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
Sports Illustrated
Commanders could finish ahead of Giants with the same record after Thursday’s win
The good news is the Commandersnow own the tie-breaker advantage with New York, something that could factor into things down the stretch.
By rule, the October tie countsas half a win and half a loss for each team. Head-to-head record is the NFL’s first
tiebreaker between two clubs in the same division.
If Washington goes 5-3 over its final eight games and New York goes 3-5, both would finish 8-8-1. In a two-team tie, the Commanders would finish ahead of the Giants because they went 1-0-1 against them. Thursday’s win gave Washington that edge, but it still has to erase the two-game gap. That example assumes a two-team tie; a three-team tie involving Dallas would follow the NFL’s separate tiebreaking procedure.
Make no mistake: Washington still has to stack wins. After the mini-bye, New York hosts Jacksonville on Sunday, November 22, and the Commanders host Cincinnati the following night. A Giants loss and a Washington win would cut the gap to one game. The teams won’t meet again this season, so the head-to-head edge only matters if the Commanders make up the ground elsewhere.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders got burned and stayed aggressive; it may have saved their season
[The Isaiah Likely touchdown] was a major breakdown, but it didn’t change how Jones operated. He maintained an attacking mindset. It proved instrumental in a 24-21 win over New York that may have saved Washington’s season.
“The easy thing would be to be nervous in that spot and to back off,” Coach Dan Quinn said. “But he’s aggressive.”
The previous time these teams met, Jones had a conservative approach on defense. Washington blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and ultimately settled for a tie.
New York ran on its first two plays, forcing Washington to burn a couple of timeouts and setting up a pivotal third and one. The Giants were in an empty formation, but the Commanders had eight players along the line of scrimmage prepared for another blitz. It wound up being a designed run for McCarthy, but a blitzing Styles blew up the play.
“Starting with coach DJ, he has confidence in us,” Styles said. “Plays are going to happen. You clean them up. Hopefully, you don’t make the same mistakes, but plays are going to happen. The other team, they make money, too.
“But for him to keep that confidence as the game goes on and not pull back, I think it just shows he sees the improvement. He’s getting more and more comfortable with the guys he’s got out there, in terms of us being able to execute on a consistent basis, especially later in the game.”
“Defensively, they were not only keeping us in the game,” Quinn said. “I thought they won the game.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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The Athletic (paywall)
The biggest thing Jayden Daniels is doing this fall is to stay healthy and keep playing
The calls for Quinn’s job won’t completely abate unless and until wins are stacked on top of each other, and this is a group that hasn’t posted back-to-back victories since the playoffs that followed the 2024 season. It’s been a minute.
But what has been reestablished over Washington’s past five games — all Daniels starts — is that the quarterback gives them a chance any time they line up, and that it’s not impossible for him to stay healthy for long stretches, even entire seasons, at a time. Did you watch Thursday night and obsess over the brace that’s keeping Daniels’ left elbow in place? Me neither.
When Daniels plays, he can build on his own performances. When he gets hurt — and he did miss two September games with that dislocated left elbow — he’s almost starting over, at least at this point in his still-nascent career. In the five games since his return, he has completed 67.3 percent of his throws for 248 yards per game with seven touchdowns and just the two picks. He owns the eighth-best passer rating in the league over that span.
Thursday was enormous for the stability of the entire franchise. It’s important that Daniels was at the fulcrum. The winning play didn’t come completely from embattled first-year coordinator David Blough. It was third-and-4 from the Giants’ 32.
“I gave a little signal to Stef,” Daniels said, “and he went on a slant — and the rest is history.”
The little signal wasn’t by accident. The little signal was developed during the course of the week. Diggs will turn 33 later this month and is in his 12th NFL season. He has seen nearly everything. His impression of Daniels, in that moment, with the season in the balance?
“Baby Kobe,” Diggs said, invoking the name of Daniels’ athletic hero. “He’s gonna be the same kind of player he is in the beginning of the game and at the end of games.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From ESPN:
Daniels has played five consecutive games since sitting out two because of a dislocated left elbow. It is the most games he has played in a row since starting all 20 contests in his rookie season. On Thursday, he completed 23 of 33 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.
But playing that many games consecutively has helped him find a groove, he said.
“I’m starting to get into that rhythm,” Daniels said. “It shows the more games you play consistently, the more reps you get, the more flow in the rhythm that you can [find]. And it was tough last year being in and out of the lineup and trying to catch a rhythm.”
Being in a rhythm might have helped Daniels on his final throw. When New York showed a cover zero blitz, Daniels gave a signal to Diggs, who ran a slant against corner Dru Phillips and then broke his tackle attempt and sped to the end zone where he turned at the 1, paused and fell backward into the end zone.
