The Daily Slop
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
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders message to Jayden Daniels: It’s not a one-man job
Daniels’s evolution began before last season ended. While he was shut down for the final three games, the staff put together a tape that showed every play where he scrambled in 2025. He’d
played just seven games because of various injuries, and his homework assignment was to determine which plays he should’ve given up on to avoid an unnecessary hit.
“The first order of business was to say, ‘Of these, which play is it time to move on to the next play?’” Coach Dan Quinn told The Post. “As a competitor, that wasn’t so easy for him in his first two years.”
The Commanders still want Daniels to use his speed and athleticism to extend plays and scramble when needed, but they intend for it to be a feature of the offense, not a primary weapon. In practice, Daniels became more discerning about taking risks. A couple of weeks ago, Quinn praised Daniels on a play where he escaped the pocket and threw the ball away.
“I was like, ‘Man, that was a great decision,’” Quinn said. “For him, it’s knowing when to go to the next play. … I don’t think he had that part of his game in order, and he does now.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
How will Jayden Daniels handle throwing over the middle more often?
[W]e’ve perhaps overlooked how Daniels will fit in the actual dropback passing game we’re anticipating Blough is going to run. After all, there will be times in every game where you have to pass the ball without being able to lean on the run game or play-action. Daniels is an accomplished passer from the pocket, but this offense will likely ask him to do different things compared to what Kliff Kingsbury’s offense did. Kingsbury’s offense worked a lot more outside the numbers, asking receivers to win one-on-one matchups. Blough’s offense will likely look to attack the middle of the field more often.
Throwing over the middle was something people had questions about regarding Daniels when he entered the draft. At LSU, Daniels had receivers like Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., so he could trust them to win one-on-ones outside as they were just better than most college cornerbacks they faced. That meant in college, he wasn’t asked to throw over the middle very often. Kingsbury’s offense leaned into that philosophy too, but the offense Blough is likely to try and replicate is very different.
Heavy.com
Commanders QB Jayden Danielspredicted to ‘reclaim’ place among NFL elite
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano both put Daniels at the top of their lists of NFL players who are setting themselves up for major comebacks in 2026.
“Jayden Daniels can reclaim his place as a premier quarterback, and there’s considerable hype in league circles that Daniels will get back on track and be a problem for the rest of the NFC East,” Fowler wrote on September 10.
“I believe Daniels is a fantastic player and will play well as long as he’s healthy,” Graziano wrote.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders punter Tress Way ‘pretty sure’ this season will be his last
Washington claimed Way in 2014 and he quickly won the starting job, grossing an NFL-best 47.5 yards per punt in his first season. In 2019, he was voted a second-team All-Pro and selected to his first of three career Pro Bowls with an NFL-high 49.6 yards per punt. He also kicked the longest punt in the league that season, 79 yards, in a win over the Carolina Panthers.
But perhaps the signature play of his career was not a punt, but a pass completion: In the 2024 NFC Championship game against the Eagles, the Commanders audibled to fake a punt and Way found tight end Ben Sinnott for a 23-year completion.
“I can still go back to being in the moment whenever Reavo (safety/punt protector Jeremy Reaves) made the audible on the field,” Way, 36, recalled. “Things weren’t going our way out the gate, my family and friends are in the stands in the NFC Championship. We’re one game away from the Super Bowl and it’s like, ‘I’m gonna throw a freaking pass right now.’”
Way long ago set the franchise record for most punting yards, which now stands at 39,031. With at least 65 punts this season he would top Mike Bragg (896) for the most in team history. He also has a chance to pass Art Monk (205) for the third-most career games played by a Washington player.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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Hogs Haven
Five Questions with Bleeding Green Nation
Do these [offensive scheme changes] guarantee that the [Eagles] offense will be a lot better than it was in 2026? I don’t think they do. But they could certainly help. I mean, it’s hard to get worse than last year’s offense that led the league in three-and-out percentage.
But there are still a lot of questions here. Mannion isn’t only a first-time play-caller, he’s entering the third year of his entire coaching career. He’s inexperienced. I already touched on Stoutland above. A.J. Brown is gone, that’s a pretty big loss.
The thinking here is that the Eagles’ offense could have some success early on since they begin the season with games against the Commanders and Titans. But things might get bumpy after that and I tend to think that progress might not be linear for this offense. There could be some ups and downs before they hit their stride, if they ever do.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig
Saquon Barkley has tormented the Commanders; stopping him is Job 1 in Week 1
Barkley gave the Commanders plenty of problems during his six seasons with the New York Giants, but he’s been even more of a game-changer since signing with Philadelphia in 2024. He’s faced Washington four times since joining the Eagles, including once in the playoffs.
His numbers in those contests don’t even seem realistic by Madden standards.
