The Daily Slop – 22 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
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Commanders Film Review: Coverage Issues vs Cowboys
[The play discussed in this excerpt is the same one shown in video clip in tweet below]
There were warning signs of coverage issues early on in the game. On the Cowboys opening drive, the Commanders had a couple of coverage busts.
Here,
the Cowboys look to send both their outside receivers on deep curl routes down the field. The Commanders show a blitz look with a lot of defenders up at the line of scrimmage, but actually appear to be rotating back to an inverted Tampa-2 coverage scheme. Instead of both safeties sinking back to play deep halves of the field, Jeremy Reaves rotates up into one of the underneath zone coverage roles while Quan Martin works across the field to cover his half. To replace Martin on his side, cornerback Amik Robertson drops back deep to play a deep half.
The issue for Washington comes between linebacker Leo Chenal and safety Jeremy Reaves, and I tend to lean more towards Chenal being at fault. Reaves steps up into an underneath zone, but Chenal sinks back off the line of scrimmage into the same zone. One of them should have been covering the middle of the field, but as you can see it’s left wide open. Robertson can’t stick close to CeeDee Lamb on his curl route because Robertson is responsible for a deep half of the field, so he has to sink back deeper. One of Chenal and Reaves should have been in the middle and able to work over to close off the route.
Typically in these inverted Tampa-2 schemes, you see one of the deep safeties step up into the middle hole, which would make Reaves responsible for it. However, the coverage rotation suggests Reaves is correct and Chenal is at fault. If they were going to have a safety play the middle hole, it would have been Martin with Reaves staying on his half of the field. The fact that Martin rotated across to play Reaves side of the field suggests to me that Reaves was meant to step up to the spot that he did. If that is the case, then Chenal is the one that should have been playing the middle hole. You can see after the play Reaves and Chenal both debating who was at fault, so I could be wrong, but that’s how I see it.
That’s not a great start, but ultimately it’s only a 15-yard gain. You can come back from that and be fine. Unfortunately, on the very next play, the Commanders had another coverage bust.
Washington Post (paywall)
Jayden Daniels is injured again. Where do the Commanders go from here?
After Daniels missed most of last season because of injury, the front office and coaching staff collaborated on a plan to protect him.
That was launched before the end of the ill-fated 2025 campaign. Coach Dan Quinn told The Washington Post he had a film cut-up created of every play on which Daniels scrambled, then tasked him with identifying instances when he could have avoided hits. The goal was to improve his decision-making.
Once the offseason arrived, Quinn parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and promoted David Blough to fill the vacancy. From there, Blough reconstructed the offense to include an emphasis on the traditional run game, play-action passes and snaps from under center. The goal was to create an ecosystem where Daniels didn’t have to force the issue.
General Manager Adam Peters and the front office extended left tackle Laremy Tunsil and added talented pass catchers in Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams and Chig Okonkwo. The goal was to avoid Daniels needing to carry the offense.
Despite all of that, Daniels has suffered another significant injury. At the end of the day, football is a contact sport. As unfortunate as the injury was, there’s no one to blame for what happened. It was a standard play that happened to go horribly wrong.
Washington has 15 games left, and the team can’t just call it a season because Daniels is sidelined. Everyone — the front office, coaching staff and players — has work to do to keep their jobs.
Nonetheless, it presents a difficult question for the Commanders (0-2): How do they move forward?
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
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Last Man Standig (paywall)
Jayden Daniels ruled out for Week 3 with another elbow dislocation. From there…
The Washington Commanders quarterback will miss Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks after dislocating his left elbow during the first half of Washington’s 37-20 loss at Dallas.
Marcus Mariota will start in the Commanders’ home opener, head coach Dan Quinn said on Monday.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
From The Athletic:
Daniels had imaging done Monday and will see specialists Tuesday and Wednesday, Quinn said. The coach declined to provide any details from Monday’s imaging, adding he likely won’t have an update until Thursday or Friday. X-rays taken at AT&T Stadium on Sunday showed Daniels suffered no fractures.