“He’ll be the same player he is in the beginning of the game as he is in the end of the game,” Diggs said. “Things will happen good and bad and he isn’t going to change.”
To read more of this ESPN article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Washington was last in the NFL on 3rd down; what changed against the Giants?
Against the Giants, the Commanders converted 7-of-14 third downs. Six came with one yard to go, including Sinnott’s third-and-goal touchdown. All three of Washington’s touchdowns came on third down.
Washington ran the ball 33 times Thursday, gaining 105 yards. Daniels accounted for 11 attempts and 28 yards, and the offense still went 0-for-2 on fourth down. That’s a lot to clean up for a team that needed all three touchdowns to beat New York. Cincinnati is coming to town November 23, giving Quinn and offensive coordinator David Blough 11 days to build on what worked. Their next test is whether Washington can still move the chains on third down when it needs more than four yards.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders.com
5 takeaways from Commanders vs. Giants
The offensive line protected Daniels
Part of the reason Daniels was so efficient for most of the night was because of how well his offensive line protected him. The Giants had the third-highest blitz rate in the league heading into Thursday’s game, and they brought plenty of it to try and hamper Daniels.
Daniels, however, felt little of it all night. He was only sacked one time, and he was only pressured on 17.9% of his dropbacks — the second-lowest of his career.
“Let’s give some love to the big uglies up front,” Willie Colon said on “Good Morning Football.”
The Giants have become one of the league’s better defenses, ranking fifth in yards allowed and 11th in third-down efficiency. The Commanders did not have their best offensive night with 340 yards, but the unit functioned well when it needed to do so. The offense had 105 total yards on the ground and committed only four penalties all night. Nick Allegretti, who stepped in at center for Lucas Patrick, did a good job of leading the offensive front, and the group only allowed four pressures.
There is still work to be done up front, but give credit where it’s due: the offensive line stepped up to the challenge in front of them.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
How Luke McCaffrey used an out-of-bounds rule to help the Commanders win
Giants kicker Dominic Zvada appeared to get off a quality kickoff, with the ball bouncing in the landing zone at the 11-yard line and staying in bounds.
However, the Giants were penalized for a kickoff out of bounds, and the Commanders’ offense started the drive at the 40-yard line.
The reason is that McCaffrey willfully went out of bounds, kept his feet planted and lunged forward to corral the ball, which settled just inside the yard-line markers. According to Rule 3, Section 20, Article 1 and Article 3, the ball was considered out of bounds, even though it never crossed the boundary.
Article 1 states: “A player or an official is out of bounds when he touches a boundary line, or when he touches anything that is on or outside a boundary line, except a player, an official, or a pylon.”
By this definition, McCaffrey was clearly out of bounds. That takes it to Article 3, Item 2: Loose Ball.
“A loose ball that is not in player control is out of bounds when it touches a boundary line or anything that is on or outside such line, including a player, an official, or a pylon,” the rulebook states.
This isn’t the first time this sort of play has happened in the NFL. There have been multiple examples before, including a decade ago when Green Bay Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery executed the play against the Detroit Lions.
This rule more commonly comes into play when a fumble and a scramble to recover the ball near the sidelines occur. If a player who is out of bounds touches the ball in that scenario, possession doesn’t just go to that player’s team; the ball is considered dead at the spot because that player is an extension of out of bounds with a loose ball in play.
Similarly, McCaffrey was an extension of being out of bounds Thursday, and it worked out in the Commanders’ favor.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders.com
Game Balls | 4 standouts from Washington’s Thursday Night Football win against New York
Ben Sinnott
Outside of Okonkwo, Washington’s tight end group through the first nine weeks of the season hasn’t had the production many hoped to see. Head coach Dan Quinn noted in the lead up to this Week 10 game that it was an area they wanted to “continue to elevate higher.” A different piece of the Commanders TE room came to life in a way previously not seen through the first three seasons of his career in the win against the Giants.
This was a breakout game for Ben Sinnott. His first involvement was a relatively mundane five-yard pickup not long into the second quarter. In his next bit of action, he collected a short pass down the middle from Daniels and showed off his athleticism, hurdling a Giants defender, on the way to a first down. Just before the half, the #82 scored his first touchdown of the season, hauling in a strike from Daniels through traffic. He finished the game with 42 yards on four receptions, the most he has ever had in a single game in his career.
“I got the opportunities tonight,” Sinnott said after the game. “I took advantage, and it feels good.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
Sonny Styles’ Luke Kuechly moment shows what Commanders really have
Sonny Styles is raising the bar
During his All-22 analysis of the contest, Orlovsky focused on the third-down play that eventually resulted in Styles securing a vital tackle for loss on quarterback J.J. McCarthy. And he was astonished by what he found.
