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
Giants gained 399 yards but scored 21—and Joe Burrow is next
Through Week 6, opponents had scored touchdowns on 18 of 22 red-zone trips against Washington, yet New York left crucial points behind when Frankie Luvu punched the ball loose from Malik Nabers at the 16-yard line and Jeremy Reaves recovered.
Washington
also held the Giants to 4-of-12 on third down, including two critical late stops when it couldn’t afford to give New York another first down—a defensive standard that will be tested immediately when Joe Burrow and the Bengals visit Landover.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Commanders Learn Lesson vs Cover-0
One of the biggest turnarounds from the Commanders tie back in Week 5 against the Giants and their win over the Giants on Thursday night was the plan of attack against Cover-0. In Week 5, the Giants spammed Cover-0 blitzes throughout the second half and overtime and the Commanders just couldn’t handle it. They continually attempted to take shots down the field to try and hit explosive plays rather than just finding a simple quick solution.
Daniels was seeing those blitzes a lot better and it showed in the most critical moment.
Having thrown two late interceptions, it looked like the Commanders season was over, but the defense bailed Daniels out and gave him another opportunity, which he wasn’t going to pass up. On third and four with under a minute remaining in the game, the Giants of course show Daniels another Cover-0 blitz. This time, Daniels doesn’t adjust the protection, but instead signals to Stefon Diggs in the slot to change his route. In the first game, when Daniels saw Cover-0, he often checked into a shot play to try and attack the blitz and throw a big touchdown over the top of it. But clearly this time they were looking to play smarter, and it worked out much better for them.
Daniels adjusts Diggs route, having him run a slant against the slot corner. When he snaps the ball, the defense comes on the blitz, but the defensive tackle to the right side of the line pops up and drops out into coverage, trying to take away a hot throw over the middle. Daniels just checked into a hot throw over the middle with Diggs running a slant, so that could potentially be a problem. But Daniels does a great job adjusting his throw to beat that defensive lineman dropping into coverage.
Diggs runs a great route, beating the corner with a nice stutter move before sharply cutting across his face to get inside. The throw from Daniels has to be slightly behind him because of that defensive lineman dropping into coverage, but Diggs does well to adjust to the pass and make the grab. Diggs breaks a diving tackle from the slot corner and gets some help from fellow receiver Van Jefferson, who helps block the other nearby defender. With both defenders out of the picture, Diggs runs uncontested into the end zone for a 32-yard game-winning touchdown.
It goes to show that you can still score a big touchdown against Cover-0 without having to try and take a deep shot constantly. As I said back in Week 5, I don’t mind that their philosophy against Cover-0 is to go on the attack, in fact I quite like it. It offers you one-on-one matchups and I like that they feel like they can take shots with those matchups. But they clearly went too far in Week 5 in trying to throw bombs down the field. This game proved there’s more ways to go about it. Winning a one-on-one doesn’t have to be 20 yards down the field, it can be a quick slant like this when you have Stefon Diggs or Antonio Williams in the slot. With it being Cover-0, if you win that one-on-one quickly, there’s every chance the receiver can run freely after the catch and score as there’s no safety help over the top.
So credit should go to David Blough and Jayden Daniels for making that adjustment. It’s a shame they couldn’t have made it back in Week 5 because they would have won that game too if they had, but it paid off for them this time around and it meant that the Commanders have just about kept their season alive.
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Riggo’s Rag
Ben Sinnott’s breakout night leaves Washington no excuse to bury him again
After catching just 17 passes over his first two-plus NFL seasons behind Zach Ertz and Chig Okonkwo, third-year tight end Ben Sinnott stepped in when Okonkwo exited Thursday night’s game with a back injury and delivered four receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Sinnott hurdled a defender to convert a critical first down on the final drive of the first half before hauling in a go-ahead score on third-and-goal, then added a 24-yard catch-and-run early in the third quarter. He has now caught 21 of 24 career targets, making a strong case for offensive coordinator David Blough to feature more two-tight-end sets down the stretch.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Sports Illustrated:
In two-tight-end packages, Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough should give Sinnott a few defined passing-game opportunities on early downs and near the goal line. Blough should continue his approach of giving each tight end their own distinct role, but should also look to take advantage of Sinnott’s receiving and after-the-catch ability that, until Thursday night, was going to waste.
If Okonkwo is back to his usual workload against Cincinnati, I’ll be watching the snaps he shares with Sinnott. When Washington needs a first down and both tight ends are out there, does Daniels go back to Sinnott?
To read more of this Sports Illustrated article, CLICK HERE
Pro Football Network
Jayden Daniels and Brandon Aiyuk have reconciled, though Washington’s interest remains unclear
Brandon Aiyuk has made no secret of where he wants to resume his career, regularly appearing in Commanders gear on Instagram as he works back from his 2024 knee injury. While talk of a reunion with former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels grew complicated after Aiyuk’s July remarks about the quarterback’s mother, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reports that the two friends have mended their relationship.
Aiyuk has since been reinstated from the reserve/left squad list, with San Francisco holding a roster exemption through November 23 — the exact day Washington hosts Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. With Stefon Diggs set to hit free agency after the season, general manager Adam Peters may have a decision to make if the 49ers cut ties with the former All-Pro receiver.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Last Man Standig (paywall)
Commanders notebook: Jayden Daniels’ moment, Ben Sinnott’s emergence, Antonio Williams’ targets
Daniels completed 23 of 33 attempts for 249 yards and a season-high three touchdown passes. According to Next Gen Stats, all three touchdown passes came against Cover 0, a blitz-heavy design New York used successfully and often during the 27-27 Week 5 tie.
The three scores were also on passes between the numbers, a feat Daniels previously achieved once in 2024, during a Week 17 win over the Falcons. That accomplishment flies in the face of pre-draft criticism regarding a supposed allergy to throwing over the middle. Ironically, both interceptions were on throws outside the numbers.
