The Daily Slop – 16 October 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Commanders links
Articles
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels takes blame for Commanders’ botched final play: ‘Ultimately, it’s on me’
“Ultimately, it’s on me at the end of the day,” Daniels said Thursday. “I know DQ (coach Dan Quinn) is getting a lot of flak for it and whatever. But regardless of what happens, I’m the person
on the field who is supposed to calm everything, control everything, and I failed to (meet) the standard I hold myself to and the standard of the organization.”
Daniels said he addressed his teammates and made it clear to them that “it’ll never happen again.”
The baffling sequence made the Commanders the biggest talking point in the NFL, with former players (and one current player) as well as ex-coaches and team executives weighing in on social media and elsewhere.
“I can’t say (the criticism is) not warranted because of what happened,” he said. “… Marcus kind of told me — I’m not gonna say I’m one of the greats, but he told me every great one has been through adversity in their career. And you gotta deal with it. You gotta learn from it and move forward and not dwell on it and let it affect you. Obviously, as a competitor, as a person, you feel like you let everybody around you down. But I have a great team and people in the locker room who have my back and uplift me in those moments. And ultimately, I’m the one that has to take ownership of it and move forward from it.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
The Commanders need to (immediately) solve what ailed them against the blitz last Sunday
Daniels was still sacked four times against the blitz, and there were plays when the protection could have been better. It just means blaming those sacks entirely on the players up front would ignore what Daniels and Quinn both said Thursday.
There are two ways to look at how Washington handled the pressure against New York. Daniels completed more than 60% of his passes against the blitz and made the Giants pay with his legs, but New York also had enough late success to keep bringing it throughout the fourth quarter and overtime.
The Giants found something that worked when they needed it most.
San Francisco will see the same film, and the 49ers won’t have to blitz on nearly three-quarters of Washington’s late-game dropbacks to find out if the Commanders fixed anything. A few pressure looks in the right situations should be enough to test Daniels’ checks and whether the rest of the offense is on the same page.
Considering how the Giants ended Sunday’s game, Washington should expect that test to come.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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Sports Illustrated
‘It Is F—ing Chaos’: How NFL Teams Prepare for Clock-Management Situations
Albert Breer surveys current and former head coaches about voices in their headset and what it’s really like when the clock is ticking
After Rachaad White ran off right guard to bleed the clock, Daniels let it run down from 51 seconds to 12, snapping the ball with three seconds left on the play clock. He then ran into the line, hit the deck with eight seconds to go and laid there for three more.
You know the rest.
“No doubt, Dan Quinn went over that,” another head coach in the league said this week. “That is 100% the quarterback’s fault. But the head coach, that’s what we get paid for.”
Of course, Quinn was never going to say that about Daniels. Nor should he. He is indeed paid to fall on such swords. And the reality is, for all the work that these guys do … stuff happens.
[T]he question arises of how many voices should be in the head coach’s ear on Sundays. Most coaches say it should only be one or two. Two head coaches I spoke with had an analytics director and an offensive assistant as the two on the headset when it comes to game management. Another has his game-management coordinator alone. O’Brien, at BC, has former Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive analyst Andrew Breiner as his guys.
And the headset to the quarterback cuts off at 15 seconds.
How the 25 seconds before that are used is, of course, vital. And sometimes, like in a two-minute situation, they actually have less than that to relay the call to the players.
“You want to have a lot of clarity, for sure,” said one head coach. “There’s no doubt. And that’s where it’s just like, you got to stay calm in those situations. Like, We practice it. We’ve been here. We good? Yeah, we’re good.”
Unfortunately, as more people have gotten involved, with the rise in analytics across the NFL, the more potential there is for a crash out—when folks hired for expertise in these areas and coaches alike are trying to be heard at the most critical time.
“Yeah, it’s chaos,” said another head coach, about such situations that aren’t routine, but can arise. “The coordinator’s gotta have discipline. I mean, it is f—ing chaos. It’s like, Everyone, shut the f— up.“ [He] then added that the one thing that shouldn’t have ever changed, as the access to data around game management has, is that access to the head coach on the topic should be very limited—“It’s one voice that’s the person you’ve been communicating with all week that you need to communicate with.”
So, then, who’d be to blame in the Washington situation?