Orlovsky pointed to Styles getting everyone in position pre-snap. When he spotted something — probably what the play was going to be — he immediately checked everyone, marshaling proceedings like a seasoned veteran and making sure everyone was in the right position.
Just before the snap, Styles shifts his body to the right, even before McCarthy goes that way. He knew precisely what was coming, and his superb closing speed allowed him to make a critical play with everything on the line.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Heavy.com:
Speaking to reporters in the locker room, Styles broke down his thought process on the play:
“I was just really thinking about the last time we played ’em. (They had) a 3rd-and-4 situation around like midfield and then ran crack-toss to the back. And then they went empty, (I was) kinda just looking at the tight end and he looked like he was cracking, and I think somebody else, I think Charles (Omenihu) said something too. We kinda had the idea it was QB run, so just wreck it.”
By diagnosing the quarterback crack sweep before the snap and shooting through to drop McCarthy for a two-yard loss right before the two-minute warning, Styles forced a Giants punt that set up Washington’s game-winning touchdown drive.
Commanders Roundtable
3 takeaways from Commanders TNF win over NYG
Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams Step Up Without Terry McLaurin
With McLaurin out for the season, Washington needs its other receivers to shoulder more responsibility in the passing game. Thursday was an encouraging step in the right direction.
Diggs wasn’t just responsible for the game-winning touchdown. He finished with six receptions for 83 yards, leading Washington in both catches and receiving yards.
Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams continued to show why the organization is excited about his potential. Williams found the end zone in the third quarter for a 31-yard touchdown.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
6 unsung Commanders heroes who became impossible to ignore against Giants
Nick Cross
Nick Cross was one of several free-agent signings made this offseason. The move was largely overlooked compared to others, but the Washington Commanders must be thrilled with the impact he’s had on the defensive unit so far.
The former Maryland star is a versatile defensive back, and coordinator Daronte Jones is maximizing his potential.
Cross is a violent hitter who thrives closer to the line of scrimmage. His explosiveness on blitzes is exceptional, and he caused significant disruption against the New York Giants, playing an understated yet vital role in the team’s overall success.
Just why Cross hesitated when he had a free run on Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy before tight end Isaiah Likely’s touchdown is anyone’s guess. It doesn’t matter now, and aside from that brief moment of doubt, it was another assured performance from the veteran.
Jeremy Reaves
The South Alabama product’s performance against the New York Giants was arguably his best of the campaign. Reaves was flying around the field with controlled aggression, becoming a linchpin on the back end. This allowed Nick Cross to get closer to the line of scrimmage on blitz packages, providing the balance Jones is looking for.
Reaves finished the game with nine tackles, one pass breakup, and one quarterback hit.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Front Office Sports
Sports World Swoops In on Sam Hartman’s ‘Bachelor’ Season
The NFL’s Instagram post, a slow-motion video of Hartman running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, racked up over a million views by midday. Static photos posted by the Commanders and ESPN netted more than 400,000 collective likes in the same period.
The long-running reality TV franchise was arguably in need of some football field–sized firepower after the most recent season of its sister show, The Bachelorette, was canceled just three days before its scheduled premiere earlier this year amid domestic abuse allegations against its lead, Taylor Frankie Paul.
Hartman’s season will reportedly begin filming in January and premiere on March 21. The Commanders declined to respond to questions from FOS about whether the QB—who is currently fifth on the depth chart—would step away from his duties with the team to participate, or whether the organization will continue to promote his involvement.
The NFL did not immediately respond to questions about its promotional plans. However, the league hasn’t been shy about spotlighting players’ romantic lives; in August, a source close to the NFL told FOSthat viral videos of quarterbacks spending personal time with their significant others while on the field at training camp were part of a coordinated campaign to reach female fans. At the time, the NFL also said it was “scaling up its female-focused content” and would “be doing even more in the future.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
The District Film Room
Four Key Plays that Led to the Commanders Week 10 Win
NFC East links
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders may have just knocked the Giants out of the playoffs
With some LeBron James/James Harden-level flopping, Treylon Burks dragged Deonte Banks into a 33-yard pass interference call in the closing minutes. (The Commanders scored the winning points on that possession.)
Meanwhile, the same Giant who had puked on the sideline after eating a pretzel-wrapped hot dog before kickoff froze in his stance as Jameis Winston failed to gain a crucial first down on a quarterback sneak. Harbaugh said Friday that Cam Skattebo, who played a game worthy of the “Iron Man” helmet he wore to the stadium, was not supposed to be shoving Winston from behind because the designed play was not a “tush push.”
But why wasn’t it a “tush push,” given the Giants’ success with that play, and why wasn’t Skattebo or Patrick Ricard or some other raging bull out there driving Winston across the line?
In the end, this was one of many unforced Giants errors in the narrow divide separating winners from losers.
The Giants probably need to finish at 8-8-1 or 9-7-1 to win the division, meaning they might need to KO one or two of the relative heavyweights on their schedule. And so be it.
The Giants still have the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers at home and the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions on the road. Games against the Cleveland Browns at home and the Dallas Cowboys are winnable, but certainly not gimmes. The only seemingly uncontested layups left are the Indianapolis Colts on the road and the Philadelphia Eagles at home.
[I]t appears possible…that they could go 0-4 against the Jaguars, 49ers, Seahawks and Lions…. They haven’t won at Dallas in a decade, and victories over the Colts, Browns and Eagles alone might not be enough.
So if the Giants fail to make the playoffs, this 24-21 loss will haunt them until opening day of the 2027 season … and beyond.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NY Post
Why J.J. McCarthy kept chucking ball downfield before game-sealing interception in Giants’ crushing loss
McCarthy explained his last two throws postgame.
“My thought process was pop it up to my playmakers, have them go make a play,” McCarthy said.
That did not sit well with former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
“This is the problem when you are relying on a young bull like J.J. McCarthy to take you to the promised land,” Acho said live on Speakeasy. “It’s one thing to make a mistake once. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on J.J. McCarthy.
“The Commanders ran the exact same play on back-to-back plays. J.J., you got away with the first duck when [Jeremy] Reeves hit you in the arm and they dropped the pick. They run zero again, and you have no plan. Football is all about have a plan, execute the plan…how are you surprised when you see the same play the second time? They just showed it to you.”
The Giants (5-3-1) host the AFC South-leading Jaguars (6-2) next Sunday.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
Malik Nabers ‘not really aware’ of where Washington DB was on decisive interception
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers on Friday responded to criticism of the idea that he could have given a better effort to knock the ball down on a game-ending interception by Rasul Douglas of the Washington Commanders on Thursday night in the Giants’ 24-21 loss.
“Seeing the ball go up at the time, didn’t really see him [Douglas] or where he was, so I’m not really aware of that,” Nabers said. “My head is looking up at the ball, even though he was driving on the ball. So, just seeing how high the ball was and just waiting for it to come down and made a jump to catch the ball and then got hit and then he made a play.”
Here is the play:
Nabers and Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels were LSU teammates and remain close friends. Nabers aid it was “bugging me pretty bad” that he has never beaten Daniels as a pro.
“He calls me all the time,” Nabers said. “He’s probably trying to call me right now, but I can’t answer that phone call.”
Nabers said he has a hard time letting go of lost games.
“Every loss stings. Every loss I think we go through, it stings and it hurts, but you got to have your own flush mindset,” he said.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Philly Inqirer
Six storylines to watch during the rest of a lost Eagles season
Nick Sirianni wouldn’t rule out coaching changes after the game Sunday, but he did say a day later that no changes have been made.
“Right now, like I said earlier, we’re going through our self-scout process,” he said. “Guys are working on studies right now and we’re determined to figure things out and get on the right track, and that’s what we’re worried about right this particular time.”
That wasn’t a ringing endorsement of Mannion staying in his current role. Could the Eagles make a change at play-caller as soon as this week? Could they move on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper? The self-scouting process won’t be kind to either coach.
If Mannion remains in his position for the rest of the season, it’ll be worth watching if the offense can show signs of life, with Joe Milton or whoever is taking snaps at quarterback.
There’s also the Sirianni of it all. Will Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman think injuries and a flawed roster outweigh the rest of the problems and decide to keep him? Is there a number of consecutive losses that warrant an in-season firing?
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys vs 49ers: 3 causes for concern in Week 10
The 49ers are an extremely tough matchup for the Cowboys
San Francisco’s League-Best Run Defense
Another thing the 49ers do better than any team in the league this season is limit the opposing team’s success on the ground. San Francisco leads the league in defensive rush EPA (-0.215) and Y/A allowed (3.3). The 49ers have not given up 100 rushing yards in a game since their Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, when they surrendered just 102.
The 49ers have been dominant at stopping the run all season, but their last three games in particular have been as good as it gets in that department. San Francisco has allowed an average of just 53 rushing yards over those three games, along with a remarkable –0.290 defensive rush EPA and a 34.9% rush SR.
When the Cowboys’ offense has lacked balance this season, they’ve struggled. It’s going to be extremely hard for Dallas’ offense to play complementary football on Sunday against this San Francisco run defense. If the 49ers continue their trench dominance, it may be a long afternoon for the Cowboys.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sunday’s snap counts
Commanders.com
Commanders-Giants Stats & Snaps
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
