Commanders links
Articles
Commanders.com
Instant analysis | Commanders put together complete game with 41-24 win over Raiders
As Marcus Mariota said after the game, it looked like Jeremy McNichols was tackled about four times on a second-down run in the second quarter.
But the 30-year-old veteran kept moving his
feet, and after a moment where it looked like he would actually get taken to the ground, he was off. McNichols outran the rest of the Las Vegas Raiders defense for the 60-yard score — the longest run of his career — and put the Washington Commanders up 17-10, hyping up the crowd with his teammates around him.
In a way, McNichols’ run embodied the Commanders’ 41-24 win over the Raiders, which moved them to 2-1 for the third consecutive season. They faced adversity at several positions, from Jayden Daniels being ruled out on Friday to injuries piling up in the secondary and personnel changes on the offensive line. Even the head coach wasn’t immune, as Dan Quinn took a hit from Marcus Mariota as the quarterback scrambled out of bounds.
But like McNichols and their head coach, the Commanders took the hits in stride, delivering their best performance in all three phases so far this season.
“This is a resilient group, so I wasn’t surprised,” Quinn said. “But I was pleased to see us doing that, knowing that [there were] some new faces in different spots. But the attitude, the mindset of how we want to play ball, that would stay consistent.”
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders go to ground and pound the Raiders at home
With Marcus Mariota starting for the injured Jayden Daniels, Washington finishes with 201 rushing yards in an explosive 41-24 victory.
After a disappointing loss in Green Bay and lingering questions about the effectiveness of Washington’s ground game and line play, Sunday’s performance brought an emphatic answer. Behind a revamped offensive line, McNichols, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and the rest of Washington’s ballcarriers combined for 201 rushing yards and three scores in a dominant showing.
It was the sort of ground-and-pound performance that will help to soothe concerns over the season-ending injury suffered by starter Austin Ekeler against the Packers, when Washington mustered just 51 rushing yards. And it took at least some of the pressure off backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who got his first NFL start in more than 2½ years with Jayden Daniels sidelined with a sprained left knee.
Facing one of his former teams, Mariota overcame a first-quarter fumble to complete 15 of 21 passes for 207 yards. He ran for a touchdown and threw for another to bookend the team’s scoring. The 31-year-old lunged for the Commanders’ opening score from two yards out, then hit a wide-open Luke McCaffrey for a 43-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal a game that was never really tight despite the score at times.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders’ Dan Quinn, who preaches toughness and fight, walked the walk vs. Raiders
Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota, playing for the injured Jayden Daniels, scrambled left, ran to the sideline to stop the clock — and plowed over his head coach, full speed. Mariota planted him; his face mask hit his coach square in the nose. Quinn’s headset flew off his head, and he cracked the back of his head on the ground. Blood flowed from his nose; there was an abrasion on the back of his head.
After which, Quinn got back on his feet. And his team was stoked.
“He’s a bad m———–,” center Tyler Biadasz said.
“Whenever you see somebody that leads the ship go down like that, and bounce back up, everything he preaches to us, we feel like we saw that in that moment,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “He got knocked down, got hit pretty hard. And he ain’t got no pads on or nothing. Bounced back up. It was kind of like a movie. While he was getting treatment, we weren’t sure he was going to be able to come back out. And so we’re gathering everybody. I’m getting ready to speak. And then he comes out of nowhere, and he’s like, ‘I got it.’ It was just such a cool moment.”
The Athletic (paywall)
How Marcus Mariota and Dan Quinn sparked the Commanders against the Raiders
There were occasional miscues across all three phases — an early fumble on offense, a couple of blown coverages on defense and a missed 37-yard field goal attempt on special teams — but the offense, defense and special teams put on a collective show.
Washington finished the game with five sacks, eight quarterback hits and four pass breakups. Wagner, who led the team with 11 tackles, also had two of those sacks, his first multi-sack outing since 2023, when he played for current Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Seattle.
Against the run, the Commanders’ defense was stifling, holding the Raiders to 93 yards on the ground.
“We wanted to come out here and I guess you could say, get our get-back after the last game,” ,” Armstrong said. “… On the D-line, we set goals every week and one of the goals was to hold them to a hundred yards or less (on the ground). We know when we do that, we’re going to have a good game.”