Daniels dislocated the same elbow 10 months ago, in a Week 9 loss to Seattle last season. Daniels started all 20 games (playoffs included) as a rookie, but he missed a total of 10 games last year because of injuries to his elbow, knee and hamstring. He has now finished five of his last eight starts for the Commanders with injuries.
Mariota played 11 games (eight starts) as Daniels recovered from his injuries last season.
To read more of this article from The Athletic, CLICK HERE
From Heavy.com:
In the video, Prescott says, “He’s hurt… he’s hurt!”
Meanwhile, Lamb’s reaction to seeing the severity of the injury left him with a clear facial expression, similar to many viewers who saw Daniels’ elbow out of place.
Check out there reactions:
The video surfaced on TikTok from @reallwudaa and had well over 31,000 likes in just over four hours, along with more than 230,000 views.
The Athletic (paywall)
It’s Marcus Mariota time yet again for the Commanders. How will he respond?
Washington coach Dan Quinn reiterated Monday that Blough’s entire playbook would be available to the Commanders even as Mariota subs in. “No, like, pullback or any of that,” Quinn said.
The issue: Even with all he has learned, Mariota intuitively wants to make plays for himself, for his teammates. A replacement for the dynamic Daniels might be called on to be a game manager. That’s never been Mariota’s approach. His gun-slinging ways showed up a year ago, when he threw seven interceptions against 10 touchdowns and fumbled six times in 11 appearances in Daniels’ stead.
“My natural instinct has always been: I’m gonna be the guy to make the play,” [Mariota said]. “And I think that selfish attitude kind of gets me in trouble.”
[H]e can’t be afraid to go through what’s next: the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s home opener. There is so much at stake. Since the turn of the century, only two teams have started a season 0-3 and advanced to the playoffs (Houston in both 2018 and 2025). Washington is 0-2 and is almost a touchdown underdog at home.
If the Commanders are to somehow piece together this season, Mariota will have to be a significant reason. In the second half against Dallas, he performed admirably, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a 20-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs. He will, those who know him well said, be ready.
Quinn is not yet willing to give a timeline on when Daniels, who is seeing specialists this week, could return. When Daniels suffered the same injury to the same elbow a year ago, he missed four weeks. The team, for now, is Mariota’s.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Looking Ahead: How Much Trouble Are the Commanders In Without Jayden Daniels?
Head coach Dan Quinn is holding off until later in the week with further medical updates on Daniels. Assuming the star quarterback can return by Washington’s Week 7 bye, here are some of the challenges his remaining teammates will face in managing any Daniels-less wins in the meantime.
Week 3: Commanders Host the Reigning-Super Bowl Champs
The Commanders’ home opener is against the Seattle Seahawks, a group that’s inverted the Commanders’ winless record through their own two-game start.
They haven’t let their own quarterback injuries get in their way, leaning on the same Mike Macdonald-coached defense that guided the Seahawks to the NFL’s mountaintop earlier this year. Sam Darnold’s been given the luxury to rehabilitate while backup distributor Drew Lock chews up his minutes
Week 4: Commanders Set for Season’s First AFC Brush
Here’s where the Commanders will get one of their clearest shots at a first win of the season, though even a team like the Indianapolis Colts, which also missed the playoffs last year, poses a formidable risk.
Week 5: Commanders Welcome their Final Division Rival to Town
The Commanders have taken great joy in their New York Giants matchups since Daniels seized control of the franchise’s direction. Washington has gone 4-0 against the NFC East’s bottom-dwellers since Daniels arrived, including the first win he ever notched as a pro. Even last year, an injury-plagued season that included a mere five victories, two such successes arrived at the Giants’ expense.
