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Commanders quarterly report: Special teams up; defense down; offense TBD
Starting right guard Sam Cosmi missed the first four games as he continued to rehab from the torn ACL he suffered in January. Starting running back Austin Ekeler was lost to a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 2. That same week, starting wide receiver Noah Brown suffered groin and knee injuries, starting tight end John Bates suffered a groin injury and quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a knee sprain; all three players missed the next two games. In Week 3, starting wide receiver Terry
McLaurin suffered a quadriceps injury and didn’t play last week.
Despite having six offensive starters miss games, the Commanders have averaged 26.8 points per game (eighth) and 5.8 yards per play (seventh). That’s encouraging.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury deserves a lot of credit, and so do the players who have filled those voids. The offensive line has settled in after a challenging first couple of games, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has been solid, Deebo Samuel Sr. has been productive both as a wide receiver and returner, and the running back-by-committee approach is paying dividends.
The offense needs to improve its third-down performance and overall pass blocking, but the group has overachieved given the circumstances. Washington has to be optimistic about how this group will perform — specifically with Daniels set to return.
Heavy.com
Sam Cosmi : Won’t return Week 5
Cosmi (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chargers. Cosmi’s 21-day practice window to return from the Commanders’ reserve/PUP list opened Wednesday. He was a full participant in each of the first two practices of the week, but the 2021 second-rounder did not travel with the team to Los Angeles and will not play Sunday. Cosmi will have to wait until Week 6 against the Bears on Monday, Oct. 13 to make his 2025 regular-season debut.
Commanders.com
Practice notes | Sam Cosmi ‘blessed’ to be back on practice field
The Commanders announced on Wednesday that guard Sam Cosmi, who suffered an ACL injury during the Divisional Round of the playoffs, has been designated to return to practice. The team now has 21 days to return him to the active roster, ending a nine-month journey for the guard to return to the field.
Cosmi knows he’ll need to get up to speed and into game shape before making his 2025 debut, but he’s eager to get back with his teammates.
“I’m feeling pretty confident right now,” Cosmi told reporters after Wednesday’s practice.
Cosmi has been quietly working towards an eventual return to practice for the better part of a year. The only updates, aside from seeing him occasionally working with trainers, have come from head coach Dan Quinn, who has been impressed with Cosmi’s progression.
For the next three weeks, Cosmi’s main priority is to get up to speed and ingratiate himself back into the game plan. He took his first step towards that on Wednesday, as he took all the scout team reps without any limitations on his knee. He was able to “really put some weight” on his knee, which made him confident about working in pads on Thursday.
Despite all the strides he has taken, Cosmi knows there is still more progress to be made.
“I still gotta get into football shape a little bit,” Cosmi said. “Working out…pushing myself on the field, the contact, the physicality, the demand of that alone. I gotta get a couple practices underneath my belt. So, just doing that will help a lot, too.”
A to Z Sports
Another RB challenge awaits for the Commanders’ defense
Through the first three games of the season, the Commanders’ run defense ranked in the top-10, which is a vast improvement, but then they ran into Robinson last week. Robinson put up 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground, with another 106 yards through the air on only four catches. The Commanders’ road struggles will continue if they come out with the same effort against Hampton.
It was a slow start for Hampton’s rookie season, but he’s found his groove over the last two weeks and showed that he’s the threat that everyone knew he could be. He had a career day against the New York Giants last week with 128 yards on the ground.
Hampton is only one yard away from cracking the top-10 rushing yards in the NFL, and he’s absolutely crushing it when it comes to rushing EPA after Week 4. He’s making the most of every carry, and he’s on a heater right now for the Chargers’ offense.
He’s climbing the charts as a top rusher in this league, but Hampton is also making a name for himself in the Chargers’ passing game over the last two weeks. Hampton has 110 receiving yards on the season, and 96 of them came over the last two games when his rushing numbers skyrocketed.
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 5 key matchups for Week 5
Commanders defensive line vs. Chargers’ offensive line
The game could be won or lost from Washington’s perspective with this matchup. It sounds like Austin Deculus will start at left tackle. Trey Pipkins is the right tackle. No quarterback has been pressured more over the last two weeks than Herbert. While the Commanders don’t have the same level of pass rushers as the Giants do, there’s no excuse for them not to give Herbert a tough time. Washington has played good run defense, so you should expect Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh to continue airing it out with Herbert, despite the injuries. Harbaugh saw all of those open receivers last week and undoubtedly believes the Chargers could have a big day. This is a critical matchup for both sides.
Commanders.com
5 takeaways from Jayden Daniels’ press conference
He might have to wear a brace on Sunday.
Although the Commanders haven’t officially announced it yet, Daniels is closer to returning this week than he has been since he first suffered his injury in Week 2. Assuming he does suit up against the Los Angeles Chargers, he could be wearing some new gear.