Washington let off the gas in the pass game late as injuries took out much of its secondary — cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore (who had a concussion evaluation, which he later cleared) and Trey Amos (calf), and safeties Will Harris (ankle) and Percy Butler (hip) were all out at one point in the second half. Smith capitalized, completing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to receiver Tre Tucker, who also had a 10-yard score in the second quarter.
But the complementary football Quinn had stressed throughout the week (and the season) came through again as the offense took over to close out the win. Second-year receiver Luke McCaffrey took a short catch over the middle 43 yards for a touchdown to put away the game and spur a celebration on the sideline.
While Quinn has preached “brotherhood” since he took over as head coach last year, he’s also emphasized competition in nearly every aspect of the team’s day-to-day functioning.
He didn’t relent Sunday, choosing to sit two starters on the offensive line because of that competition. Left guard Brandon Coleman was made inactive by Quinn’s choice (not injury) and replaced by Chris Paul, and right guard Nick Allegretti was benched for Andrew Wylie.
The changes may not be long-term, Quinn said. He’ll continue to assess the front five and make changes, and could even go back to Coleman or Allegretti, if warranted. The competition, he hopes, creates bounce back.
Commanders.com
Game balls | 4 standouts from Washington’s win over Las Vegas
Jaylin Lane
Any rookie’s first touchdown is memorable for the player himself, but wide receiver Lane’s first six points came off a moment few will forget any time soon.
In his first season as a pro, the receiver out of Virginia Tech has seen most of his action come on special teams, and so that’s where he found himself with about 10 minutes to go in the third quarter as the Raiders lined up for a punt. Then, Lane proceeded to do something that no Washington player has done in nearly a decade. He collected the ball around the Commanders’ 10-yard line and turned on the jets all the way to the end zone.
The punt return touchdown was Washington’s first since Week 5 of the 2016 season when Jamison Crowder took it to the house against the Ravens. The 90-yard punt return score also tied the longest in franchise history. What’s more, Lane is the first Washington rookie to record a punt return touchdown since Desmond Howard did so in 1992. All those factors made it quite a first trip to the end zone for Lane.
Heavy.com
Special Teams Energy Fuels Commanders’ Resurgence
Lane’s punt return was not only his first NFL touchdown but also one of the longest in Commanders franchise history. The play completely shifted momentum, energizing the crowd and sparking the offense to follow with a dominant performance.
When asked about the last time he returned a punt for a score, Lane smiled. “It was last year,” he said, referencing his college days. And though he momentarily dropped the football amid the celebration, he added with a laugh, “I don’t know who grabbed it for me, but they handed it to me on the sideline.”
Special teams coordinator Larry Izzo’s group has been a consistent source of energy for the Commanders. Lane’s return and Samuel’s earlier kickoff sparked immediate confidence on the sideline. The big play also demonstrated how Washington’s younger players are stepping into significant roles and making an impact.
Lane dismissed the notion that a 90-yard sprint might leave him exhausted. “No, the adrenaline getting into the box,” he said with a grin. “I could run out and do it again as soon as it’s over. You don’t get winded after that.”
Lane also praised the team’s environment, pointing to the success of fellow young players like wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, who scored his first NFL touchdown. “It’s big, there’s a lot of excitement from everybody,” Lane said. “For Luke getting into the box for the first time. It’s a blessing to be here and around this organization where it’s like a family, a real brotherhood. Everybody is cheering for everybody to just be successful and it means a lot.”
The Commanders’ culture of unity was evident throughout the game, with veterans and rookies celebrating each other’s accomplishments. Lane’s breakout moment underscored the depth and energy on this roster, particularly among its youngest contributors.
Heavy.com
Matt Gay : Makes two FGAs in Week 3
Gay went 2-for-3 on field-goal attempts and made five PATs in Sunday’s 41-24 win over the Raiders. Gay missed a 37-yard field goal wide right in the first quarter, but he later rebounded with makes from 46 yards and 56 yards in the second quarter, the latter of which was as time expired in the first half. The kicker has now gone 3-for-6 on field-goal tries, while making all nine of his extra-point attempts over three games this season.