“I don’t know if we’ll ever know,” the coach answered. “You can, as a head coach, say all the right things. But at the end of the day, if he doesn’t do it, you can’t out him.”
What you can do, of course, is review what went wrong, something the Commanders did this week, as they cleared the wreckage of the end of the Giants game.
One thing that was clear: It didn’t happen for a lack of trying. The same way a Sirianni decision Sunday, on a kickoff, failed despite the Eagles’ coach being maniacal on situational ball—according to those who’ve been around him— Quinn’s team faltered in the big moment hours later, despite having an entire camp built on handling these in-game situations.
So much so, in fact, that over the course of camp, Quinn had the play clock for the aforementioned 11-on-11 work start at 38 seconds, rather than the normal 40, to speed up his players a bit, so they’d be more comfortable in the chaos of a game.
Daniels is smart. He didn’t forget the lessons learned. The work was done.
Sometimes, stuff happens.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Washington Post (paywall)
Jayden Daniels’s poise under pressure and more X factors for Commanders vs. 49ers
Amos, safety Nick Cross (internal) and running back Jeremy McNichols (quad) were full practice participants Thursday. They were all limited practice participants last week and didn’t play against the Giants. Now, they’re on track to face the 49ers.
The returns of Amos and Cross could give the secondary a much-needed lift. Amos hasn’t played since November, so it’s difficult to project his impact. But the Commanders desperately need him to bring some stability to their cornerback room.
They’ve been working through a rotation of Sainristil, Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau at outside cornerback, and none has provided the level of play the Commanders need. Amos may bring that.
Cross didn’t light up the box score in the first couple of games, but on tape he had the look of an impactful player. His physicality, speed and athleticism helped him be effective in the run and pass games. He’ll probably eat into Quan Martin’s snaps.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs and safeties Tyler Owens and Percy Butler, who are all dealing with hamstring injuries and didn’t practice or play last week, missed practice again Thursday. Quinn said he’s hopeful they’ll return to the practice field by the end of the week. Defensive end Charles Omenihu (groin) also didn’t practice Thursday after missing last week.
Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) didn’t practice Thursday. He played the entire game against the Giants.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Rountable
3 areas the Commanders must fix before MNF in San Francisco
George Kittle vs. Washington’s Defense — A Matchup the Commanders Have Failed All Year
No NFL unit has been more generous to tight ends than Washington in 2026. Through five games, opposing tight ends have racked up 372 receiving yards and seven touchdowns against the Commanders’ defense — numbers that represent a consistent, season-long vulnerability rather than one bad game.
Now they get George Kittle. The best tight end in football enters Week six with 21 receptions for 268 yards and four touchdowns on just 28 targets, averaging 12.8 yards per catch. He hasn’t had a quiet game yet. Kittle’s after-the-catch ability, route variety, and sheer physicality make him impossible to contain with a single defender, and Shanahan’s offense is designed to exploit the exact seam coverage that has victimized Washington all year.
The Commanders should be getting Nick Cross back after missing the last three games — he should really make an impact in both the run game and the midfield passing game. Washington knows the tight end game is coming. The question is whether they have the personnel to do anything about it.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
Trey Amos will be walking into a prime-time fire for his Commanders return
The Commanders will have a plan in place for how best to use him without putting too much on his plate. But even with Amik Robertson’s exceptional start to the season, the No. 61 overall selection in 2025 is Washington’s best physical and athletic asset to counter the threat posed by wide receiver Mike Evans.
Just how much time he’ll see against Evans is debatable. It would be a lot to ask, but Amos is competitive enough to take on the challenge if needed.
But coming through this game unscathed is critical.
The Commanders believed Amos could eventually become a lockdown cornerback. He’s still young enough to achieve this objective, though there’s no telling how much these injuries have taken out of him.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders.com
NFC East roundup | A tight division race
Looking ahead to the San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers are one of just three teams in the NFL that have yet to lose a game this season. They’re coming off a 32-29 divisional win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, which should boost their confidence heading into Monday Night Football.
San Francisco leads the league in third-down offense (51.92%), although that could be tested this week by a depleted wide receiver room. Mike Evans is playing through a rib injury, while the 49ers will be without Deebo Samuel (hamstring). Meanwhile, Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Demarcus Robinson remain on injured reserve. Despite declining numbers, Christian McCaffrey is still widely regarded as one of the top 20 running backs in the league and is a threat the Commanders’ run defense will need to keep in check.