Week 6: Commanders Set Out for Season’s First West Coast Trip
[S]hould the Commanders take the cautious route- something they’ve routinely passed up in managing their brittle field general- they may consider keeping him out for the team’s final matchup heading into their Week 7 bye. The San Francisco 49ers, a team that dealt with quite a few injuries of their own over an offseason to forget, haven’t let their old holdups cost them any games in accruing back-to-back wins to open their season.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From the Washington Post:
Every injury heals differently — and it’s unknown whether Daniels’s dislocation was clean — but looking at the past provides a potential road map for Daniels’s return. He dislocated the same elbow last year against the Seahawks on Nov. 2. He didn’t suffer any fractures or ligament damage and was able to return against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7.
Asked whether he will be more cautious with Daniels this time, Quinn said he didn’t have an answer. He later added that there wasn’t any indication that Daniels was more susceptible to dislocating his left elbow than anyone else.
If Daniels misses a month this time, he would sit out Washington’s games against the Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. The Commanders have a bye week in Week 7 before playing the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1. That’s probably the earliest Daniels would return.
To read more of this Washington Post article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Why the Commanders Shouldn’t Ask Marcus Mariota to Be Jayden Daniels
Marcus Mariota doesn’t need to play like Jayden Daniels for the Commanders’ offense to work — he just needs Washington to let him be himself
The big thing here is that Mariota just needs to go out and be the type of player he is capable of being. He knows he’s not Jayden, and so does the staff, so there’s no reason to run the offense exactly the same way or try to recreate Daniels’ scrambling ability, though it would be a mistake to paint Mariota as not mobile. Quinn told members of the media he wants Mariota to “be him,” make the available throws, protect the football, and make his own plays when they’re there.
Mariota’s first pass after taking over went for 26 yards to Terry McLaurin, and two plays later he nearly hit Dyami Brown for what would have been a 29-yard touchdown. It was ruled incomplete and upheld after review, but the point is Washington didn’t suddenly put the training wheels on the offense just because Daniels was gone. Mariota came in and ran it.
Later, he put together a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 20-yard score to Stefon Diggs. He hit Antonio Williams, Rachaad White, Brown, and Diggs on the drive, spreading the ball around instead of trying to manufacture everything himself. That’s probably what Mariota’s version of this offense needs to look like. Mariota doesn’t have to make every big play. He just needs to keep the offense moving and get the ball to the people Washington is paying to make them.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Roundtable
Special teams and defense need to improve quickly to help cover for Jayden’s absence
Special teams remain a concern. Drew Stevens missed another field goal against Dallas, marking his second straight week with a missed kick. It’s only been two weeks, but missing kicks in consecutive games is not a good look, especially in crucial divisional games. Stevens needs to find consistency quickly because Washington cannot afford to leave points on the board.
With Daniels facing a potential extended absence and injuries continuing to pile up across the roster, the Commanders cannot afford to wait for things to turn around on their own. Quinn and his coaching staff will have to find ways to manufacture offense, generate consistent pressure defensively and get more out of special teams. Washington has already dropped their first two games, and the challenges are only going to get tougher with Seattle, Indianapolis and New York waiting. If the Commanders hope to salvage this season, Quinn and his staff will need to find answers quickly.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Injuries, pass defense, lack of turnovers all contribute to Commanders 0-2 start
Daniels also covers up a lot of flaws. Those flaws will now be magnified, and that’s the concerning part. Washington’s defense has allowed seven touchdowns in two games. A new system always brings growing pains, but the Commanders are faster and more talented in the front seven as compared with 2025’s unit, and new coordinator Daronte Jones has a strong reputation. Defensive backs say his scheme requires a lot of preparation and knowledge; that also could lead to early issues in coverage until they have more games in the system.
On multiple plays Sunday, a cornerback could be seen communicating with a safety right before the ball was snapped. In one case, there appeared to be confusion; and in another, the corner was looking at the safety when the ball was snapped. At other times, it appeared players went to the same coverage area.
The Commanders’ defense struggles unless it applies pressure. They don’t create turnovers. That’s a bad combination. Last season, the Bears’ defense ranked 24th in scoring and 29th in yards but led the NFL with 33 takeaways (23 more than Washington).