Wherever the ball needed to go, the quarterback wasn’t about to let the Commanders’ season spiral further south. “I didn’t want to let my team down in that moment,” Daniels said, “so when they gave me another opportunity to go out there and win the game, I didn’t want to let them down.”
The scary part for defenses is that Daniels is starting to find a rhythm after five consecutive starts.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
Commanders Roundtable
Sonny Styles has already become Washington’s most valuable defender
The Giants had one more chance to win the game down by just three points, and they were in Washington territory after a 21-yard throw to Malachi Fields. The Commanders’ defense needed to make a play, and Styles called his own number with a blitz up the middle to put pressure on McCarthy.
Styles ended up hitting McCarthy in the arm as he went for a deep pass to Malik Nabers, and the throw ended up turning into a lob that CB Rasul Douglas intercepted to end the game. It’s very unlikely the Commanders win this game if Styles doesn’t make those two plays in critical moments, and that’s just a sample of his rookie season so far.
Sonny Styles’ Defensive Rookie of the Year Resume
This season’s DROY award should be a tight race, but Styles has a strong resume already. His game-changing plays won’t show up on the stat sheet, but his stats are just as impressive. Styles already has 80 tackles this season, which is the 7th most for a LB in the entire NFL.
He also has an interception, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups through nine games, and it’s reasonable to believe that more are on the way. Styles is also a vocal leader who flashes his IQ and awareness on the field to put his team in a position to succeed.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
Celebrating Washington’s GREATEST Legends + Linebacker Frankie Luvu | The Player’s Club
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
I’m tired of the same Eagles mistakes; here’s how I’d rebuild the coaching staff
I’m tired of watching the Eagles change offensive coordinators every year or two, only to end up dealing with the same problems.
Bad protection, predictable plays, poor adjustments, and talented players not living up to their potential.
At what point do we stop blaming execution and start looking at the people responsible for teaching these players?
Look, I’ll give Nick Sirianni credit. Two Super Bowl appearances and a championship aren’t accidents. But we’re sitting at 2–7, and something clearly isn’t working.
I don’t believe firing everybody and hiring the next hot coordinator is the answer either. That’s how we end up right back here two years from now.
If I’m Howie Roseman, I’m looking for coaches who can actually make players better, not just coaches who happened to work on great teams.
Here’s how I’d rebuild the staff.
Head Coach — Drew Petzing (Lions OC)
He’s my first interview. He has actual NFL play-calling experience, helped build an effective running game in Arizona, and has coached several offensive positions.
I’d give him control of the offense and have him call plays. No more guessing who’s really responsible when things go wrong.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys vs 49ers: 2 players to buy, 2 to sell against San Francisco
Sell: Dak Prescott
At some point, the Cowboys have to figure out how to beat San Francisco, and Dak Prescott has to be a big part of that solution. Unfortunately, his history against the 49ers doesn’t inspire much confidence. Prescott is 2-4 against San Francisco in his career, including an 0-2 record in the playoffs. In those two postseason games, he has thrown for 460 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His most recent regular-season meetings haven’t been much better. He threw three interceptions in the 2023 blowout loss and two more in the 2024 matchup.
Across his four regular-season games against San Francisco, Prescott has completed 65.5% of his passes for 875 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. That’s not necessarily disastrous production, but the turnovers have been costly, particularly against a team that knows how to capitalize on mistakes.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Cowboys vs. 49ers score predictions: Can Dallas shock the NFL, stay alive in NFC East race?
CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jones have used the word bittersweet this week to describe the Dallas Cowboys’ season. That’s understandable for Lamb as he’s on pace for 1,700 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. For Jones, it has clearly been disappointing. The Cowboys owner and general manager believes his team has the personnel to be better than their 4-5 record. Somehow, though, the Cowboys are still completely in the mix to win the NFC East.
They now face their toughest test of the season, the 49ers (7-1). With how the Cowboys have played the last two weeks against the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, handing the 49ers a second loss seems unrealistic.
During his Friday radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones called Sunday, “one of the biggest games we’ve had around here in a long time.” How significant would a win be for Dallas?
“It would just prove us right,” Lamb said, “(about) how we think of ourselves throughout this building. A lot of people would be shocked, obviously, because of the record and things that have happened leading up to this game. But for us, we know we haven’t played our best game, and we’ve just got to go out there and do that.”
Prediction: 49ers 27, Cowboys 17 — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
Giants know why Dominic Zvada is missing kicks; now, can they fix it?
Turns out, all six of Zvada’s misses this season — three pushed wide right and three yanked wide left — have come from the right hash.
It is fair to say that Zvada’s struggles were critical parts of why the Giants tied and lost games to the Commanders, rather than winning both games. He missed three kicks in the tie to Washington in Week 5, and his miss Thursday came in a 3-point loss.
The point here isn’t to debate which decisions Harbaugh made correctly, and which he didn’t. Though discussing that is certainly fair game. The point is that Zvada’s continued misses are complicating the decision-making and costing the Giants points that are probably costing them games.
In an NFC East race that seems likely to go down to the wire, and where every decision, every made or missed kick, everything that happens in the margins of an NFL game, could end up making the difference how much rope can the Giants give Zvada to figure it out?
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
Pro Football Talk
FAA nationwide ground stop disrupts NFL referee assignments and team travel
A nationwide FAA ground stop has forced the NFL to shuffle officiating crews for Sunday’s Week 10 slate, leaving three referees working in different roles and forcing the Panthers-Saints matchup to proceed without a replay assistant.
The travel disruption also threw 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s Saturday flight plans into limbo ahead of San Francisco’s road game against the Dallas Cowboys.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