Riggo’s Rag
5 winners (and 2 losers) from Commanders’ rousing triumph over the Raiders
Winner No. 1
Chris Paul – Commanders OL
The Washington Commanders caused a massive stir before the game when Brandon Coleman — who’d started the first two games at left guard — was listed as a healthy scratch. Most fans thought Nick Allegretti would fill the void with Andrew Wylie coming into the lineup, but the coaching staff had someone else in mind.
Chris Paul got the nod. The 2022 seventh-round selection is one of the last remaining players drafted by Ron Rivera who are still on the team. He didn’t feature much last season, but the Commanders credited the player for making some improvements this summer. With Coleman struggling to find the consistency needed, Washington made the switch.
It paid off handsomely. Paul was nothing short of outstanding throughout. His athletic skills look well-suited to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s blocking concepts, and he stone-walled everyone in his path to stake a strong claim for starting involvement moving forward.
Paul didn’t give up a sack. He didn’t even give up one pressure. The former Tulsa standout looked assured, powerful, and confident. Having this added stability made things much easier, and the entire offense ran more efficiently.
The Raiders have some real talent on their defensive front. Paul managed to hold up his end of the bargain by neutralizing anyone who came within his vicinity.
Commanders Wire
What did Dan Quinn say about why the Commanders benched Brandon Coleman?
John Keim of ESPN said before Sunday’s game that Coleman’s inactivity was not injury-related. Fourth-year guard Chris Paul replaced Coleman at left guard, two days after the Commanders replaced right guard Nick Allegretti with former starting right tackle Andrew Wylie.
Washington’s new offensive line combination worked on Sunday, as the offense finished with 400 yards and the Commanders rushed for 201 yards. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was only sacked once.
After the game, Quinn revealed why he made the change.
Coleman was clearly benched for performance reasons. If you go back and watch Washington’s first two games, so much of the attention was on rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. However, both guards were having issues, too. Coleman played guard and tackle in college before becoming the Commanders’ left tackle last season. He was solid in the role, but better suited to move back inside. And while he may have been benched on Sunday, that doesn’t mean the end of the line for Coleman.
Quinn and the entire coaching staff emphasize the importance of competition. Paul had an excellent summer. He earned a shot. On Sunday, he made the most of his opportunity, but the Commanders will need Coleman again this season. Washington hopes he can reset a bit, work on his technique, and when it’s time to return to the lineup, he’ll be ready.
Commanders Wire
Quick facts from Commanders’ Week 3 win over Raiders
Here are some of the quick facts from the Commanders‘ impressive 41-24 Week 3 win over the Raiders:
- Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz, and Luke McCaffrey all collected three receptions to lead the Commanders. They accumulated 74, 38, and 56 receiving yards, respectively.
- The Commanders’ defense produced five quarterback sacks of Raiders QB Geno Smith: Bobby Wagner led with two sacks. Dorance Armstrong, Von Miller and Javontae Jean-Baptiste each produced a QB sack.
- The Commanders faced the Raiders with four offensive starters declared inactive: Jayden Daniels, Noah Brown, John Bates, and Brandon Coleman.
- Jeremy McNichols’ 60-yard touchdown run was the longest for Washington since Steven Sims in 2019, when he had a 65-yard touchdown run against the 49ers.
- Jaylin Lane’s 90-yard punt return touchdown tied Jacquez Green (2002) for the longest in franchise history. It was also Washington’s first punt return touchdown since Jamison Crowder in 2016.
- Until Sunday, Desmond Howard had been the last Washington rookie to return a punt for a touchdown, back in 1992.
- Deebo Samuel had a 69-yard kickoff return and Jaylin Lane a 90-yard punt return (touchdown). It was the first time since 1994 that Washington had a 60-yard kickoff return and 60-yard punt return.
- The Commanders’ defense has yet to produce a takeaway through three games.
Podcasts & videos
BREAKDOWN: How All Three Phases Fueled the Commanders’ Win Over the Raiders
Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Commanders vs. Raiders, Week 3
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium for their Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown say the Eagles need to stop playing so conservative
The first half of the Eagles game against the Rams on Sunday was a disaster. The offense couldn’t do anything on the ground, or in the air, and had three straight 3-and-outs. After the game, Jalen Hurts admitted that it was unacceptable what they did to themselves in the first half, but noted that being aggressive in the second half showed what kind of team they really can be.
