession feasible (3 votes)
- Lean second possession, but matchup factors could make first possession feasible (3 votes)
- Almost always first possession (1 vote)
- Almost always second possession (1 vote)
- True 50-50 (1 vote)
The Athletic (paywall)
Juiced footballs are going to change game strategy at this rate
Were you really shocked when Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey drilled that 64-yard field goal to force overtime for the Cowboys against the Giants?
Teams have made five kicks longer than 55 yards in each of the first two weeks of this season. That figure ranks tied for second out of 431 weeks since 2000, per TruMedia. Only Week 4 of 2024 had more (six). That figure is in danger with two games on Monday night yet to play.
Kickers were already becoming more effective in recent seasons, but there were only two weeks last season in which kickers made five tries from longer than 55. We’ve already matched that before the end of Week 2.
The footballs are juiced, figuratively speaking.
Before this season, teams used special kicking footballs that players did not have access to until game days. Each team would realistically have 30 minutes to brush, massage and otherwise break in three footballs. In 2020, that time increased to one hour.
Under rules adopted this season, teams received 60 footballs for the season before the start of training camp. Kickers can work those footballs into the shape they want, learning exactly how they will respond. And those footballs are definitely responding.
“The fact you get to kick with the ball in practice is a huge difference,” one coach said. “You are not supposed to use pressure or stand on the ball or put it in a clothes dryer, but how can they tell what you are doing when you get to have the balls at your own facility?”
The increased proficiency from long range will change how teams handle end-of-half situations. The Cowboys, whether by design or not, ran the ball for a 3-yard gain before calling a timeout and trying the tying kick from 64 yards. That came after the Giants played a soft zone and allowed an 18-yard completion up the seam near midfield.
“You have to have new lines to defend,” the coach said. “If you are the Giants, you can’t play that soft and let the passes get that far. It used to be defending the 37-yard line, which was a 55-yarder. What are you defending now? The 42. That is a 60-yarder. There is a little shift there.”
