The Daily Slop – 5 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
NFL.com
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota suffers knee injury in loss to Colts
Mariota suffered the knee injury on a third-down sack midway through the first quarter when Indy defensive end Laiatu Latu landed on the veteran QB’s right leg. Mariota went to the locker room and was replaced by Kaliakmanis, with Washington leading 6-0.
This
was Kaliakmanis’ first NFL regular-season game appearance. The 23-year-old is the first QB drafted out of Rutgers to attempt a pass in the NFL since the 2005 season (Mike McMahon).
Kaliakmanis is also the first rookie QB from the 2026 draft to take a regular-season snap; he was the eighth QB taken at No. 223 overall.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said after the loss that Mariota is feared to have aggravated an MCL injury that sidelined him in 2022. The vet QB will undergo testing to confirm the nature of the injury.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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JP Finlay
Making sense of the London mess
The Commanders went to England for a weird week and came back 1-3
But as bad as the refs were, they did not lose Washington the game. Washington lost the game, and a major portion of that belongs to Quinn.
The decision in the first half to go for it on 4th down from about midfield, with a third-string rookie QB in the game and a defense that was dominating, was curious. It was an aggressive call at a time when discretion might have been the move. To go for it not just with Kaliakmanis under center but with practice squad call-up Craig Reynolds at running back made even less sense.
Quinn did his best to explain the decision, yet, it still lacks clarity.
The failed 4th down attempt completely swung the momentum of the contest. Quinn’s decision in that spot gave the Colts life.
For Commanders fans the offensive line moves provide whiplash. After the team cut Tyler Biadasz last winter and tried to sign Tyler Linderbaum with no success, that’s when the Allegretti hype train began from AP and DQ. They love Nick. Nick is the smartest guy in the room. Nick can get the job done.
Well, to the Commanders brass, don’t pee on our leg and say that it’s raining. And by the way, Gulbin was quite bad against the Colts and got his lunch money taken by DeForest Buckner. It’s quite possible Sam Cosmi returns next week and the Allegretti/Gulbin conversation dwindles but that doesn’t mean the process was correct.
Benching Allegretti made no sense against the backdrop of months of praise, and makes even less sense after watching the Colts defensive line hurt Mariota, abuse Kaliakmanis and shut down the Commanders run game.
So to add it all up: bad refs, bad injuries, bad 4th down decision, bad personnel decision, and a loss to a Colts team that doesn’t seem very good.
The result? An 8-hour flight home and a 1-3 record.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Too Deep Zone
3rd-string QB renders all other injury conversations a little asymmetrical
Sunday’s Week 4 action began in London, where the Colts faced a Commanders team without Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, among many others. Marcus Mariota got hurt early in the first quarter, entrusting the Commanders offense to seventh-round Rutgers rookie Athan Kaliakmanis, previously best known for sometimes looking halfway decent while tossing RPOs in the first quarter against Ohio State.
Kaliakmanis, the Piscataway Popgun, spent the first half being treated like a blueberry scone by Laiatu Latu and other Colts defenders. In the third quarter, however, he completed bombs to Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown – with Sauce Gardner in coverage on both plays – to throw a scare into the listless-since-2016 Colts.
The Colts were also banged up, most notably at wide receiver, where Alec Pierce, Keenan Allen and Darius Slayton were unavailable on Sunday. But a third-string quarterback renders all other injury conversations a little asymmetrical. Also, a team that’s relying on Keenan Allen and Darius Slayton to play significant roles in 2026 is just asking for trouble.
Fortunately for the Colts, Jonathan Taylor can carry their offense against weaker opponents, Laquan Treadwell is having the best season of his decade-long career, and it’s only a matter of time before Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Dante Pettis, Denzel Mims and Jalen Reagor all find their way to Indianapolis.
The Colts prevailed in a 30-13 victory against Kaliakmanis’ Upside-Down Golden Gophers (the Commanders rookie also played for the University of Minnesota) to achieve their preferred flavor of unsweetened tapioca .500 blandness.
Mariota may be out a while, but Daniels will return next week
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
NFL Week 4: Big takeaways, questions and fantasy spin from Sunday’s games
Can the Commanders recover from all these injuries? As the saying goes, it’s getting late early for the Commanders. They were already playing minus their top four offensive players — tackle Laremy Tunsil, receiver Terry McLaurin, quarterback Jayden Daniels and guard Sam Cosmi — and then they lost backup QB Marcus Mariota. The good news for them? They’re hopeful Daniels can return in Week 5, but they need McLaurin (hamstring) and Cosmi (concussion) and their returns remain uncertain. And the worst part for Washington: After facing the Giants next Sunday, they play at San Francisco and then host the Eagles and Rams. Injuries plus that schedule equals trouble.