Both Hurts and A.J. Brown talked about the offensive style, with the QB notably saying that they have to stop playing to lose, and the WR saying that they need to play faster and more aggressive.
Head coach Nick Sirianni explained post-game that while some of the offensive issues were due to field position and other factors, they ultimately learned a valuable lesson about not always letting a defense dictate what they do on offense. Sometimes, the offense needs to play their game, and let the defense figure out how to stop it.
Bleeding Green Nation
THE EAGLES’ KICK RETURN OPERATION
Good video breakdown here from my friend Shawn Syed on the Rams’ kickoff strategy:
The Eagles simply didn’t have a good answer for the Rams’ approach.
In fairness, I’m not sure what the answer is. But it sure didn’t feel good seeing John Metchie and Tank Bigsby (both of whom the Eagles traded assets to acquire) muff kick return after kick return, only to set the Eagles up with terrible field position.
These were the starting points for the Eagles on Rams kickoffs:
- Minus 20-yard line
- Minus 19-yard line
- Minus 7-yard line
- Minus 14-yard line
- Minus 21-yard line
By contrast, let’s look at the starting points for the Rams on Eagles kickoffs:
- Minus 23-yard line
- Minus 30-yard line
- Minus 31-yard line
- Minus 30-yard line
- Minus 30-yard line
Michael Clay’s gotta figure this one out.
Blogging the Boys
10 thoughts on the Cowboys 31-14 loss to the Bears
Sunday was not very fun.
4. Losing CeeDee
It’s never a good thing when you lose your biggest playmaker on offense, but that’s exactly what happened early in the game. On a designed run, the team’s star receiver CeeDee Lamb injured his ankle. Lamb tried to return, but it was clear that he wasn’t able to cut effectively, ending his day. Lamb had a streak of four-straight 100-yard games dating back to last season, but that streak is no more.
6. Dinking and dunking with Fergy
Statistically, it was a nice day for tight end Jake Ferguson as he finished the game with 13 catches for 82 yards. Unfortunately, he was used far too often, giving the Cowboys no versatility to their offense. George Pickens did have five catches for 68 yards, including a touchdown, but Prescott only averaged 6.3 yards per completion on Sunday. Not having Lamb available is no excuse for such a conservative offense, especially against a porous Bears defense.
7. Career day for Caleb
A week after letting Russell Wilson look like the Russell Wilson of old, the Cowboys’ defense again made another quarterback look like a star. Second-year QB Caleb Williams had his best day as a pro, throwing four touchdowns and no picks. He finished with a 142.6 passer rating, the highest of his young career. With a pass defense as bad as the Cowboys, this might become a regular occurrence as subpar QBs come in and have their way with them.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys open as big underdogs at home in Micah Parsons’ game
Micah Parsons returns to Dallas in Week 4, and that feels like it will be a problem. Dallas wanted to have their collective chest puffed out when Parsons and the Packers arrive next week. But the Bears settled that issue with a 31-14 blowout win.
Now the Cowboys are teetering on the precipice of their season starting to slip away. They are 1-2 after the Bears loss, and even though Green Bay stunningly lost today, they feel like the much better team between the two squads. That’s all before we even know how bad CeeDee Lamb’s ankle injury will turn out to be.
Given that, the Cowboys are big underdogs at their home stadium for next Sunday. FanDuel has them as 5.5-point underdogs.
The Athletic (paywall)
Four years in, and Brian Daboll’s Giants offense has never looked worse
It can be hard to remember, as the Giants’ offense staggers around the field most weeks, but Daboll was hired in 2022 due to his offensive acumen. And there were even signs that he provided a schematic advantage when he squeezed every drop out of limited personnel during his surprisingly successful debut season.
The memory of that season grows fainter with each miserable offensive performance. It was easy to blame everything on quarterback Daniel Jones during the previous two seasons. The Giants explicitly made that statement by returning every starter from last season’s 31st-ranked scoring offense except Jones.
However, even with Jones gone, the Giants are right back in a familiar spot. With Russell Wilson and all of the leadership qualities everyone in the organization couldn’t stop raving about all offseason, the Giants are 0-3 and among the lowest-scoring teams in the league. They’d likely be in the basement if not for an explosion in a 40-37 overtime loss to a Cowboys defense that looks like it couldn’t stop Rutherford High.