The Commanders’ offense has been inconsistent through five games, and it will undoubtedly be tested by the 49ers’ defense, which ranks No. 6 overall and has allowed just 297.2 total yards and eight touchdowns per game. San Francisco could also get a boost from the return of edge rusher Nick Bosa, who has missed the past three games with a calf strain.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Photos
Podcasts & videos
Commanders MNF In The Bay + 49ers Offensive Breakdown + NFC Pulse Check | Command Center
Big Doug & Carmi Show
Commanders vs 49ers preview ft @JasonAponte2103
Efe Obada on the impact of the IPP program & his induction into the NFL London Games Ring of Honour
NFC East links
ESPN
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts ruled out vs. Panthers with blood clot in calf
The team found out that Hurts would be sidelined as it took the field for morning walk-through Thursday. McKee got the news from Hurts a few minutes before at his locker, with Hurts telling McKee, “It looks like you’re going to be the guy this week.” Hurts then expressed confidence in McKee and told him he had his back.
The Hurts injury is the latest bad news in a season full of it. Left tackle Jordan Mailata called last week the “week from hell” after Sunday’s gut-punch loss to the Jaguars, given that Lane Johnson retired and Cam Jurgens was traded days earlier. He joked Thursday that “I think I was a little early. I may have jumped the gun on that one” given the Hurts news that has since followed.
The locker room was surprisingly upbeat, though, as the players seemed to embrace the fact that this season is shaping up to be anything but normal.
“Wave after wave and we’re still standing,” Mailata said. “Still pushing forward. We have to. It’s the league. S— is going to happen. It’s just how you respond.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Pro Football Talk:
“Every opportunity that you get to play is a huge opportunity, especially being a sixth-round pick,” McKee said. “Every opportunity is a huge opportunity. I’m obviously very excited and ready to make the most of it.”
The Eagles have a lot of injury issues beyond the one that’s knocked Hurts out of action, so it’s not an ideal situation for a backup to come in and shine but it’s the chance that McKee gets and we’ll see what he can do with it on Sunday.
To read more of this PFT article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Tension is building about Landon Dickerson’s future with the Eagles
Now that Dickerson is returning from IR, head coach Nick Sirianni is being a little non-committal about whether the Pro Bowl LG will get back in the starting lineup.
SIRIANNI: “There’s just so much time before we have to make any of these decisions. I’m not going to discuss too much of that, but we love Landon [Dickerson]. I know that. He’s won a lot of football games here because where he’s been. The guys that are in right now are doing a good job and fighting their butts off, but Landon’s a special player, and we’ll see where we are.”
This answer didn’t appear to be Sirianni’s typical competitive advantage answer, it seemed like one he didn’t want to address because it’s not a certainty they give the job back to Dickerson. With so many new faces, and a list of injuries on offense that makes sustained success a challenge, the team might opt to look toward the future and get their young lineman more reps.
Dickerson was asked on Wednesday after practice whether the team still views him as the long-term left guard, his answer wasn’t filled with confidence.
DICKERSON: “That’s a great question. Do they have a media day for Nick and Howie? You can ask them.”
The Athletic’s senior reporter Zach Berman reportedthat there was some playful banter as part of Dickerson’s exchange, and some of he deflection is just the LG’s style of answering questions. Still, after watching Jurgens get sent elsewhere, Dickerson has legitimate cause for concern, and only time will tell how Howie Roseman and the team view the remainder of the 2026 season.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
‘Peanut punch’ prevalence has gotten Giants’ attention
“The league is more of a punch-out league than it’s ever been before,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Wednesday.
Cam Skattebo’s overtime fumble Sunday against the Washington Commanders, which cost the Giants an opportunity to win that game, came on a punch-out by Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne.
“Everyone here is seeing what this NFL has become right now with that peanut punch,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said on Thursday. “I mean, it’s across the board. You see it the next night in that Rams-Buffalo Bills game. Guy [Buffalo defensive end Greg Rousseau] had two of them.
“So it’s a different style of game. They’re being taught to punch the ball out.”
With defenders punching at the ball like never before, what are ballcarriers to do? How do they protect the ball?
“You emphasize it. You practice it, which we do every week,” Nagy said. “Coach Harbs is just – he’s so good with that. We make sure every practice that we are – we have a bunch of different drills that we work. We work it and you have to speak it into existence.