What to make of the QB performance: Athan Kaliakmanis, who was filling in for Mariota, has a big arm and plays with poise, but he’s also inexperienced and playing behind a patchwork line. Bad combo. He completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. With Mariota injuring the same knee that sidelined him multiple weeks in training camp, the Commanders need to consider signing a veteran to back up Jayden Daniels. However, the line needs to provide more help or it won’t matter. — John Keim
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Commanders Film Room: Run Game Struggles vs Colts
The Washington Commanders fell to perhaps their most disappointing defeat of the season so far. In London, the Commanders faced off against a very beatable Colts team and they started off well but things quickly fell apart as Marcus Mariota was injured on the second drive and seventh round rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, the Commanders third string quarterback, was forced into the game. Kaliakmanis performed admirably in his first NFL action, but the team struggled to support him.
The obvious thing to do with a young and inexperienced quarterback in the game is to run the ball and take the pressure off him. However, the Commanders run game struggled massively against the Colts defense. The Commanders ended the game with 100 yard rushing on 22 carries at 4.5 yards per carry according to the box score. However, that’s heavily influenced by Mariota’s read-option keeper for 35 yards and Kaliakmanis scrambling for a further 16 yards. If you take out the quarterbacks and just look at the running backs, the Commanders had 18 rushes for just 49 yards in this game, an average of 2.7 yards per carry.
That’s not good enough in any game, let alone one where your third string rookie quarterback is making his NFL debut. So what went wrong for the Commanders in the run game? It all starts with the defensive front. The Colts leaned heavily on a front known as a “Jam front”. This is a 3-4 front where the defense covers up all three interior lineman. Let me show you an example.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders turn in a dud vs. Colts in London, and now the questions are multiplying
Dan Quinn, the Washington Commanders’ typically even-keeled coach, erupted on the sideline, pointing and cursing as he backpedaled alongside the line judge. What appeared to be a pass interference penalty against the Indianapolis Colts went for naught when officials picked up a flag with more than nine minutes left in the game.
Had officials penalized the Colts on that deep pass attempt to Dyami Brown, it would have put Washington in position to try for a score. But nothing more than that. Not after the Commanders lost their starting quarterback to a dislocated elbow two weeks ago, not after they lost their backup quarterback in the first quarter on Sunday and not after they committed myriad penalties during the previous 50 minutes of play.
Yet Quinn fumed. Fumed. More than he ever has in a game with the Commanders, who fell to the Colts 30-13 and watched their record slip to 1-3.
Another penalty — an illegal shift – negated Antonio Williams’ 87-yard touchdown catch that, with the extra point, would have tied the game at 20 in the third quarter. There were four flags for special teams gaffes, and then the icing: a delay-of-game penalty just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.
The Commanders rode a wave of optimism after their Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Once 0-2, the team was in position to hit .500, a significant feat that would have kept it in control of its season.
Instead, the Commanders turned in a dud, with more flags and injuries than points scored.
Their top receiver, Terry McLaurin, suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Friday and didn’t suit up for the game. Defensive end Charles Omenihu (groin) exited the game early, while receiver/returner Jaylin Lane (ankle) was carted off the field.
But the dagger: Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started his second game this season in place of Jayden Daniels, went down with an MCL injury in the first quarter.
The team sat Nick Allegretti after he started the first two games at center and then played last week at right guard in place of Sam Cosmi (concussion). Cosmi didn’t travel to London because of the injury, but instead of keeping Allegretti at guard, the team went with Gulbin, who struggled in his limited reps at the position during training camp.
Gulbin accounted for three of the Commanders’ 10 QB pressures allowed, including one sack — the one that left Mariota with a knee injury.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
What is the current state of Washington’s quarterbacks room?
The Commanders can’t go into their Week 5 home game against the New York Giants with Kaliakmanis as the starter backed up by Sam Hartman, a third-year pro who went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2024 and is on Washington’s practice squad.
Coach Dan Quinn said Mariota injured the MCL in his right knee — the same ligament on which he had surgery in 2022, when he was with the Atlanta Falcons. He said the team would have more information on the injury on Monday.
The best-case scenario for Washington: Daniels is able to come back against the Giants. After sitting out practice ahead of the Commanders’ Week 3 victory over Seattle, Daniels traveled to London with the team and practiced all week. Quinn did not rule him out until Friday, and all indications are he’ll be able to practice again this week with the expectation that he could play against the Giants.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig (paywall)
The Commanders know more than we do; at 1-3, that’s not really the point
Washington’s overall roster upgrades are evident. Let’s be clear about that. The front seven’s fierceness is obvious. Free-agent splash Odafe Oweh and first-round linebacker Sonny Styles pressured Jones into two turnovers. The WR room, unlike last season, is now functional when McLaurin misses a game.
People — meaning fans and, at times, team decision-makers — don’t always care when some of us focus on the little things. Maybe spotting those imperfections feels nitpicky when bigger issues exist. But those minor details matter when injuries or bad luck strike. Or when you’ve lost 13 of 16 games dating back to last season.
Washington, now 1-3, faces a potentially must-win game Sunday against the 3-1 Giants and has a challenging post-bye stretch starting with the Eagles in Week 8, followed by the Rams.
The ceiling will fall when starters are missing. Maximizing a roster’s nooks and crannies helps keep the floor high.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
Sports Illustrated
5 Winners, 7 Losers From the Commanders’ 30-13 Loss to the Colts
Odafe Oweh
It didn’t take long for Oweh to make his presence felt.
On Indianapolis’ second offensive play, Oweh got to Daniel Jones for an eight-yard sack, knocked the ball loose, and recovered it himself at the Colts’ 21-yard line. That’s about as much as you can ask one defensive player to do on a single snap.
Oweh finished with a sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble and a recovery. Washington only came away with three points after he handed the offense a short field, but that’s certainly not on him.
Javon Kinlaw
Kinlaw’s final stat line isn’t going to jump off the page, but this was another one of those games where watching him told you more than the three tackles did.
The big number here is two passes defended, which isn’t something you normally see from an interior defensive lineman. Kinlaw got his hand on Jones’ first pass of the afternoon and later broke up another throw intended for Josh Downs in the third quarter.
He was disruptive, and for a defensive front that spent a good portion of the afternoon making Jones uncomfortable, Kinlaw was a big part of it.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Colts win vs Commanders & Kaliakmanis stands out like a station wagon in a Ferrari dealership
Indy won despite Jones setting personal Indy-era lows for EPA per pass play (-0.48), yards per pass attempt (4.2) and passer rating (53.9). This was only the sixth time in 261 total Colts games since 2000 that the team won while averaging fewer than 4.0 yards per game, per TruMedia.
Indy might keep winning in the short term, with Pittsburgh and Tennessee on the schedule next. But a defense that ranked 28th in EPA per play entering Week 3 remains a concern, especially if the Giants’ version of Jones is going to remain in the lineup at quarterback.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
Commanders Postgame: QB injuries pile up as Washington falls to 1-3 vs. Colts in London
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
3 things we learned from the Cowboys at Texans
Stroud threw for 347 yards on 31 attempts and finished with a 126.7 quarterback rating. Nico Collins proved to be a problem on the day, recording 118 yards on seven receptions in his first game back from injury.
The run defense looked good on the day, with the Texans rushing for 62 yards on 19 carries, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. This is easily the best they’ve looked versus an opponents ground attack.
And let’s not forget the sacks. Dallas finally got on the board with players other than Caleb Downs in the sack tally. While it took entirely too long for the pass rush to figure itself out in this game, they would eventually start getting after Stroud on a more consistent basis late into the game.
Both Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary would finish with their first quarterback takedowns on the year. The pass rush was not consistent or good enough on the day, but they did manage to string enough together to impact the quarterback at times. But make no mistake, this unit is in dire need of help.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles vs. Rams: 9 winners, 9 losers, and 4 IDKs
SEAN MANNION
This offense flat out sucks.
Is that entirely Mannion’s fault? No. We all know there are major injury issues. We can allow some room for growing pains.
But he is the offensive coordinator and the results were very, very bad.
The Eagles have failed to convert their last SEVENTEEN third down attempts. 0/17! They were 0/12 in this game.
One year after leading the NFL in three-and-out percentage, the Eagles continue to look pathetically inept.
