The Daily Slop – 20 September 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
Heavy.com
Antonio Williams is already better than Jahan Dotson
Rookie Antonio Williams is already “better” than 2022 NFL draft 16th-overall pick Dotson in one important way, according to ESPN’s John Keim. He explained on “The John Keim Report” why
Williams has a better understanding of how to get open.
Keim referenced an example from Williams’ regular-season debut, the 24-22 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. Williams “sold the go route and then he crosses them out to the outside. Now, he would have been open except the ball was out, but I liked the route. You do that time and time again. You get you’re gonna get more chances.”
This subtle agility running a route was contrasted with what Keim used to see from Dotson. Keim explained, “I used to say that about Jahan Dotson when he was a rookie and then he just plateaued. He could never really get off the line. That was a big problem. I think Antonio Williams is better at getting off the line for sure.”
Williams certainly proved adept at quickly escaping coverage out of his breaks, during a performance that earned him high grades, as well as a league-wide award. The 22-year-old is already trending upwards, in the opposite direction to Dotson.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
Daron Payne could hold the key to Commanders’ chances in Week 2 against the Cowboys
There was a lot to like about Payne’s production in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, even though the Commanders didn’t win. He didn’t impact the stat sheet much, but he was in the backfield constantly. If he’d turned some of his pressures into sacks, it would have been an even more dominant day at the office.
That wasn’t to be, but Payne was a bright spot.
He’ll need to bring that consistency into Dallas this weekend.
Payne could have a considerable impact on the proceedings at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys are missing interior offensive lineman Tyler Smith, which weakens the left guard position. This won’t have gone unnoticed by defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, and the former Alabama standout has the physical tools to attack this area to make Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott uncomfortable.
Operating in a 3-4 base defensive system seems to suit Payne. It gives him a little extra space to do damage as an end rather than trying to clog up lanes at tackle. He might be a seasoned veteran by this point, but he remains explosive off the snap. Once he gains early leverage, few guards in the league can deal with him.
It will take much more than Payne, of course. But if he can set the tone inside, it will spread throughout the defense.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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Sports Illustrated
10 Commanders Quotes That Define Washington Entering Week 2 vs. Cowboys
David Blough: “Yeah, sure. I think at the end of the day, and what we’re preaching on this week, right, it’s our detail. It’s our fundamentals. So, it’s hitting the right spots in the passing game because I agree with you, man. Truthfully,it wasn’t good enough in the passing game. There were some good things in the run game, and it came to life late, but we got to detail it up, right? We got to coach better and we got to execute better when we get our opportunities.”
Question: “With Mike Sainristil being part of giving up the two big plays, the long one and then the touchdown, what are some of the coaching points, teaching points that you hammer home this week as you get ready for Dallas?”
Daronte Jones: Yeah, urgency. Playing until the whistle blows would be huge. That happened not only with the Mikey situation; it also happened in the last touchdown of the game. And regardless of what happened, we have to have the ability to respond. You know, play to the echo of the whistle. We talked about that there and just continue to dial in on the techniques with Mikey. You know, he wasn’t satisfied with the way he played, and I don’t think anyone was. But yet and still, we know what he’s capable of, just like he is, and continue to just, ‘Hey man, focus on your fundamentals, have your eyes in the right place, finish those plays, have a sense of urgency.’ And he’ll bounce back because that’s the kind of player he is.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Heavy.com
Ricky Barber: waived on Thursday; practice squad on Friday; game-day elevation on Sunday
Not only did the Commanders sign Barber to their practice squad Saturday, they immediately added him to the active roster. Barber will be active for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys as a practice squad elevation.
The Commanders elevated linebacker Ale Kaho from the practice squad to the active roster as well. Washington announced those roster moves Saturday afternoon.
Barber spent all of last season on the Commanders practice squad. Ironically, he made his debut versus the Cowboys in Week 17 as a practice squad elevation.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle also played in Week 18. During the two games, he had five combined tackles in 32 defensive snaps. Barber registered a sack versus Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
8 Commanders who must raise their game against the Cowboys in Week 2
Linebacker Leo Chenal
The Commanders won’t have Frankie Luvu to depend on in Dallas. After missing practice all week with a groin injury, the veteran linebacker will be watching from the sidelines. Though disappointing, it’s why general manager Adam Peters worked so hard to improve depth this offseason.
This brings Leo Chenal firmly under the microscope.
The free-agent signing was a rotational presence in Week 1 behind Luvu and first-round rookie Sonny Styles. When he did get more involved, it was an indifferent showing, so he’ll need much more in a more prominent role.
With Jordan Magee also absent after being placed on injured reserve, the Commanders’ linebacker depth is already being tested. Chenal won’t be coming off the field much in Dallas, so he must improve his positional sense and communicate more effectively with Styles pre-snap.
The Cowboys have a potent offense that can put up points quickly. But if Chenal can make his presence felt, Daronte Jones’ defense may not miss Luvu all that much.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Washington Sun
Everything You Need to Know for Commanders vs. Cowboys
“That wasn’t a coaching thing,” Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil told reporters Monday. “That wasn’t a schematic thing. That was just two plays on my end with a … I guess you could call it a lack of effort.”
Sainristil ranked last among the 89 cornerbacks Pro Football Focus graded in Week 1, and admitted that two big plays he allowed in Philadelphia stemmed from his effort. Quinn referred to Sainristill’s performance as “completely not acceptable.” He and the team’s secondary could have their hands full covering Lamb and Pickens on Sunday.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL Week 2 betting primer: 15 games, trends and key numbers
Commanders-Cowboys
- Spread trend: The Cowboys are 0-6 ATS in their last six games dating back to last season.