Washington has forced only 27 turnovers since the start of the 2024 campaign and hasn’t taken the ball away in two games this season.
If the Commanders had a proven defense and a strong, consistent run game, then they could survive for a few weeks. But their offensive line, already down left tackle Laremy Tunsil, now has right guard Sam Cosmi — their top remaining lineman — in concussion protocol. Tunsil and Daniels are Washington’s best offensive players. It’s tough to survive those absences.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Should the Commanders have serious concerns about Daniels’ viability as their QB of the present and future?
The question is: Can anything be done to prevent another dislocation? One source close to the situation said Daniels did not need surgery last year because there was no ligament damage. Quinn said surgery was not discussed and the questions for specialists will involve determining the best course of action, whether it be surgery to tighten the ligaments or if rest and rehab is enough. As of Monday surgery, was not an option, one source said, but that will ultimately be up to the specialists, as they need to determine why this keeps occurring.
Daniels will almost certainly have to play with a brace on when he returns — but he wore one in Week 14 last year when he returned from his first dislocation. He reinjured the elbow as he attempted to make a tackle following an interception.
And for what it’s worth, Daniels does lift weights, and he said he had added 8 to 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he might be lean but isn’t considered weak. Still, it could be that strengthening his elbow is one recommendation.
He remains the quarterback of the present and the future. He is too talented and works too hard to think otherwise at this point. That said, Daniels does not have to prove he can play; he needs to prove he can be durable. That will be the primary focal point once he returns.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders injuries pile up
Quinn said safety Nick Cross was evaluated for an “internal injury” and had to be hospitalized overnight in Dallas. He was discharged Monday and traveled separately back to Virginia. Quinn declined to elaborate on the injury.
Left tackle Brandon Coleman (finger), right guard Sam Cosmi (concussion) and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (shoulder) also exited Sunday’s game because of injuries. Andrew Wylie replaced Coleman at left tackle, Matt Gulbin subbed for Cosmi at right guard and Charles Omenihu stepped in for Kinlaw at defensive tackle.
Quinn said “all signs look to” Coleman being good to go this week. He added that Kinlaw is expected to be limited in practice and that Cosmi is undergoing the concussion protocol.
The statuses of tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) and linebacker Frankie Luvu (groin) for Week 3 are unclear after they sat out the loss to Dallas. Ben Sinnott led the tight ends with 48 snaps Sunday in Okonkwo’s absence while Leo Chenal started in Luvu’s place.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Photos
Podcasts & videos
The District Film Room: Week 2 Defensive Disaster
NFC East links
ESPN
Giants QB Jaxson Dart believed to have sprained MCL
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL during Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, after taking a hard hit on his left knee during the Giants’ first series.
X-rays were negative, according to sources, and Dart will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. He is expected to miss some time.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL.com
Giants-Rams on ‘Monday Night Football’: What We Learned from Los Angeles’ 28-6 win
Big blues on both sides. On the scoreboard, it looked like the Giants’ defense was keeping them in the game. More so it was a Matthew Stafford interception and a Kyren Williams lost fumble on consecutive offensive plays in the second quarter that did the trick. Sure, the NYG D played its part in those, but Rams mistakes let the Giants hang around. In the first half, New York mustered just two QB pressures of Stafford, but somehow only trailed, 14-3. With Jaxson Dart injuring his knee, the Giants collectively seemed to take a punch to the gut, all their wind gone as the game felt like a one-sided affair no matter how close the score was. L.A. totaled 481 net yards on 60 plays (8.01 yards per play). Stafford was pressured on just 15.2% of his dropbacks by game’s end. A week after a Sunday night win over the rival Cowboys made the Giants the talk of the town, they’re leaving the West Coast battered, bruised and beaten in lopsided fashion. They’ll need to mend up, and shore up some issues on both sides of the ball.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Giants-Rams (via NFL Pro): Giants rookie right guard Francis Mauigoa held Aaron Donald to zero QB pressures on 11 matchups. Donald had one total QB pressure, three tackles and a run stuff on 32 snaps in his first game since the 2023 season.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Zach Ertz is back! (on the practice squad, for now)
The veteran tight end is back in Philly!!