HOWIE ROSEMAN
Roseman has played a role in this team not looking so inspiring at the moment. He didn’t exactly have a stellar offseason. The Eagles’ roster management has been bizarre (four quarterbacks, keeping vested veterans who are making rookie mistakes, etc.).
In Roseman’s defense, he’s done a lot of the heavy-lifting during this period of Eagles sustained success. It would be nice if the other core pillars of the team (head coach, quarterback) could return the favor to some extent and help pick him up.
I’ll also add that Roseman was on such a heater in terms of nailing personnel moves that it was inevitable he’d cool off at some point.
But, again, he’s contributed to the mess the Eagles find themselves in at the moment.
MAKAI LEMON
With DeVonta out, there was talk about Lemon seeing an increased workload. He did finish second in targets (to Cooper) with six. His three catches resulted in just 27 yards, though. Don’t think he looked bad. And it was nice the Eagles finally scrapped throwing to him on those entirely telegraphed screens. Would’ve liked to see more production from the Eagles’ 2026 first-round pick, though.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles vs. Jaguars odds: Opening lines for Week 5 matchup
The Philadelphia Eagles have lost two games in a row and their schedule isn’t getting any easier.
The Birds are set to take on the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars in London this coming weekend.
In order to avoid dropping below .500 with a third straight loss, the Eagles will have to pull off an upset. They’re currently listed as 4.5-point underdogs to the Jags on a neutral field, according to FanDuel.
This line isn’t just a reflection of the Eagles’ struggles. It’s also a testament to the Jags being a really good team. Liam Coen’s squad ranks second in DVOA, second in point differential, fourth in defensive EPA per play, and sixth in defensive EPA per play.
The Eagles aren’t looking nearly as good. Especially since they’re now dealing with a litany of injuries to key players.
Maybe the Eagles find a way to rally after blowing a fourth quarter lead to the Rams. But I can’t say I’m feeling great about their chances in this spot. I’m tempted to lean Jags -4.5.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Upcoming opponent – Giants
Commanders next game is at home vs NY Giants on Sunday at 1:00 pm
Big Blue View
NY Giants-Arizona Cardinals winners and losers
Deonte Banks — In case you didn’t know, this is what happened on the final play of the game with the Giants desperately trying to hold a 30-24 lead:
Kayvon Thibodeaux — Getting the start with Burns out for the year, Thibodeaux was mostly non-existent. He had two assists on tackles. That’s it.
Odell Beckham — Beckham created lot of good will during the summer as he worked to come back to the Giants after a year away from football. He made the team, but in the end the Giants cut him. In my view, Odell washed away all the good will he created with his social media tirade.
Jameis Winston — There was, as is the way of the world with Winston, a lot of good and a lot of bad.
There were three touchdown passes. A couple of those came on brilliant plays. A 25-yard strike to Nabers. A play where he scrambled and got Malachi Fields open for a score. A tight-window TD to Theo Johnson.
There were two interceptions. One of those, created a six-point swing at the end of the first half, taking the Giants out of field goal range and giving the Cardinals a chance to add three points. The other one, on the first possession of the second half, was “allegedly” thrown to Darnell Mooney. It missed the receiver, though, by about 10 yards. That pick put the ball at the Giants’ 37-yard line and set up a touchdown that put Arizona ahead, 24-19.
There were four sacks. I’m not sure what the tape will show, but I would venture an educated guess that Winston either could have avoided or actually caused all of them.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
Giants vs. Commanders odds: Opening lines for Week 5 matchup
The [division] leading New York Giants enter their Week 5 match-up as 3.5-point underdogs on the road against the Washington Commanders, per Fanduel.
The Giants come into the game with a 3-1 record and sole possession of first place in the NFC East, while the Commanders are carrying a 1-3 record as the last place team in the division.
The good news for the Commanders is that they might be getting starting quarterback Jayden Daniels back for this game after he suffered a dislocated elbow back in Week 2. His return would be incredibly timely, as Marcus Mariota was knocked out of their loss against the Colts. It was initially believed that Daniels might need season-ending surgery, but decided to forego it to return this year.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL experts’ Week 4 takeaways: Are Eagles, Cowboys and Vikings contenders or pretenders?