It’s early, but it doesn’t help Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen’s cause that Jones is 3-0 and averaging 34.3 points per game in Indianapolis. However, the Giants have plenty of problems to worry about beyond yet another player thriving after being discarded by this brain trust.
The Giants have scored 15 points in their two games against real NFL defenses this season, with a 21-6 season-opening loss to the Commanders sandwiched around the Cowboys aberration.
Wilson finished 18 of 32 for 160 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He was particularly ineffective in crucial spots, as the Giants converted just 1 of 10 third downs.
The Giants are just 2 for 10 in the red zone this season. Wilson has completed 4 of 18 passes for no touchdowns in the red zone in three games. The low point came late in Sunday’s game. Trailing by 13 points with three minutes remaining, Wilson didn’t give his receivers a chance to make a play on three throwaways/overthrows from inside the 10-yard line.
Wilson is clearly limited as the field shrinks, so it’s on the coaches to come up with a solution.
Big Blue View
Giants-Chiefs ‘things I think’: Is it time for Jaxson Dart?
Weeks 1 and 3 when the Giants scored just 15 points with Wilson completing barely 50% of his passes (35 of 69, 50.7%) and often looking uncomfortable seem to show that the vintage 450-yard Week 2 performance by the 14-year veteran was an aberration.
How much longer can the Giants wait to start Dart? Is there any point in waiting any longer?
The plan has clearly not been for the rookie to be the starter early in the season. That is why Wilson is on the roster in the first place.
The Giants, though, are 0-3. Another season is slipping away. Fall just arrived, but it may already be Winter for the 2025 Giants.
The Giants are 9-28 since that unlikely, unexpected 2022 playoff season. They are 3-17 since the beginning of the 2024 season. They have lost 14 of 15 games.
An offensive-minded coach, Daboll has clearly not been able to conjure a consistently functional offense with the Giants. His job is clearly in jeopardy.
I thought perhaps if the Giants’ defense underwhelmed again on Sunday night Daboll could or would scapegoat defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. The defense, despite missing a couple of opportunities for game-changing turnovers, clearly did its part against the Chiefs. So, can’t do that. At least not credibly.
Daboll wouldn’t answer the “who is your starting quarterback in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers?” question on Sunday night.
“You guys have asked me about players after games,” Daboll said. “I’m not going answer that.
Graham Gano’s injury
It is unfair to rip Daboll as being unprepared for Gano’s pre-game injury Sunday night. Nobody keeps a second placekicker active, most teams don’t even have a second placekicker, just in case their completely healthy kicker pulls a groin five minutes before a game starts.
It is fair to wonder how much longer the Giants can roster Gano as their kicker. Before the injury, Gano was 4 of 4 on field-goal attempts with a long of 55 yards. Clearly, he can still kick. He just can’t stay healthy. This is three straight seasons with leg injuries for the 38-year-old. It is the second time in two seasons a Gano injury has left them without a kicker for most or all of a game.
Upcoming opponent
The Falcoholic
Falcons – Panthers recap: A busy day at the failure factory
Atlanta gets crushed in a fashion that even skeptics can hardly believe.
Look, you and I know that we cling to our good feelings like smoke to an extinguished candle, and that we’re rarely ready for the next big Falcons failure. We can get this way because sports fans hope, even after all the many mishaps, and we must pay the price for that hope. We saw Atlanta beat the Vikings in a dominant, rough-and-ready 22-6 victory that showcased the ground game and defense and saw the glimmers of good things ahead, which made the subsequent 30-0 dismantling against the Panthers even worse. It was not so much that the Falcons lost—they’ve lost to the Panthers plenty in recent years, usually at the worst time and in frustrating last-minute fashion—but that they barely looked like the football team we saw the first two weeks. They were ruinously terrible, so embarrassing that it defied belief despite that belief getting a real workout over the last decade, and thus we were left to descend into that syrupy sense of bewilderment once again.
The offense didn’t struggle; it was inept. The defense was much better, yet it couldn’t take advantage of Panthers injuries and opportunities to make plays throughout. Special teams weren’t bad; they were instrumental to the game going off the rails so spectacularly. The coaching staff wasn’t shaky; they seemed lost and unequipped with answers. And so on. The Carolina Panthers were 0-2 coming into this one, and yet they looked like a juggernaut who had the Falcons all figured out. Perhaps they did.