- November 14, 2024: 26 carries, 142 yards, 2 touchdowns, 52 receiving yards (Eagles win 26-18)
- December 22, 2024: 29 carries, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns (Commanders win 36-33)
- January 26, 2025 (NFC Championship): 15 carries, 118 yards, 3 touchdowns (Eagles win 55-23)
- December 20, 2025: 21 carries, 132 yards, 1 touchdown (Eagles win 29-18)
To put it simply: Barkley is a problem for the Local 53 every time he takes the field. That figures to remain the case Sunday when the Commanders travel to Lincoln Financial Field to kick off their 2026 campaign.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
Sports Illustrated
3 Commanders-Eagles Matchups That Could Decide Week 1
Washington’s Front Seven vs. Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts
If the Commanders allow Barkley to consistently put Philadelphia in manageable situations, the defense will spend the afternoon reacting instead of dictating. Add Hurts’ ability to keep the ball, extend plays, and punish an overaggressive defense, and those second-and-short and third-and-short situations become even harder to survive. Washington doesn’t have to shut down either player, but it cannot allow Barkley and Hurts to keep the Eagles ahead of the chains and in control of how the game is played. Defensive tackle Daron Payne was added to the injury report Thursday; his status is certainly something to monitor moving forward.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Rountable
Commanders coordinators are ready to unveil new offense and defense on Sunday in Philly
The defense may carry more of the intrigue ahead of the opener, though. Now led by Daronte Jones, the complexity of the Commanders’ defense and lack of a true playbook reveal during preseason highlights whether the defense can flip the script from a lackluster 2025 showing. Star edge rusher Odafe Oweh returned to practice this week as head coach Dan Quinn noted all the players on the roster were available for Wednesday’s practice, though the first injury report pointed to both Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson joining running back Bill Croskey-Merritt as limited.
Jones was able to get comfortable calling plays with his new personnel during preseason, but that also offered a dose of familiarity given Brian Flores allowed the then-secondary coach to call plays during the Vikings’ preseason last year. Rookie outside linebacker Joshua Josephs is among the candidates to fill Oweh’s role should the prized free agent addition not be able to make his debut, though one of the bigger matchups to watch is whether the Commanders’ front seven can limit the Eagles’ rushing attack.
Though Jones knows he’s “special”, game planning for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will have its challenges give he has rushed for at least 115 yards and one touchdown in every game against Washington since arriving in Philadelphia.
“It’s not a one man job. It’s a team effort,” Jones said while keeping any and all details of a potential gameplan close to the vest.
Washington will look to secure its second consecutive win against the Eagles in Philadelphia before heading to face the Cowboys in Dallas in week two.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders.com
MAILBAG
Will our run defense stuff Saquon?
I am curious about a few different factors here. How does Barkley adapt to running more outside zone plays, which I’ve heard Philadelphia could use more of in its new offense? I want to know how the Eagles’ offensive line adapts to having a new position coach. Yes, they’re going to be good, but will there be an adaptation phase with new blocking schemes? And assuming K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh play, can their speed and athleticism negate some of Barkley’s explosiveness? I certainly think that’s a possibility, but it’s hard to guarantee anything against Barkley.
What are the signs for fans to know that Washington’s run defense has improved?
I think there are two factors at play here that kind of work hand-in-hand.
The first has to do with gap integrity. Not to harp on last season, but it was clear that there needed to be changes in that area based on how much the Commanders gave up on the ground. That starts with the middle, where they have more depth with players like Tim Settle who can stuff the interior and prevent offensive linemen from moving to the second level. You’re also relying on players like Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw to use their size and physicality to keep offensive tackles from covering up the interior linebackers. This is going to be a linebacker-driven defense, so if players like Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles are racking up tackles, you’ll know that the defensive line is doing its job.
The second is all about setting the edge. I talked about this in an earlier question, but I think the ability to contain outside zone plays is going to be key against the Eagles this weekend. Theoretically, Oweh and Chaisson are equipped to do this. They are freak athletes who should be able to match Barkley in speed. As Commanders fans know, defenders being unable to play sideline-to-sideline was a problem for the defense last year, so if you see those outside zone plays getting strung out to the sideline, that’s a clear sign that there is a schematic improvement.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | A summer update from the RFK site
The latest on the work being done at the old RFK Stadium site in preparation for construction to begin in 2027.
Podcasts & videos
COMMANDERS BELONG: Jayden Daniels Changes the NFC East Race
Tress Way is pretty sure he’s retiring plus a Week 1 Commanders vs. Eagles Preview
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Injury Report: Jonathan Greenard limited again
The Eagles are said to be determining Greenard’s availability based on how he fares in practice this week. Two days of him being limited doesn’t necessarily preclude him from playing … but they’d probably like to see him get at least one full session in before he suits up. So, we’ll see how things go for Friday’s final injury report.