Philly
I didn’t put the Eagles in the contender category before the season because there were too many question marks around their offense, and it’s been worse than I thought it would be. I thought they could be a playoff team if their defense was dominant. They’ve been fine, but they aren’t the top-three unit I thought they would be, and they could be dealing with some important injuries after Sunday. They can’t run the ball with efficiency. With Saquon Barkley, they could at least hit explosives here or there, but he left the game early with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was without wide receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert on Sunday, but he doesn’t look comfortable in this offense. Maybe that can improve later in the season as they get healthier, but he’s not going to become a quarterback he just never was. And that’s not to say Hurts has never been good. He’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, but as his rushing ability becomes less of a threat, he has to evolve, and we haven’t seen enough growth yet. There are a lot of issues with this Eagles team, and injuries could derail things.
Dallas
Given the last 30 years, I’d be reluctant to call the Cowboys contenders after splitting their first four games. Plus, as much as I still want to believe the Texans are way better than their record indicates, it’s easy to poke holes in the Cowboys’ two victories — beating the Washington Commanders when Jayden Daniels went down at halftime and the winless Texans. The Cowboys are capable of hanging with anyone because of their explosive offense, but their defense needs to prove a whole lot more to believe they’re capable of a playoff run.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Odell Beckham Jr. agrees Giants used him as publicity stunt as he breaks silence on being cut
Since being released Tuesday, Beckham hadn’t made any public comments until taking to the comment section of a fan video on Instagram. The video, made by “realbcasbreaks,” insulted Giants coach John Harbaugh, general manager Joe Schoen and the organization, accusing them of using OBJ’s signing as a publicity stunt to generate fan engagement without a genuine intention of using Beckham long-term.
Beckham seemed to agree with the premise he was used as a publicity stunt.
What Beckham said:
“Im super smart !!!! But I didn’t see this one my brotha! They got me!!! They won on top of the money u talkin bout I made tnem I came in HUMBLY took vet min then EARNED my spot n didn’t say nothing bout no $$$ which I kno make for everybody 🤑🤑… Ima tell u this ima grown man and this Shxt didn’t hurt me but it did when they cut me like that cause part of me is like I shoulda known better,” Beckham commented.
“Now let me tellllll u the realllll deal truth what hurt my heart to the core is comin home and seeing my son and how happy he was with no idea of what happened and talkin bout my job n jersey number 13 broke me tf down.. funny thing about that is he said he likes 3 better n I find that very interesting ..
“but again there was no real pain till u get home and ur son gives u that hug like idc what happened daddy ur the best and I love u… nothing better than tht.. but yea idk why they even gave me the run along I coulda really been playing this year somewhere and making a impact and I mean that from a person whose humbled by God and life, so all im doin is gettin ready for whatever God has for me and spreading luv n meantime.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
Jim Harbaugh backs Mike McDaniel after Chargers fall to 0-4: ‘His job is not in jeopardy’
The Los Angeles Chargers continue to flounder, starting 0-4 in another mistake-filled game for the offense in a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. However, Jim Harbaugh continues to back offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
“No, his job is not in jeopardy,” Harbaugh said of the OC via the Associated Press. “He’s a skilled coach, and we’re going to keep growing.”
The growing has been slow and painful thus far.
Justin Herbert threw two more interceptions and was sacked four times on Sunday. His six INTs and 12 sacks through four weeks are both tied for second most in the NFL. Herbert is the first Chargers quarterback with at least six interceptions and 10 sacks through the team’s first four games of a season since Ryan Leaf in 2000. His six INTs are the most through four games in his career, and his 12 sacks are tied for the most.
Herbert continues to look uncomfortable in the offense, and his interceptions right to two different linebackers underscore that he’s not seeing or feeling things well in McDaniel’s offense. Still, the QB backed his OC after the latest loss.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Talk
Dan Campbell: I’m not talking about firing Kelvin Sheppard
The Lions defense was unimpressive in the first three weeks of the 2026 season and things didn’t get any better in Sunday night’s loss to the Panthers.
Carolina rolled up 445 yards in a 32-26 win that marked the third time in four weeks that the Lions allowed at least 30 points to their opponents. It’s the first time that they’ve done that in the first four weeks of a season since they went 0-16 in 2008 and that unsurprisingly made potential changes the focus of head coach Dan Campbell’s postgame press conference.
Campbell was specifically asked about whether he is considering firing defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. Campbell said he believes that the team has to find ways to improve with what’s already in house.
“I’m not talking about all that,” Campbell said. “I’m talking about getting better right now with what we got and that’s what we’re going do. We’re going to find a way to get better with what we got.”
