The Daily Slop – 9 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)
How Daronte Jones can help mask any potential issues in Commanders secondary
Second year cornerback Trey Amos, largely expected to be a starter this year, has missed all of training camp as he recovers from an injury suffered last
season. He’s still not ready to play so we won’t see him for a few weeks at least. That leaves Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson as the projected starting cornerback pairing. Both are undersized corners that profiled more as slot cornerbacks rather than outside cornerbacks due to their size. Sainristil has had some ups and downs over the past two years while Robertson is coming off a down year too.
Behind them, Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau are two solid veterans, but neither were on the roster prior to training camp, so clearly they weren’t part of the initial plan at the cornerback position.
So it’s fair for fans to have some concerns regarding this unit as we enter the regular season. It could potentially hold back a defense that is extremely promising up front. So what can new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones do to help mask those weaknesses in the secondary? To find that out, first we must take a quick look back at last season, where the play in the secondary was terrible, but also not helped much by the coaching staff.
New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is coming from a system in Minnesota where they also didn’t have big names in the secondary, but they produced one of the best defenses in the NFL. So what did they do in Minnesota that helped cover up the secondary? Well let’s start with the Cover-0 scheme.
In preseason, we’ve already seen signs that Daronte Jones can dial up these pressures in Washington.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
NFC East: Sizing up the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Commanders
Expectation for quarterbacks
Commanders
Very high. Daniels has always been an accurate passer, but he looked even sharper throughout training camp. Offensive coordinator David Blough said he’s as “accurate as he’s ever been.” But his quick command of a new offense — how he handles the huddle, what he’s telling teammates as they break it or walk to the line — has also been impressive. He remains a dynamic playmaker, capable of turning bad plays into explosive ones. Washington has surrounded him with his strongest cast of passing targets — having added tight end Chig Okonkwo and receivers Stefon Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams to pair with Terry McLaurin — in his three seasons with the team. — John Keim
How each team can win the division
Commanders
Daniels tops his rookie season and the defense takes a major step forward. Washington’s main offseason focus was improving arguably the NFL’s worst defense in 2025, adding high-profile pass rusher Odafe Oweh and drafting linebacker Sonny Styles among other moves. The Commanders are longer and faster in the front seven. Also, Daniels is coming off his best camp of his three seasons. It’s not far-fetched to see him topping his rookie year. But, of course, he must stay healthy. — Keim
Don’t be surprised if …
Commanders
Daniels reminds everyone he’s capable of being a top-five quarterback and Washington is much better than people think. Of course, many think they will be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Commanders have holes. The offensive line is a question after losing All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil. If the line can be at least average — as it was two years ago en route to the NFC Championship Game — then the Commanders can surprise. An improved defense, especially the pass rush, needs to take a big leap to make the postseason. If Commanders don’t have a good one, they won’t surprise anybody. — Keim
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Why this season will get serious fast for the Commanders
General manager Adam Peters had this to say about Sunday’s opener at Philadelphia:
“We couldn’t be more thrilled than to start our season where we’re starting it,” Peters said after he and coach Dan Quinn finalized their third roster together. “It’s gonna be a great challenge, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Might be an odd way to think about playing an Eagles franchise that has won back-to-back NFC East titles and been to the playoffs in all five seasons of coach Nick Sirianni’s tenure. But if Washington’s season is going to be a success — and a success means returning to the playoffs after last year’s 5-12 disaster — then it says here the Commanders are going to have to figure out a way to win at least one of their first two games, which are at Philly and at Dallas.
Consider that in the last 20 NFL seasons, only 65 teams have opened with back-to-back divisional games. Of those teams, just 10 went 0-2. Of that group, just one — last year’s Chicago Bears — managed to put behind the miserable start against its biggest rivals and reach the playoffs.
Even more ominous: Of those 10 teams to start 0-2 with both losses coming against divisional opponents, five fired their coaches, four in midseason.