Daniels was seen wearing a brace during Wednesday’s practice, which confirms some of the reports we have heard about his recovery over the past two weeks. The brace adds more stability to Daniels’ knee and helps prevent more serious injury when making sharp, cutting movements, both of which are parts of Daniels’ skill set.
Daniels let reporters know exactly how he feels about it.
“I’m not the biggest fan of it, but if that’s what I have to wear then I’ll do anything possible,” Daniels said.
It is unclear how long Daniels will wear the brace. It could just be a precautionary measure while he gets back up to speed or a permanent change. Daniels is open to either possibility, but he’s not letting reporters know either way.
“I guess we gotta see on Sunday,” he said.
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Los Angeles Chargers Deep Dive + Complex Run Schemes | Film Breakdown | Washington Commanders | NFL
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Blogging the Boys
Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue expected to make debut on Sunday against Jets
The Cowboys drafted Jaydon Blue out of the University of Texas in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and had him inactive through the first four games of the season. Blue was injured during training camp for full context and Javonte Williams has been running the ball very well, but Blue presents a level of play-making that so many have wanted to see for some time.
At the moment the Cowboys are down CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin so they are in need of players who can do something with the ball in their hands. Blue specialized at this in Austin and the general hope is that he will do so for Dallas at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Big Blue View
Giants’ placekicking job a ‘week to week’ decision
Jude McAtamney converted on two short field goals and an extra point in place of injured placekicker Graham Gano on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. With veteran placekicker Younghoe Koo on the team’s practice squad, New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial would not commit on Thursday to McAtamney keeping the job.
“Although Jude did a really nice job for us and excelled with everything we were asking him to do, I think ultimately, you still treat that like a competition and every week is a new week,” Ghobrial said. “We’ll take a common-sense approach as we have more discussions as a coaching staff later in the week.”
Sunday’s game was McAtamney’s second in the NFL. He was on the Giants’ practice squad last season and kicked in one game as a replacement for the injured Gano. Koo, 31, was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons. He has kicked in 93 regular-season games, and has made 181 of 211 field-goal attempts (85.8%).
Koo just joined the Giants last week.
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL quarter-season superlatives and early lessons as teams find their identities
Biggest enigma — Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is 27th in passing yardage. Saquon Barkley is 20th in rushing yards. Neither A.J. Brown nor DeVonta Smith rank in the top 60 in receiving yards. The Eagles rank 30th in total offense, but seventh in scoring (27 points per game), and 22nd in total defense and 16th in points allowed (22 points per game). Yet the defending Super Bowl champs are a perfect 4-0 and have won in just about every way imaginable.
Worst free-agent pickup — QB Russell Wilson, New York Giants
The Giants should have just gone with Jameis Winston as their bridge quarterback/mentor for Jaxson Dart, because Russell Wilson’s three-game showcase was pretty dreadful, outside of that 450-yard, three-touchdown performance against Dallas’ awful defense. Wilson’s accuracy has plummeted (59.5 percent). He had no touchdown passes against the Commanders or the Chiefs and had three interceptions and three fumbles in three games before getting the hook.
Leading MVP candidate — QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Reigning MVP Josh Allen made a huge statement in Week 1 and may have elevated his game to another level. Justin Herbert is playing with more aggression and confidence than ever. Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are always MVP candidates. But Prescott is carrying a Cowboys team short on healthy linemen, his top wide receiver and a consistent rushing attack while completing 72.9 percent of his passes and averaging 279.8 passing yards a game.
Best interception — DL Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
There are some strong candidates, and Kevin Byard III (Bears), Kam Curl (Rams) and Tremaine Edmunds (Bears) each have recorded multiple-interception games. But the best has to go to the 6-foot-4, 347-pound Lawrence, who, while being double-teamed, got his hands up to deflect a Justin Herbert pass, batting it into the air, came off the double-team, snatched the ball out of the air and rumbled 37 yards before getting toppled.
Upcoming opponent
Chargers.com
How the Chargers Offensive Line Will Try to Replace Joe Alt Against Commanders
“Don’t want to speculate on the degree, but likely not to play this week,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll take it day-by-day. Doubtful this week and we’ll see about next week.”
With Alt unlikely to play, the Chargers could turn to Austin Deculus against at left tackle. Deculus came on in place of Alt in Week 4 against the Giants.
However, if Mekhi Becton returns from concussion protocol, that means Jamaree Salyer could also be an option at left tackle. Becton was limited on Chargers Injury Report on Wednesday.
The Chargers also added Foster Sarell to the active roster on Wednesday. He has both tackle and guard flexibility and could be another option somewhere along the line.