Stowers was limited for the second day in a row as well. Even if he’s medically cleared by Sunday, the rookie is probably going to be a healthy scratch as the Eagles’ fourth tight end.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles-Commanders Film Preview
The sensible approach would be to keep plenty of consistency for Daniels early in the season and gradually layer in the new ideas. However, Blough is also a young first-time coordinator who will understandably want to put his own stamp on the offense (similar to Mannion! OK, I’ll stop comparing them now). If Washington wants Daniels under center more frequently, I expect Fangio to test his comfort level immediately by rotating the secondary after the snap and forcing him to process a different picture once he turns around from the run fake.
Daniels remains the biggest problem regardless of scheme because his athleticism can erase mistakes. He is also a quarterback who has never been shy about taking hits, which Washington will want to manage over a long season, but it can create defensive issues. From the Eagles’ perspective, Fangio cannot allow the pass rush to become reckless because Washington’s quarterback is too dangerous once the structure breaks down. Maintaining rush-lane integrity will be every bit as important as creating pressure in this game.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Can Saquon Barkley defy the RB age curve?
Don’t tell Barkley his shelf life is nearing its expiration date. He was sent a statistic recently that only four running backs in the past 20 years have rushed for 1,300 yards at age 29 and beyond. For someone both competitive and aware, it seemed…motivating.
It’s difficult to expect another 2,000-yard season for Barkley. But he can improve from his 1,140 rushing yards last season. And Barkley, who already helped change the way the league valued the running back position, can also show how long running backs can last.
“[O]ur body tells us to retire,” Barkley said. “But I don’t think age should be a thing that necessarily dictates the potential a player still has. We’re the only position in sports when you’re in your late 20s, you’re considered old.”
But comparisons to 2024 can be vexing. It might have been the best season by a running back in NFL history. Barkley used a book, “Chop Wood, Carry Water,” to keep perspective throughout the 2024 campaign. Comparison is the thief of joy, he reminded himself.
“I’d rather be 29 and only rush for 800 yards,” Barkley said, “but have two Super Bowls.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles vs. Commanders Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 1 enemy
How are fans feeling about David Blough and Daronte Jones ahead of Week 1?
I think we’re feeling overall positive about both coordinators, but more confident in Daronte Jones than David Blough simply because he’s been coaching since 2002 and has coached under respected DCs like Brian Flores, Vance Joseph, and Mike Zimmer. In contrast, David Blough was a player in 2023 and has only ever coached the past two years in Washington. That said, Blough has risen quickly through the offensive coaching ranks here and drew interest from the Lions as a potential OC this past offseason, which forced the decision on promoting him here.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
NFL Network: Sam Darnold expected to miss Seahawks’ Week 2 game, but avoids major hip injury
The Seattle Seahawks will be without Sam Darnold for at least a game, but the quarterback appears to have avoided a long-term issue.
Darnold is expected to miss next week’s tilt against the Arizona Cardinals, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday. Rapoport added that Darnold could miss “just a few weeks” but has avoided a lengthy absence.
Darnold exited Wednesday’s 13-10 win over the New England Patriots after just five plays due to a hip injury that occurred on a sack. The QB limped to the locker room in obvious discomfort.
There are 18 days between Wednesday’s tilt and a Week 3 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Given how quickly Darnold was ruled out, it would be very good news if the QB only missed a lone game.
If it is indeed a one- or two-week injury, the Seahawks will roll with Drew Lock as their spot starter, starting at Arizona in Week 2.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Rams’ Garrett, without a tackle in loss to 49ers, cites knee
Myles Garrett called his performance in the Los Angeles Rams‘ 27-7 loss Friday to the San Francisco 49ers “the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there,” saying his knee was not 100% healthy going into the game.
Garrett missed most of training camp while dealing with what Rams coach Sean McVay called swelling in his knee. Garrett declined to say which knee is injured but wore a sleeve on his left leg during several practices.
“When I was out there, I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and that showed,” Garrett said. “I wasn’t who I needed to be for my team.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Source: Patriots’ A.J. Brown likely out at least 4 weeks
An MRI confirmed that New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks that is expected to sideline him for at least four weeks, a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Thursday.
X-rays did not reveal a fracture.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Talk
49ers tight end Jake Tonges suffers MCL injury, Kyle Shanahan says “it wasn’t good”
49ers tight end Jake Tonges left Thursday night’s win over the Rams with a knee injury, and coach Kyle Shanahan offered an ominous update after the game.
“It wasn’t good. It’s not an ACL, it’s the MCL, I believe, but there’s some issues with it that we’ve got to see how it is. There’s a little more information to it, but we don’t know yet,” Shanahan said.