This always made a lot of sense, even before Goedert was sidelined. The team placed rookie TE Eli Stowers on IR at the start of the season, and Grant Calcaterra was put on IR at the end of training camp. With just Johnny Mundt and E.J. Jenkins left, the TE room gets an immediate boost by adding Ertz.
The former Eagles draft pick has spent his time away from Philly with the Cardinals and Commanders, and has been a consistent factor in the redzone — regardless of the overall effectiveness of those offenses. Ertz is also just 11 receptions away from breaking Harold Carmichael’s franchise record (589) in Philadelphia to become the team’s leader all-time in catches.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys vs. Commanders Stock Report: Dak Prescott and offense up, defense still shaky
Stock Up: Jaishawn Barham
It is no secret that Jaishawn Barham had a rough time last week. Following the Cowboys loss a clip of him and Christian Parker talking on the sidelines against New York went viral and all sorts of assumptions were leapt to.
The Cowboys noted that they still believed in Barham and doubled down on that by having him wear the green dot in this game. Let’s be clear that the Cowboys defense has a lot of work to do and improvement to make, but Barham got the plane off of the ground, through the air travel, and to its destination in one piece.
He also had a huge fumble that allowed the Cowboys to really break the game open. For this being his second game in his professional career, it sure was something.
Stock Down: DaRon Bland
The Cowboys defense played pretty poorly in this game. The startling thing is it could have been, and arguably should have been, a lot worse.
Maybe you agree with Dyami Brown’s catch not being ruled a touchdown, but even if you do you can see how that could potentially go the other way. Terry McLaurin couldn’t reel in what looked like an easy pass off of a trick play. Early on Jayden Daniels had a man all the way downtown against the Cowboys but just overthrew him. Seemingly play after play, Cowboys defenders, specifically secondary ones, were getting beat and beaten badly.
DaRon Bland is who he is relative to the Cowboys and they are sort of stuck in that spot, but goodness he is sort of hurting them in a serious way right now. This team needs corners badly.
Stock Down: Christian Parker
It is difficult to say that Christian Parker’s stock is “down” relative to last week because it was about as low as it can be. From Game 1 to Game 2 I suppose you could argue he even improved in a vacuum, but we are talking about going from an F to an F+ here.
Consider that the Cowboys have played 16 defensive possessions so far this season. The New York Giants managed to infiltrate the Cowboys’ 40-yard line on six of their seven, and the Washington Commanders crossed that territory on seven of their nine. The Cowboys have allowed opposing offenses to get into field goal range on 13 of these 16 possessions!
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Blogging the Boys
Field concerns surround Cowboys, Ravens game in Brazil
In case you forgot, this is a unique week for the Dallas Cowboys. They have a “home” game in Week 3 where they will “host” the Baltimore Ravens, but these things are taking place at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
As this past weekend was unfolding and the Cowboys were playing and defeating the Washington Commanders, concerns began to grow online about the playing surface in Brazil.
ESPN’s Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley shared an update from NFL Field Director Nick Pappas on Monday and apparently the league feels fine with the state of things.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Front Office Sports:
Heavy rainfall has led to complaints by soccer players about the condition of the grass field at the stadium.
Even so, Pappas told FOS: “Fully anticipate being able to prepare the field this week and get it ready for Sunday.”
Pappas said that no major changes are planned for the field this week.
“It’s a grass field that’s being used [at] midseason,” he said. “And that’s no different than a grass field that’s getting used midseason in the NFL. It’s just a matter of every Monday, you come out and you’ve got your protocols and you get ready for the following Sunday. And that’s what we’re going to look to do this week.”
Fields in NFL stadiums are regularly monitored for compliance with league standards. Of games played in international venues, Pappas said: “Our standards are the same regardless of where our game is.”