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ESPN
2025 NFL kickoffs: Rules change led to most returns in history
A year after a major overhaul and six months after a seemingly minor tweak, teams have returned 78.3% of kickoffs during the first four weeks of the season — the highest rate over that period in 19 years. The NFL has seen 519 kickoff returns, the most through Week 4 in its history.
The return rate has more than doubled from last season and has more than tripled the 2023 rate. Health data is not yet available, but if the concussion rate established during the first phase of the overhaul in 2024 carries over, the NFL will have achieved its goal of revitalizing the play while reducing its injury risk.
The development of specialty kickoffs — most notably one that mimics a knuckleball pitch in baseball — threatens to disrupt the newly curated aesthetics of the play. The knuckleball kick is designed to push the ball through the air in unpredictable directions, making it difficult to follow and catch cleanly. The ball often drops to the ground in the legal landing zone (between the goal line and the 20-yard line) before it is fielded, and the likelihood of muffs increases.
There have been 18 muffs on 661 kickoffs this season, nearly triple the 2024 rate.
[T]he knuckle kick is not easy to master. Through four weeks, there have been 12 penalties this season for the ball hitting the ground short of the landing zone.
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said in September that he expected scoring to increase if teams were able to consistently achieve higher return averages and set up better field position. Offensive scoring through four weeks (23.7 points per game) is up only slightly over the previous 10 seasons (22.9).
Discussion topics
ESPN
Have the NFL’s new ‘K-ball’ rules really made an impact?
At this year’s NFL meetings in March, resolution proposal G-2 passed with very little publicity, no interest from fans or reporters, and hardly any discussion among the clubs voting on it.
G-2. By Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Washington; to permit clubs to prepare kicking footballs (“K-Balls”) before game day, similar to the process permitted for game footballs.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called out this previously anonymous resolution. Fangio had watched on Sunday as Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin tied for the second-longest field goal in NFL history (and the longest outdoor field goal) when he made a 65-yarder against Philadelphia.
“You know what you guys have missed? Not just you but everybody is, we gave up a 65-yard field goal and a 58-yard field goal,” Fangio said in a news conference. “These kicking balls that changed this year, have drastically changed the kicking game, field goals in particular. It’s almost like they need an asterisk era, like it was the live ball era, or the asterisk for those home runs that [Barry] Bonds or [Sammy] Sosa or [Mark] McGwire were hitting. The way they have changed the ball, the NFL has drastically changed the field goals.”
[S]everal special teams coaches told ESPN that they think Fangio’s comments are an exaggeration. The data doesn’t support his argument that kicking has entered into the equivalent of a steroid era.
Through four weeks of the 2025 NFL season, kickers have made 56 of 76 50-plus-yard field goal attempts (73.7%) which is lower than 2024’s percentage and attempts through four games (61 of 81 attempts, 75.3%). The 2022 season set the mark for the highest percentage of 50-plus-yard makes with at least 50 attempts in four weeks — 41 of 53 for 77.4%.
“There’s really nothing to see here,” said one special teams coordinator who requested anonymity because he was not authorized by his club to talk. “There may be a little extra distance on the ball. I mean, could you argue that maybe there are a couple, 3, 4 yards extra on every ball? But the odds of making the kick haven’t changed one bit, so I don’t think it’s going to change your game analytics that much.”
[F]rom 1999 to 2024, a kicker’s field goal range could differ from the week of practice to game day, because the game footballs were not consistent with what the kickers were using in practice. Because of the rush to prepare the footballs pregame and allow time for the officiating crew to inspect them, the special teams coach said kickers sometimes didn’t even see the football until they kicked it off.
And the compressed timeframe didn’t allow clubs to spend equal time conditioning each of their three allowed K-balls, so if the first football was kicked into the stands on a field goal or point-after try, or had to be replaced in bad weather, and Balls 2 and 3 weren’t as worked up, it created a disadvantage. The coordinator and another special teams coach told ESPN that the condition of the K-ball is so important that losing the first two could even shrink a team’s field goal range within a game.
The allowed materials (water, towel, brush, sponge) remain the same, but this season, NFL kickers are no longer seeing their footballs for the first time minutes before the game. Equipment staff can prepare the K-balls whenever they wish without any time constraints (the same process as the Q-balls), and kickers can practice with the balls they will use in the game and better know how the football will feel coming off their foot on game day.
The officiating crew still inspects and signs off on the balls before the game, confirming they are the correct size and PSI and that there’s nothing irregular. No scuffs, marks or weird-looking seams. And the special teams coach said that if an official throws out a team’s K-ball because it has been worked up too much, the league can fine the team, ensuring coaches are careful not to go too far in preparation.
“The big difference is now the prep of the footballs is already done — to perfection,” a second special teams coordinator, who was also not authorized by his team to speak, said in a text.