The 49ers likely won’t know the full extent of Tonges’ injury until they’re back from Australia and can give him a full battery of tests, but Shanahan’s tone suggested that the medical staff thinks Tonges will miss significant time.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
49ers’ De’Zhaun Stribling hurts ankle, set for more tests
San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling suffered a left ankle injury in the second quarter Thursday and did not return.
Kyle Shanahan said that initial testing didn’t provide full results on the severity of Stribling’s injury, which will require more testing after the team flies the 16 hours back to the Bay Area.
“They checked his Achilles,” Shanahan said. “They said that was intact, but they’re not exactly sure of the magnitude of the ankle injury.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Football (US style) in Oz
ESPN
49ers trounce Rams Down Under with 27-7 win
In each of the past three offseasons, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has openly discussed the need to find a running back capable of reducing star Christian McCaffrey’s workload. It never happened, culminating with McCaffrey getting a career-high 413 touches last season.
Thursday night’s opener offered a glimpse of what could be as the Niners leaned on third-round rookie Kaelon Black, kept McCaffrey fresh and punished the Rams with an effective, balanced rushing attack.
The Niners finished with174 yards on 30 attempts for5.8per carry. Black ended his debut with14 rushes for 65 yards while McCaffrey delivered 68 yards on 10 attempts as the Niners pummeled the Rams on the ground and prevented the Rams’ vaunted pass rush from gaining traction.
Most surprising performance: The 49ers defense entered Thursday’s game with plenty of big questions, not the least of which included whether its young players could take a step forward and if its stars could return to form.
It’s only one game but the Niners got positive returns on those issues against the Rams’ high-powered attack. The Rams had just122 yards rushing and the Niners won the turnover battle to come away with the win.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
The Rams thought they’d be at their best in Australia; instead, this was their worst
The Rams were halfway across the world and 17 hours from the SoFi Stadium backdrop they gave up to make this trip for the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia. What they needed was to hit a slant pass to Puka Nacua to pull within a field goal of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter, so Matthew Stafford fired the ball into his go-to receiver’s gut, only for him to fall short of the end zone.
On fourth down, coach Sean McVay called for Stafford to take a quarterback sneak. And then he hit a brick wall for a turnover on downs.
Then the 49ers drove 99 yards on the Rems’ retooled and star-studded defense to add yet another touchdown.
A hallmark moment became an international embarrassment on Friday morning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Rams suffered a 27-7 loss to the arch rival 49ers.
The Rams placed a bet that flying in the day before an Australian game in order to not change body clocks could have them at their best. After all, that’s what worked so brilliantly for them last October in London, when they flew in the day before from Baltimore, kept their Eastern Time-adjusted body clocks and rolled in a 9:30 a.m. ET start to win 35-7 over the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that gave birth to their identity of three-tight end sets.
But this moment was inherently different: The body clock shift was 17 hours rather than five. The flight was 16 hours rather than seven. The setting would come in Week 1, after no preseason for their starters, rather than packed in the middle of the schedule and right before a bye week as the London game was.
Rather than see themselves at their best, the Rams found themselves at their worst in Australia. They would up flying 32 hours in a span of three days just to take their worst loss in a year and a half.
Even if the Rams don’t want to admit that their travel plan played a role in this outcome, they need that to be true. They need a Week 1 game played in Australia to be an anomaly of circumstance and errors in planning, at a time when the costs were higher given that their starters skipped the entire preseason.
Because the alternative is what they can’t have become true, that the 2026 Rams resemble anything like they did here.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
NFL Games on Wednesday: A New Normal?
“I think the NFL is such an entertainment powerhouse that people will adjust their lives and schedules for the right matchup and the right game,” Tirico said in a call with reporters. “A rematch of the Super Bowl, a couple of high-profile teams, makes sense. And it makes logistic sense to clear out time so they can play Thursday night, which is Friday morning in Melbourne. I think if it works, which I expect it will…I think it adds possibilities there.”
The league initially unveiled the unusual Week 1 scheduling in March, when it solidified plans to play on Thursday night for U.S. viewers, from Australia, and avoid any calendar complications related to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, aimed at protecting college and high school football. That international plan then pushed the traditional NFL kickoff game involving the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to the non-traditional Wednesday slot.
NBC Sports has since leaned heavily into the Wednesday scheduling, running a near-ubiquitous “Hump Day” promotion featuring Tirico, fellow network announcer Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tomlin, and a talking camel.
The opener, however, won’t be the only Wednesday game on the 2026 schedule. The NFL has planned a Thanksgiving Eve game between the Super Bowl LXI favorite Rams and Packers, airing on Netflix, another matchup with big viewership expectations.
These types of holiday showcases, the creation of more standalone game windows, and the NFL’s growing international ambitions are each putting more pressure on scheduling norms.
“I think the schedule is going to have to be more flexible as we go along,” Collinsworth said. “You can put it on every night of the week for me. I’ll be just fine.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