- Home cooking in Dallas: The Cowboys are 17-4 ATS as a home favorite against divisional opponents since 2017, the best in the league. Those 21 games have gone over 16 times.
- Cowboys’ defensive struggles: Based on EPA per drive (-2.8), the Cowboys had the worst defensive performance by any team in Week 1 — worse than any of their defensive games last season, third-worst in the league since 2025.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Photos
Podcasts & videos
HC Dan Quinn Previews Week 2 Cowboys Matchup | Washington Commanders | The Gameplan | NFL
NFC East links
Music City Miracles
Titans vs. Eagles preview: 5 questions with Bleeding Green Nation
Who fills in for Landon Dickerson? How big of a loss is his injury for the Eagles’ offensive line?
Sure seems to me like Drew Kendall will be the guy. He was the first-team left guard whenever Dickerson missed reps or sat out of practice in training camp. Dating back to the NFL Combine, there was word that the Eagles were internally high on Kendall, a 2025 fifth-round pick. He then looked good in their preseason games this summer.
Alternatively, there’s been some buzz about the Eagles moving starting center Cam Jurgens to left guard and putting Kendall in at center. That could make sense for the perspective that Kendall only played the pivot in college and thus lacks extensive guard experience. But then there’s the matter of Jurgens lacking experience at left guard; he previously played right guard in 2023.
The Eagles showed a look with veteran swing tackle Fred Johnson, who played some guard earlier in his career, during practice this week. I’d be surprised if he’s the Dickerson replacement since he didn’t play well this summer and he hasn’t played guard in a long time. Wee Willie Lampkin is also potentially a factor in this equation.
Ultimately, though, I’m leaning Kendall until I see otherwise.
Losing Dickerson isn’t a big deal in terms of the player that he was in Week 1. It looked like he couldn’t move out there. He admitted that he was a “complete liability” against the Washington Commanders. By virtue of him struggling so much, his replacement should be an automatic upgrade, even if they’re not actually all that great.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Upcoming opponent
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys linebackers, safeties will be tested against Commanders
Sunday is going to be stressful
There are three games around the National Football League this Sunday that feature two 0-1 teams fighting it out to avoid 0-2, and the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in one on America’s Game of the Week. The Cowboys learned the hard way that the New York Giants have seemingly closed the gap on competition in the division by beating them in week one, and now will learn where the Washington Commanders are at when they host them in the late afternoon window.
Both the Cowboys offense and defense had major letdown moments in week one that make it hard to pinpoint which unit is under more pressure to perform in week two, or which has the better chance to do so in a matchup against Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders.
The Cowboys will lose to the Commanders if…the middle of their defense does not play better
Cowboys fans are all too familiar with this team’s defense being indifferent to getting great, or just good enough, play at safety. Come to think of it, it’s been a little while since they’ve been strong at linebacker too, with last year being the absolute crater of a low point at this position especially. Defensive tackle is the spot they’ve put the most recent work in, and unfortunately this group also left a ton to be desired against the Giants.
Put these three positions together and you get something along the lines of the old baseball adage that a team can’t truly compete unless they’re strong all the way up the middle (catcher, pitcher, shortstop, centerfield). The Cowboys find themselves in position to have to get right up the middle in a hurry, needing to avoid a disastrous 0-2 hole.
Starting from the backend and working in, the Cowboys safety group was in position to make a lot more plays than they did in week one. P.J. Locke came close to defending a few passes, so did Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson or Malik Hooker, but the Giants caught every crucial contested pass while going 9-11 on third down to win the game.
At linebacker, things were even more bleak for the Cowboys, where rookie Jaishawn Barham struggled, Demarvion Overshown didn’t start strong and then got injured, and Dee Winters was a non-factor. Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and the rest of the DT group couldn’t stop the Giants from staying on schedule offensively with great push in the interior run game.
To make matters worse against the Commanders this Sunday, the Cowboys will be without Overshown and Hooker. The Commanders offense is also built to attack the middle of the field, where Daniels had success against the Eagles (where Parker’s scheme derived from too), judging by this passing chart.
Washington’s backfield combination of Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White is also built to test the Cowboys up the middle, but with the ability to pop an off tackle run for a huge gain at any moment. The Commanders have been searching for a statement type of win for a long time, and will likely feel this Cowboys team presents their best chance to get it despite not winning in Arlington since 2020. They’ll get this confidence both from how the Giants attacked the Cowboys, and how they were only a few plays and penalties away from upsetting the Eagles in week one.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Discussion topics
Pro Football Talk
Concerns arise regarding Brazil field where Ravens-Cowboys will be played
Via Mauricio Rodriguez of AtoZSports.com, complaints about the quality of the field are coming from soccer players who have played there in recent days.
“You don’t even need to talk about the field, it’s there for everyone to see,” Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi said, per Rodriguez. “The way we play, it’s unbelievable that we’re playing on a field like this. Both penalty areas are bad as [expletive]. If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere. There’s still going to be an NFL game here during the international break. After that game, I hope the field is in better shape.”
“We’ve been struggling a lot in these last few games, and the field keeps getting worse,” Flamengo midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta said. “It’s getting harder and harder to control the ball. We have to try to play quickly. If we want to be champions, we have to find a solution. With the team we have, we can’t be playing on a field like this.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Purported Redskins trademark update
From August 2026