Five of the Commanders’ first eight games come against 2025 playoff teams, including the home opener against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week 3. The second half — with just two playoff teams (Houston and Jacksonville) in nine games — might provide a chance to go on a run.
Resources have not been put into running back
The Commanders actually ran the ball fairly effectively in 2025, ranking fourth in the league in yards per game and fifth in yards per attempt. But 1,478 of their 2,290 yards on the ground last season came from players who are either on IR (McNichols), no longer play in Washington (Chris Rodriguez, Deebo Samuel, Austin Ekeler, Chris Moore), play quarterback (Daniels, Marcus Mariota) or some combination of those factors (Josh Johnson).
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Wire
Commanders vs. Eagles: 5 things to know for Week 1
Opening the season in Philadelphia
The Commanders and Eagles have opened the season in Philadelphia five previous times. Washington holds a 3-2 edge in those five previous road Week 1 meetings in Philly. The last time the Commanders opened a season in Philadelphia was in 2019. The Eagles won, 32-27, but that was Terry McLaurin’s first career NFL game, when he caught five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Case Keenum missed a wide-open McLaurin on another potential touchdown.
11 total Week 1 meetings
Sunday’s game will be the 12th time that Philadelphia and Washington meet in Week 1. The Commanders hold a 6-5 edge, including winning the last meeting in 2020, 27-17. Dwayne Haskins started under center for Washington and completed 17 of 31 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Peyton Barber scored two rushing touchdowns on that day, while McLaurin led the team with five receptions for 61 yards.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Week 1 should reveal how David Blough plans to divide the carries, passing-down work and short-yardage snaps
Offensive coordinator David Blough has praised [Bill Croskey-Merritt’s] improvement in catching the football, but what matters come Sunday is whether he remains in the game next to Jayden Daniels when the team reaches an obvious passing down. If he does, that will tell you everything about his role and whether it has grown beyond simply being the Commanders’ best runner.
The player who makes this conversation interesting is Rachaad White, who was not brought in simply to take backup carries when Croskey-Merritt needs a rest. White’s strength is in his ability to catch the ball coming out of the backfield and accelerate upfield. While Quinn has mentioned White helping “on some third downs,” that type of talk directly overlaps with the part of Croskey-Merritt’s game Washington has spent much of the offseason developing. This is where the details matter: if White replaces Croskey-Merritt on third downs, Washington has a lead runner and a passing-down back. If Croskey-Merritt stays out there, his offseason development has changed the rotation.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt is no longer playing with house money
Entering Year 2, Croskey-Merritt is no longer just a late Day 3 pick who turned into a sensation. He’s now the Commanders’ primary rusher, and he’s going to be held to the standard of producing like one.
He’ll have to do it following a limited offseason.
Croskey-Merritt didn’t play all preseason with a groin injury, which wasn’t the first setback he encountered over the summer. He’s on track to play in Week 1, and he’d better be prepared against the Philadelphia Eagles’ vicious defensive front that features game-changers everywhere you look.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s hard work over the offseason should bring significant rewards
On a positive note, Croskey-Merritt has also put on considerable muscle this offseason. Concerns about his thin frame were among the reasons why he fell in the draft, and perhaps why he was trusted only in certain situations a season ago.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Why Dan Quinn made Washington’s training camp harder in 2026
Quinn says the team came close to getting two additional practices’ worth of work in the same number of camp days compared with previous years. The idea was to introduce the players to more stressful situations by increasing the number of decisions they had to make and circumstances they had to work through before the regular season, not just by upping the amount of physical activity.
Since this offseason program focused on installing new systems on both sides of the ball, the increased camp workload allowed the staff to gather a larger sample of information before building their weekly game plans. The extra reps gave players more opportunities to run through scenarios and work on communication and execution.
Week 1 will be the first real test of whether that preparation pays off. Quinn believes Washington enters the season conditioned, experienced in the new systems, and accustomed to handling difficult practice situations.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Roundtable
Three new additions I can’t wait to watch against Philly
[M]y eyes are going to gravitate straight to Amik Robertson. Coming off a solid stint in Detroit, Robertson has quickly become a fan favorite due to his work ethic, fierce play style, and classic soundbites. He backed up all that talk with a massive splash play in the preseason against the Lions, recording a strip-sack on the very first play of the game.
The Commanders brought Robertson aboard on a two-year, $16M deal to solidify the secondary. With Trey Amos handling an outside role and Mikey Sainristril looking to bounce back, Robertson figures to be a massive anchor for Washington in the slot.
Robertson earned a reputation around the league in Las Vegas and Detroit as a hyper-competitive corner who punches way above his weight class. Last season, he put up 52 total tackles, two forced fumbles, an interception, and 9 pass breakups over 17 games. He doesn’t back down from anyone, playing with a relentless edge that instantly upgrades the attitude of our nickel package.
In the slot, he will have a dynamic matchup against DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, or whoever kicks inside for the Eagles’ passing attack. From everything we’ve seen, Robertson is more than up for the challenge—he famously locked down Justin Jefferson in one-on-one matchups during his time facing Minnesota. If he can stay sticky in man coverage on third downs and prevent easy conversions over the middle, he’ll cement himself in D.C. real quick.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Heavy.com
Stefon Diggs Signing Made Sense for Commanders
Notably, Diggs filled the need for another marquee target to take some of the burden off McLaurin.
Defenses will have a hard time doubling Daniels’ go-to target with Diggs also in the lineup. That’s going to be a problem when teams want to keep a safety over the top of McLaurin, who remains one of the NFL’s premier vertical threats outside the numbers.
Diggs also requires special attention as a prolific playmaker from the slot. His talent for winning on crossing routes will be a major asset to Daniels.
Diggs, McLaurin and Williams are an exciting trio of wideouts. Move-style tight end Chig Okonkwo and pass-catching running back Rachaad White only add to the targets at Daniels’ disposal.
A supporting cast this strong makes some of the criticism of the way the Commanders have built the roster around Daniels misguided. The critics will also be proved wrong if a revamped defense playing a more creative scheme eases the pressure on Daniels.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
The Athletic’s season-long predictions and projections
“The best player in the world is coming off a serious knee injury and appears as healthy as possible for someone who is less than nine months removed from surgery,” as one of our editors put it, which is the argument in favor of Mahomes, the runaway leader here. Many of our voters submitted their ballots before Aaron Donald announced his return; the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year also has an obvious comeback storyline, after two seasons away from the sport. Another intriguing option: Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year who was limited to seven games because of injuries last season.
Three of the four leading vote getters in last season’s poll wound up losing their jobs before the playoffs began, so this list might not be a comfortable place for the guys in the corner offices. The clear leader this year, Jets coach Aaron Glenn, is only in his second season running the franchise. The second most common pick, Washington’s Dan Quinn, is entering his third season. Todd Monken, who has yet to coach a game for the Browns, received a vote. Tough business.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Too Deep Zone
NFL Backup Quarterback Rankings 2026
Tier 1: The “Get You Through a Month” Backup QBs
If forced to start four games due to a starter’s injury, these quarterbacks should be able to manufacture victories against their teams’ weaker opponents, perhaps surprise a tough opponent, and generally hold down the fort until the starter returns.
12. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Tyrod Taylor 2.0: a former competent-enough starter who has spent years as a somewhat-mobile, oft-injured backup. Mariota relieved Jayden Daniels multiple times last year before suffering an MCL sprain that forced the Commanders to turn to Josh Johnson.
(Johnson, currently unemployed and therefore unranked, would probably hover in the late 20s on this list.)
A fair question to ask: what would Mariota look like on the Texans, where 20 points are usually enough to seal a victory? And what would Davis Mills look like playing for a team whose defense cannot stop anyone, forcing him to throw 50 passes against the Broncos?
The answers: we don’t know, it doesn’t matter much, and the separation in quality between backup quarterbacks isn’t all that great anyway. Mariota threw an overtime interception to lose a 16-13 game to the Dolphins last year. That doesn’t help his “bad situation” or “heady game manager” arguments very much.
Tier 4: Third Stringers!
Let’s get nuts.
Only quarterbacks who were on an active roster (not the IR or a practice squad) are ranked below.
43: Athan Kaliakmanis, Washington Commanders
Having watched plenty of Rutgers football over the last two autumns, I cannot really explain this.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
The District Film Room: Jayden Daniels Under Center
Daronte Jones: Commanders DC from HBCU to NFL
NFC East links
Commanders.com
NFC East preview | Breaking down each team before Week 1
With each NFC East team playing a division game so early, questions arise regarding the state of each team. If it hasn’t already been observed while watching the Commanders over the past two seasons, it’s worth noting that no team is the same from season to season. The smallest adjustments to a roster or coaching staff can cause the biggest changes, so let’s take a look around the NFC East to take stock of what to expect from the division ahead of Week 1.
Philadelphia Eagles (11-6-0; No. 1 in NFC East, eliminated in Wild Card round)
While much of the Eagles’ roster is the same, the offense experienced the most change in the offseason. Philadelphia parted ways with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who served in the position for just one season. Sean Mannion, who had stints as an NFL quarterback and on the Green Bay Packers’ coaching staff, will take the reins and operate as a first-time play caller.
The Eagles’ offense struggled under Patullo, finishing No. 24 in total offense at 311.2 yards a game and No. 19 in scoring at 22.3 points a game. Standout running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for a career-high 2,005 yards on 345 carries during the 2024-25 season, was held to 1,140 yards on 280 carries last season. While a 1,000-yard season is nothing to fret about, the drop in Barkley’s production under Patullo is just one example of the offensive issues the Eagles faced last season.
Mannion has a “heavy influence” from the Shanahan coaching tree, according to the Eagles’ website. That means the Eagles will likely shift to a more outside-zone run scheme with more play action and confusing pre-snap motions.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Film Preview: Commanders defense
Normally, I can watch around three recent games and get a pretty clear idea of what the Eagles will face. That isn’t really possible here. Washington has a new defensive coordinator in Daronte Jones and has kept plenty hidden throughout the preseason, while the Eagles are also entering the season with a completely new offense under Sean Mannion. So this is less a traditional matchup preview and more an attempt to understand what Washington is building, which players matter, and what the Eagles are likely to see.
Daronte Jones and the new scheme
Jones is a fascinating hire as DC because his background includes many different influences. He has coached defensive backs for much of his career, was LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021, and has worked under coaches including Mike Zimmer, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo and, most recently, Brian Flores in Minnesota.
Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Joshua Josephs give them explosive edge speed, while Frankie Luvu and Sonny Styles can line up in multiple spots at the second level. Jones wants to dictate to the offense rather than simply react to it, and this collection of athletes gives him a much better chance to do that.
This could create some early problems for the Eagles because Mannion is installing a new offense. We know the Eagles want to use more motion, under center offense, and play action, but we don’t know how comfortable the whole operation will look right away. Hurts could turn his back to the defense on a play-action fake, then turn around to find two defenders have dropped and the coverage has completely rotated. That is a difficult picture for any quarterback, let alone one working within a new structure.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
dallascowboys.com
Jerry Jones: Cowboys are ‘in play’ to make potential trade
In his first weekly radio interview of the season on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys are “in play” to make a potential trade if the right situation presents itself.
“The best way for me to answer that is not timing wise, right on something this morning or this week, but if you look at it generally speaking, we’re in play,” Jones said when asked if he had still been holding “substantive” trade talks with teams around the league like he hinted at during training camp. “And that’s the best way to describe it.”
Jones added that if the Cowboys do make a move, it would likely be on the defensive side of the ball as he’s confident in what the offense has, especially following the Broderick Jones trade.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