The Falcons struggled to get plays in, burned timeouts because of it, missed throws, missed blocks, missed tackles, and barely looked like they were playing with any urgency and fire throughout the first half. They bumbled punts and returns, tackled their own returners, took bad angles to the ball, and failed to reel in catchable balls. That’s a complete top-to-bottom failure for a team that knew they needed this win and knew Carolina was capable of giving them hell based on past experience, which should make this team sit up and pay attention before the season is lost early.
Kicker woes
Moving on from Younghoe Koo made sense, given his struggles, but the Falcons had to be pretty sure Parker Romo was the guy. After he made all five kicks in Week 2, it seemed like that might be the case. After Week 3, the Falcons may well be shopping for another guy. Romo missed a pair of not-so-easy kicks, a 49 yarder badly and a 55 yarder narrowly, as the Falcons came up empty on two would-be scoring drives in their first three tries. They never tried a field goal again. There are other options out there, but the Falcons badly want to avoid getting stuck in a biweekly kicker carousel, something they haven’t had to do in years.
Next Week
The Falcons head home to host the Commanders, who have beat them repeatedly in recent years and may or may not have Jayden Daniels back. If they don’t, it’ll be former Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota out for revenge.
The Falcoholic
Michael Penix Jr. remains Falcons’ starting QB after disastrous Panthers shutout; Kirk Cousins is still the backup
Michael Penix Jr. gave us a disasterclass of a performance vs. the Panthers, but keeping him at QB1 makes sense.
I made it through the entirety of Sunday’s shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers solely because I get paid a salary of real American dollars to do so. If you tapped out early, I cannot blame you. After a truly awful outing from Michael Penix, he was benched and Kirk Cousins took over.
The game was well out of hand at that point — Cousins subbed in at quarterback after Penix threw interception No. 2 late in the third quarter, a mistake the Panthers offense turned into yet another score, extending the lead to 27-0. It doesn’t make sense to leave your starter in there for a variety of reasons — the risk of injury, and the likelihood that continuing to play badly would damage his confidence are two of them.
Kirk didn’t really do anything special, either, and that makes sense, too. There’s no reason to try to air it out and, again, risk injuries in a game they were going to lose anyway. He dinked and dunked seven passes for five receptions and 29 yards.
After the game, unsurprisingly, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked if Cousins would have a chance to compete for the starting job this week.
NFL.com
Michael Penix’ stock is down
You’re guaranteed to make this list when it’s Week 3 and you’re getting pulled for Kirk Cousins at the end of a blowout loss to Carolina. Penix completed half his passes (18-for-36) and threw two interceptions in that contest, one that ended up being a pick-six. There are still plenty of games left — and Penix opened with a two tough games against Tampa Bay and Minnesota — but this was the worst he’s looked in his brief career. Penix was supposed to benefit from all the highly drafted weapons around him. Instead, the Falcons offense has scored one TD combined in their last two games, and he only has one touchdown pass thus far.
The Athletic (paywall)
Ominous Falcons loss
The Carolina Panthers hadn’t won a game by 30 or more points since beating the Falcons 38-0 during Carolina’s 2015 Super Bowl season. The current Panthers are not close to that 2015 team in talent or performance, which makes their 30-0 victory over the Falcons in Week 3 such a bad loss for Atlanta.
The Falcons are 3-8 over their past 11 games, same as the Patriots, Saints and Raiders, who all have new coaches. Only the Browns, Jets, Giants, Bears and Titans have worse records over that stretch. Even Carolina is better than that, thanks to the Panthers’ victory Sunday.
This Falcons loss was so bad that coach Raheem Morris pulled quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in favor of Kirk Cousins with more than 10 minutes left in regulation.
After starting 6-3 under Morris last season, the Falcons are now 9-11 across his tenure. They were 9-11 in their final 20 games under previous coach Arthur Smith.
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
Chargers’ Najee Harris carted off with injury to Achilles
Harris collapsed on a play-action play in the second quarter and immediately grabbed his left calf. The Chargers initially said he was questionable to return with an ankle injury before later ruling him out.
Harbaugh said Harris will undergo additional testing to determine the severity of the injury.
Harris has never missed a game in his NFL career, and his durability is one reason he was attractive to the Chargers.
Harris rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His physical style of running is one that Harbaugh covets, and having him to start the season was crucial for this team’s ceiling in 2025.
“It’s always too tough to lose a brother like that,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. “And I think you never want to see that from any of your own players or an opponent, and we’re wishing for the best.”
NFL.com
Titans coach Brian Callahan not worried about fans calling for his firing after 0-3 start
After falling to 0-3 with a 41-20 blowout loss to division rival Indianapolis, Callahan is 3-17 as the head coach. Trailing 20-6 at halftime, home fans booed and began to chant “Fire Callahan!” as the team headed to the locker room.
Throughout the contest, CBS cameras repeatedly showed frustrated fans in the stands exasperated at Callahan’s team.
During his short tenure, Callahan has made numerous in-game errors. Sunday’s most egregious error came in the final minute of the second quarter.
The Titans faced a fourth-and-1 at the Colts’ 39-yard line with 46 seconds left in the first half. Following an Indy timeout to stop the clock, Callahan doubled down with another timeout, without even attempting to get the Colts to jump offsides first. The Titans were waffling between going for it or kicking a field goal. The indecision led to confusion on the sideline about whether a kicking ball should be in play. Ultimately, the Titans took a delay of game penalty, pushing a 57-yard attempt to a 62-yarder, which Joey Slye missed.
Last year, the mistakes in Tennessee were excused by subpar quarterback play. With No. 1 pick Cam Ward flashing ability as he works through growing pains, the young QB is currently the only bright spot on the team. In that context, Callahan’s miscalculations are magnified.
The question is how much patience the organization, which overhauled the front office in the offseason, will have with the second-year coach.
NFL.com
Brian Daboll on fans booing Giants, Russell Wilson: ‘I would be booing too’
The boos showered the New York Giants offense as Brian Daboll’s club fell to 0-3, losing, 22-9, to the Kansas City Chiefs in what felt like a winnable game for most of the contest.
The Big Apple fans wore out their vocal cords booing quarterback Russell Wilson, who was ineffective. At one point, the faithful in attendance chanted “We want Dart!” calling for rookie backup Jaxson Dart, who played three snaps.
“Look, I would be booing, too, to be honest with you, in terms of not being good enough, not scoring, not finishing,” Daboll said, via the team’s official transcript. “I understand that. That’s the nature of it. We got to do better.”
Daboll dismissed questions about whether Wilson would start Week 4, saying he wouldn’t get into it directly after a game. Usually, when a coach doesn’t instinctively support the starter, it means a change is coming soon. Whether that happens in Week 4, when New York faces the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers, or perhaps Week 5 against a winless New Orleans Saints club remains to be seen. If the losing continues, at some point, a change will be made.
When Dart entered for three snaps, the crowd cheered, but boos returned as Wilson jogged back.
Discussion topics
NFL.com
NFL Week 3 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday’s 14 games
Rams-Eagles
Next Gen Stats Insight from Rams-Eagles (via NFL Pro): The Eagles’ second-half comeback included an increased sense of urgency, utilizing no-huddle on 53.7% of their plays in the final two quarters after doing so just once in the first half.
NFL Research: The Eagles’ comeback from a 19-point deficit is their largest comeback win since Week 15 of the 2010 season, the game known as the Miracle at the Meadowlands II.
Raiders-Commanders
Mariota passed his first test, and Washington’s run game did the rest. Making his first start in three years, Marcus Mariota did what was asked of him in the Commanders’ victory Sunday. Mariota lost a fumble on a read-option keeper, and a missed field goal kept the door open for the Raiders early on, but Washington controlled the ground game and put the game away in the third quarter. Mariota ran for 40 yards, opened the scoring with a touchdown run and threw a TD. One of Mariota’s scrambles before halftime gave Dan Quinn a bloody nose – and the coach seemed to love it. Jeremy McNichols ripped off a 60-yard TD run on his first touch. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt gained some tough yards inside, and Deebo Samuel chipped in with three productive runs. No matter who was getting it, the Commanders were having success moving the ball. This was a good development to see following the injury to Jayden Daniels. If Mariota is needed next week against Atlanta, the Commanders have to feel better about their situation.
Lane gives Commanders a boost. The Commanders appeared very excited to draft Jaylin Lane in Round 4 this spring, with general manager Adam Peters boasting about Lane’s big-play ability. On Sunday, when they needed an extra boost with the starting QB injured, the Commanders received that boost. Lane was exceptional on punt returns, running one back 90 yards for his first NFL touchdown. That gave Washington a 27-10 lead in the third quarter and all but put the game away. Earlier in the game, Lane had a 25-yard return called back because of a hold, but he was a positive force all game on special teams. He’s seen limited time on offense so far this season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him given more chances to touch the ball, given what he’s done on special teams.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Raiders-Commanders (via NFL Pro): Jeremy McNichols hit a top speed of 20.03 mph on his 60-yard TD run, also picking up 57 rushing yards over expected on the play.
NFL Research: With 74 receiving yards Sunday, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (6,528) passed Hall Of Famer Bobby Mitchell (6,492) for fifth in Washington franchise history.
Cowboys-Bears
Bears offense woke up in a Williams-Johnson gem. This was what a Ben Johnson offense is supposed to look like. That it came against a beat-up Cowboys defense is irrelevant for now. The natives were beginning to wonder if Caleb Williams would ever be unlocked, but he most certainly was Sunday. The Bears mixed deep shots, trick plays and a patient, creative run game and had their best offensive performance of the season by a mile. There were hints of Johnson’s scheme working in each of the first two games, but this was the first synthesis of Xs and Os and execution. Williams threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns (hot dogs for everyone!) and was not sacked in a game for the first time in his career. The Bears had some miscues offensively, including Rome Odunze dropping a would-be TD, but they weren’t drive-killing mistakes. The run game still needs work, but Johnson was throwing the kitchen sink at the Cowboys and wearing them down.
Cowboys’ defense sunk even further, with injuries mounting. Matt Eberflus might have hoped to exact some revenge on the team that fired him last season, but the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator saw those chances fade quickly. His unit allowed a Bears offense struggling to find consistency to open an entire treasure chest worth of it Sunday. The problems struck every level of an already-beleaguered defense. Sam Williams was the only pass rusher who seemed to come within sniffing distance of Caleb Williams. There were several missed tackles, including two by Solomon Thomas. Dallas allowed five pass plays of 29 yards or longer. There were open receivers on several pass plays. Then Trevon Diggs and Kenny Clark got hurt on the same defensive series in the third quarter. The injuries weren’t limited to defense, either. CeeDee Lamb (left ankle) went down early in the game. He tried to return but couldn’t push off effectively and was shut down for the game.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Cowboys-Bears (via NFL Pro): Caleb Williams’ 65-yard touchdown pass to rookie Luther Burden III traveled 62.1 yards in the air, the longest completion in the NFL this season and the longest completion of Williams’ career.
Chiefs-Giants
Russ-led Giants offense is going nowhere. One could argue the biggest takeaway from Sunday night was an indictment of the Cowboys defense. Not long after the Bears hung 31 points on Dallas, a Giants offense that had scored 37 the week prior versus the Cowboys put on a putrid display. Russell Wilson had two interceptions and a gnarly 19.9 passer rating as Big Blue looked woefully small to the tune of 114 yards through two quarters. Chants for rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart to replace Wilson broke out. Things didn’t get much better in the second half, as Wilson was prone to throwing ill-advised moonballs (0 of 6 on deep balls in the game, per Next Gen Stats). Dart got a few snaps, which is somewhat confounding, but overall Wilson and the offense were running in place as the veteran threw for 160 yards and the offense totaled 281. The Chiefs defense was good and the boo birds probably didn’t make anything any better, either, but the offense was just terrible outside of rookie running back Cam Skattebo, the team’s leading rusher and receiver. Trailing, 22-9, Wilson just looked dreadful with three incompletions out of the end zone to turn it over on downs with less than three minutes to play. It’s arduous to imagine Brian Daboll waiting much longer to make the switch to Dart.
NFL Research: Head coach Andy Reid avoided his first 0-3 start since 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles, who went 5-11. In his fourth season with the Giants, Brian Daboll is 0-3 for the first time in his career. It’s New York’s first 0-3 start since 2021, but its third since 2020, which tied for the most over the last six years with the New York Jets.