“So that’s the part sometimes that can get frustrating is you end up getting to a point where you practice it, you emphasize it, but yet it still happens. So you just can’t – you can’t just stop doing that. You have to make sure you keep emphasizing it. We’ll show clips.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Blogging the Boys
The embarrassment of being in the NFC East
[W]hich team actually benefits the most from winning the division, if it stays the way it’s going and continues to look like the winner won’t be a real threat in the playoffs?
The Giants have the longest playoff drought, but also a season-ending injury to their starting QB. The Eagles in some ways appear to be making a statement that just winning this lousy division isn’t good enough, if they aren’t true Super Bowl contenders they rather build for a future where they are. The Dan Quinn experiment in Washington feels like it’s all but over, but a playoff berth could see him stay.
I really think the answer is our team, Tom. Coach Schottenheimer’s predecessor was let go because he couldn’t advance in the playoffs, but at least he proved consistently he could get there. We don’t even know if Schotty can guide the team to the postseason yet, and it still doesn’t feel like any team around the NFC at large is “unbeatable”.
In order for the Cowboys to turn this around and actually grab the NFC East’s low-hanging fruit of a playoff spot, and do so with any conviction, they’re going to have to fix a lot of defensive issues against the Packers.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Upcoming opponent – 49ers
Commanders next game is on the road on Monday Night Football vs the San Francisco 49ers
Niners Nation
10 players on bad teams that could be of interest to the 49ers at the trade deadline
Commanders DT Daron Payne
Payne has been subject to trade rumors for a while now, and it could be the year in 2026 with the veteran defensive lineman in the final year of his deal.
Payne, 29, has 15 pressures, eight defensive stops, and a forced fumble. He does have a hefty $16.4 million salary, so Washington would probably have to eat some of that money in a trade.
Commanders EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson
Another option could be K’Lavon Chaisson, who signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Commanders in the offseason after being a key piece for the Super Bowl-contending New England Patriots last year.
Chaisson is Washington’s leader in pressures with 17, and he could be a cheap option off the edge as a pass-rush specialist.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Niners Nation
Updating injury news for 49ers
Here are the injuries for Thursday’s practice:
Out:
- WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring)
- LB Garret Wallow (hamstring)
- DT James Thompson (ankle)
- EDGE Nick Bosa (calf)
- S Marques Sigle (ankle
- WR Mike Evans (ribs/Achilles)
As for Bosa’s availability for Monday night, Shanahan said, “Hoping he can go, but not going to practice today.” He believes it won’t be an injury that lingers for the rest of the season.
Linebacker Nick Martin won’t return this week. There was speculation about Martin returning with Greenlaw and Wallow out, but Shanahan said, “He’s not getting up this week.”
Deebo Samuel could head to the injured reserve.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Brandon Aiyuk saga revisted in-depth
The Athletic (paywall)
Brandon Aiyuk was a star receiver with a $120M contract; now he’s the NFL’s biggest enigma
He is listed without an NFLPA-certified agent, and attempts by the players’ union to reach him have gone unanswered, according to a league source granted anonymity to discuss potentially sensitive topics.Two-and-a-half years ago, Aiyuk was a star receiver for the 49ers, a former first-round pick who signed a $120 million contract extension after an All-Pro season helped fuel a Super Bowl run. But after a devastating knee injury, Aiyuk forfeited $27 million in guaranteed salary in a fight over rehab, ghosted the 49ers, fired his agent, publicly dissed Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan and moved to Virginia with the intention of signing with the Commanders — even after seemingly burning his relationship with Daniels.In June 2025, Lynch likened the situation to a family spat to be resolved by finding common ground and hugging it out. A little more than a year later, his tone had changed.“We wish him well,” Lynch said when asked about Aiyuk in July.