“I think the thing for us is it’s nothing we haven’t been expecting over the last few weeks,” Pappas told FOS. “I know there’s been some heightened sense of media around the field here locally as it pertains to their soccer athletes and soccer players and games. But really what we’re seeing and what we’re dealing with is just a rainy area, right? It seems like it’s had record rainfall in Rio here over the last six weeks or so. It looks like we’ve got a little bit more rain in the forecast this week. Hopefully [it’s] sunny by Sunday.”
To read more of this Front Office Sports article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
NY Giants-Rams winners and losers
As you might guess, finding nice things to say about this game wasn’t easy
Jameis Winston — The Giants’ backup quarterback wasn’t good at all in relief of the injured Jaxson Dart. He looked unsettled all night. He was off target and unsure. He looked a lot like a quarterback who had worked very little with the first team, which he hadn’t.
Winston finished 11 of 27 for 111 yards passing and an interception. If Dart is going to miss time, which seems likely, Winston needs to be better than that. Much better. If not, the Giants are going to have a difficult time winning games.
The running game — The Giants managed just 52 yards on 21 carries, 2.5 yards per attempt. They desperately need a running game, especially if Dart is sidelined, and couldn’t generate one Monday.
After taking over following a Jevon Holland fumble recovery at the Rams’ 11-yard line, the Giants ran the ball four times (including a play that didn’t count because of a Los Angeles penalty), got to the 6-yard line, and kicked a field goal when trailing 14-0. Not good.
The interior of the Giants’ offensive line seemed overmatched much of the night.
The Football Gods — Are the Giants simply not supposed to have nice things? Are there fans not supposed to be allowed to have more than fleeting feelings of optimism? Jaxson Dart, Andrew Thomas, Brian Burns, and Malik Nabers all getting hurt in the same game is ridiculous.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Upcoming opponent – Seahawks
Commanders next game is at home vs Seattle at 1pm
Field Gulls
Mike Macdonald says ‘there’s a chance’ Sam Darnold practices in Week 3
The Seattle Seahawks didn’t miss a beat without their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold. Drew Lock deputized for Darnold and threw three touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle’s 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals. While Lock showed he’s more than capable of running the offense in Darnold’s absence, Darnold’s return could happen as early as Week 3 versus the Washington Commanders.
There has been constant speculation and reporting regarding Darnold’s timetable to return from his glute injury, with the worst case scenario in the 4-6 week timeline. More recent reports have been more optimistic, with Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers as the targeted return for Darnold. Based on Mike Macdonald’s comments following Sunday’s game, Darnold may be able to return to practice this week.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Field Gulls
This jaw-dropping stat sums up Seahawks defensive dominance vs. Cardinals
Outside of one garbage time run by Bam Knight, the Cardinals did not have a single offensive play gain more than nine yards. Jacoby Brissett completed 17 passes for a grand total of 95 yards, while Trey McBride’s eight catches (and touchdown) traveled a combined 41 yards.
This incredible stat by Cardinals beat writer Theo Mackie shows that Mike Macdonald’s defense did something to the Cardinals not seen since they were still in St. Louis… and using replacement players during the NFL strike.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Field Gulls
Winners and Losers from another Seahawks demolition of the Cardinals
Leonard Williams is unblockable
He had the first sack of the game and a key run stop on a 3rd-and-1. This is someone who is playing at the absolute highest level as an interior defensive lineman, and he will go down as one of the greatest mid-season acquisitions by John Schneider. I’d argue he’s one of the best mid-season trades made by any NFL team over the past decade.
A.J. Barner can’t be stopped on the Barn Yard
The tush push is here to stay, and the Seahawks use their all-around tight end to get that tough yard. Barner now has two touchdown rushes in his career, and he’s valuable as ever as a blocker in the run game.