Aiyuk’s career in San Francisco got off to a flying start, with 27 touchdowns through his first four seasons.Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
Much of this saga has played out on Instagram and YouTube in a series of self-inflicted wounds that turned an elite career into a taboo topic. Few close to Aiyuk are willing to speak on the record, wary of further damaging his image or voicing their growing concern for his well-being.“He’s essentially ruining the rest of his life, one minute video at a time,” said former NFL safety Ryan Clark in a July episode of “The Pivot Podcast,” which had Aiyuk on as a guest during his contract spat in 2024. “You don’t go about life doing what he’s doing and get to continue a career that is a blessing.”Aiyuk did not respond to multiple interview requests for this story. Lynch declined to comment through a team spokesperson. Aiyuk’s former agent, Ryan Williams of Athletes First, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Known associates, including family members, chose not to participate.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold owns up to late interceptions in overtime loss to Broncos
Sam Darnold was in position to pull off a comeback win Thursday night, having rallied the Seattle Seahawks from a 14-3 deficit in the fourth quarter after 45 minutes of offensive ineptitude.
Then he threw an interception.
And another one.
Darnold’s picks late in regulation and in overtime doomed the Seahawks in a 17-14 loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. It spoiled a brilliant performance from Seattle’s defense and dropped the reigning Super Bowl champions to 3-3, putting them 2.5 games behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West standings.
“No way to sugarcoat it,” Darnold said. “That one sucked. Can’t turn the ball over. That’s obviously at the forefront of my mind, but there’s just a lot that we can do better.”
While Darnold was hardly the only one responsible for one of Seattle’s more agonizing offensive performances in recent memory, he has thrown seven interceptions in four games since returning from a glute injury in Week 3. He has just as many touchdown passes in that span, and he entered Week 6 ranked 29th in Total QBR (34.4).
Darnold was sacked five times for the second game in a row, and he took 17 official QB hits.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Ringer
The Texans got fleeced trading for a bust
The only top-10 draft picks who have been traded within their first three NFL seasons since 2012 are RB Trent Richardson, CB Eli Apple, QB Trey Lance, QB Josh Rosen, CB C.J. Henderson, QB J.J. McCarthy, and now WR Marvin Harrison Jr. History would tell you that the Texans’ decision to fork over a second-round pick for Harrison was a mistake, and the film from his time in Arizona would tell you more of the same. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, another GOATed football nerd, went deep on how bad MHJ has been with the Cardinals, and others have said he wasn’t supported in the way he wanted to be in Arizona. A now very public example of that is the Cardinals not buying Harrison the specific JUGS machine that he wanted, but I imagine that wasn’t an isolated issue for the second-worst (according to the NFLPA’s most recent report cards) employer in football.
If Harrison is ever going to live up to his original draft slot (fourth overall) or even the 2027 second-rounder that Houston just gave up for him, like Barnwell says, he will need to be a completely different player.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL Broadcasting
Front Office Sports
Troy Aikman–Joe Buck Breakup Looks More Likely Than Ever
Aikman’s talk of a potential ‘next landing spot’ comes months before his contract is set to expire following the duo’s first ESPN Super Bowl
The duo is poised to call ESPN’s telecast of Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14. But during an interview with 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas on Thursday, Aikman appeared to publicly confirm Front Office Sports’s report of “tension” with Buck over their respective contract talks.
While Buck recently signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension with ESPN, according to The Athletic, Aikman is still in limbo. With his contract up after this season, sources say he doesn’t have a formal offer from ESPN. On Thursday morning, the former Cowboys superstar dangled the possibility of leaving the four letters for greener pastures.
“There’s probably a time and a place for all that to be discussed. I don’t know if now is the time,” said the straight-shooting Aikman about Ryan Glasspiegel’s report that he and Buck argued before Monday night’s Bills-Rams game. “I don’t know that it’s hard to figure out kind of what happened. I’ll broadcast through this season and I’ll be a free agent at the end of the year and kind of see what happens. I’m looking forward to whatever the rest of this year does hold, and the Super Bowl and all that, and where my next landing spot may be.”
[E]verything changed when The Athletic reported Buck got his bag—and Aikman didn’t. The unspoken tension between the duo finally boiled over at SoFi Stadium Monday night when Buck tried to “break the ice” with Aikman. Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed. If you watched their call Monday night (ironically from the same stadium where they’ll call the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day), you wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss.
Could Aikman and Buck stay together at ESPN? Sure. Family members fight and make up.
Buck seemingly plays the political game inside ESPN/Disney better than Aikman, who wants to do his job and keep the extraneous Mickey Mouse stuff to a minimum. Given the rift between the pair, it seems the chances are increasing that Aikman plays out his contract and joins another NFL TV partner like CBS Sports, which recently dropped Tony Romo, Amazon Prime Video or even Netflix.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