Seattle’s entire defense dominated
Outside of a garbage time run by Zonovan Knight, the Seahawks didn’t allow a single offensive play to go for more than nine yards. Trey McBride had eight catches and a touchdown… and had 41 yards. Marvin Harrison Jr had as many catches as his dad did, and his dad hasn’t played in 18 years. Jeremiyah Love had a couple of good runs and early and finished with 29 on nine carries.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
Sports Illustrated
Tom Brady Lit Up the Internet With Two Very Edgy Calls in Commanders-Cowboys Game
[O]ne came late in the second quarter, when Commanders QB Jaylen Daniels hurt his elbow while falling to the ground after taking a snap from center. Brady sounded like every fan when he blurted out, “Oh, s—!“ while watching a replay of the injury.
Brady’s bosses at Fox might not have liked that, either. Or maybe they did, because the guy they gave $375 million to a few years ago is now apparently feeling free enough to say whatever is on his mind (though cursing on the biggest broadcast of the day is probably a bit much).
Brady’s second viral call came later in the game, when he described Dak Prescott’s long pass to CeeDee Lamb as a “piss missile.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Athlon Sports:
When Daniels suffered the injury, Brady reacted with an expletive, cursing during the broadcast. Although Brady later apologized for the incident, he is still facing a potential fine from the FCC for a rules violation. Journalist Michael Socolow noted on the social media website X that Brady’s use of the word was a violation of the FCC’s indecency rules.
The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, has the ability to fine up to $325,000 per violation per day, scaling up to a maximum of $3 million for one single incident. Although the FCC has the statutory authority to fine an individual (such as Brady) for a violation, it traditionally has not issued such a fine, rather opting for fining the specific local broadcast stations that aired the content
To read more of this Athlon Sports article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Talk
Sean McVay attributes Week 1 loss to “dumbass coach that makes travel plans”
The Rams looked like Super Bowl contenders on Monday night against the Giants, a significant improvement from their Week 1 loss to the 49ers in Australia. Rams coach Sean McVay blamed the Rams’ much-discussed travel plans, and himself, for that Week 1 loss.
McVay was asked after the win over the Giants why the Rams looked so different than they did in Australia, and McVay said it was primarily about his own decision to arrive in Australia only a day before the game.
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn and sometimes you have a dumbass coach that makes travel plans that puts you in bad spots,” McVay said.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
CNN
Eagles coach needs IV as 157 degree turf temps melt cleats, but Philly escapes with win at Titans
The air temperature reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) in the fourth quarter and felt like 106 degrees. It was so hot the Titans squirted water on players’ cleats on the sideline to cool them off. Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said he dismissed talk of the Titans’ cleats melting last week.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Discussion topics
Sports Illustrated
Backup Quarterbacks Are Playing a Bigger Role Than Usual Early in the 2026 NFL Season
Two weeks into the 2026 NFL season, six teams have already turned to their backup quarterbacks.
The Vikings, Falcons, Bears, Seahawks, Commanders and Giants all saw their starters go down within their first two games. Tua Tagovailoa sustained a back injury before he was slated to start in Week 1 for the Falcons, who also were missing Michael Penix Jr. as he continued to work back from a torn ACL. In Week 1, the Seahawks lost Sam Darnold and the Vikings lost Kyler Murray. Then in Week 2, the Bears’ Caleb Williams, Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and Giants’ Jaxson Dart all exited due to injury.
The good news is that no starting quarterback has been ruled out for the entire season thus far in 2026. Both Murray and Penix are slated to return in Week 3. Williams got better news on his leg injury than expected, and Darnold is “week to week” after hurting his glute.
This marks the fourth consecutive year in which the beginning of the NFL season has been marred in part because of injury. In 2023, it was Aaron Rodgers going down with a torn Achilles on the first series of the game in prime time. In 2024, both Tagovailoa and Jordan Love sustained injuries in the first two weeks of the season after signing extensions with their teams in the offseason. Last year, Brock Purdy, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson all sustained injuries within the first month of the season. Now, several of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks are slated to miss time.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, 38 different quarterbacks have thrown at least five passes through the first two weeks of the season, the most since 2021. The last time more than 38 quarterbacks threw at least five passes was 2001, when 39 quarterbacks did so.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE













