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NFL Week 12 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips
Graziano: As for Daniels, the Commanders have a bye this week and will examine everything. They’ve lost six games in a row to drop to 3-8 in what looked like a promising season, and there has been
external debate about whether it makes sense to bring back Daniels at all this season. From what I’ve been told, the plan in Washington is still that Daniels will return to the starting lineup once doctors clear him from his elbow injury.
Fowler: Washington’s situation with Daniels is more complicated from my view. Sources have maintained that while Daniels could return as quickly as three weeks from the occurrence of the injury (so, Week 13 vs. Denver), the team has loosely braced for an absence of five to six weeks just in case. That tells me that shutting him down remains a possibility, based on his durability this season (three separate injuries) and the team’s current standing. Big-picture talks about how to proceed will play out over the coming days and provide clarity one way or the other.
Graziano: I’m pretty sure the way this season has unfolded has thrown the Commanders for a loop. They did not see a 3-8 record coming. So this bye week offers a chance to reset and make some longer-lens decisions without having to prepare for a game. Daniels will lobby to get back on the field as soon as he can, and the fact that the injury he’s dealing with right now isn’t to his legs or his throwing arm certainly offers grounds for encouragement.
A to Z Sports
3 younger players have emerged for the Commanders after impressive showing in brutal loss to Dolphins
Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has had a roller coaster of a season after a rough start, but he’s started to find his groove over the last few weeks. Conerly Jr. allowed four sacks and 11 pressures in his first two games of his rookie season, and had some hiccups along the way, but the last two weeks have shown his potential.
Conerly Jr. held Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson in check with zero sacks and only one pressure, and followed it up with another impressive showing against the Dolphins. The right tackle once again didn’t allow a single sack and only two pressures. His upside has been trending up, and that’s something the Commanders needed to see.
Riggo’s Rag
4 bright spots (and 3 harsh truths) as Commanders hit critical bye week
Bright Spot No. 3
Dorance Armstrong Jr.’s breakout before injury
There were serious concerns about the Washington Commanders’ pass rush before the season. Fans didn’t believe that general manager Adam Peters did enough to strengthen this unit, and they’ve been proven right.
The Commanders aren’t generating consistent pressure. This became more glaring when breakout star Dorance Armstrong Jr. suffered a serious knee injury that ruled him out for the entire campaign. It was a highly disappointing development that Washington’s defense couldn’t recover from in its current state.
Armstrong was a legitimate bright spot before getting hurt. There was explosiveness and urgency in everything he did. His ability to set the edges on running plays improved drastically. He was also among the league’s sack leaders before an unfortunate development.
Hopefully, Armstrong can make a full recovery in time for the 2026 season. Regardless, Peters cannot neglect the defensive end position this offseason. That would be organizational malpractice with severe ramifications attached.
Harsh Truth No. 3
Commanders need a rethink at safety
Another gamble from Adam Peters this offseason saw dynamic safety Jeremy Chinn walk for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. The front-office was counting on young players to progress and free-agent signing Will Harris to fill the void. Neither has happened.
At least Harris has an excuse. He got hurt early in the season and is only just nearing a return. The others have nowhere to hide, and their glaring flaws have been exposed almost constantly.
The biggest letdown of all is Quan Martin. Washington’s fan base and the broader media were anticipating a breakout campaign from the 2023 second-round pick this season. Instead, he’s turned into a liability, and head coach Dan Quinn’s decision to decrease his reps in Week 11 represents a damning indictment of how his performances are being perceived by those in power.
Washington’s other options consist of unknowns and special-teams players. If the same trend continues over the remaining six games, bolstering the safety unit will be among Peters’ most pressing priorities.
Pro Football Focus (Premium content)
NFL Chip and Double-Team Rates: Ranking the defensive linemen who overcome extra attention
Elite defensive linemen don’t just have to beat their blockers — they often have to beat double teams and chip blocks designed specifically to stop them.
By analyzing chip-block and double-team rates, we can identify which NFL defenders consistently face extra attention in the trenches and still manage to make an impact.
Pro Football Focus (Premium content)
NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 12
11. Washington Commanders (Up 2)
Projected starters entering bye:
LT Laremy Tunsil
LG Chris Paul
C Tyler Biadasz
RG Sam Cosmi
RT Josh Conerly Jr.
Center Tyler Biadasz kept a clean sheet in the Commanders’ defeat to the Dolphins. He did not allow a single pressure against Miami and earned an 83.4 PFF pass-blocking grade, which led the Commanders and ranked fourth among all centers in Week 11.
Right guard Sam Cosmi played his best game this week since returning from his injury. Cosmi gave up just one hurry against Miami and earned an 83.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked second among all guards.
Best player: Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil’s 78.5 PFF overall grade in Week 11 ranked fourth among left tackles.
A to Z Sports
Austin Ekeler to be a guest on Netflix during the Commanders’ Christmas Day game
Just because Ekeler’s season is over, that doesn’t mean he can’t take part in the team, just in a much different way. The Commanders are hosting the Dallas Cowboys at home for a rivalry game on Christmas Day, and Ekeler will be there. He won’t be on the field, but instead he’ll be working on his life after football skills as a desk analyst for the game on Netflix.
Ekeler will join Kay Adams, Devin McCourty, and Michael Irvin to discuss the Commanders vs. Cowboys game, which promises to be very entertaining. We all know Ekeler has a strong screen presence, and he’s known for his activity in the fantasy football community, as well as podcasts and shows when he’s not on the field. This gives him a big stage to show what he can do on the media side of football whenever he decides to hang it up. We aren’t sure if Ekeler will come back to keep playing after his gruesome injury, and maybe this is it for him.
It’s weird to see a player in the media talking about a game involving a team he’s still technically part of, even if his season is over. Ekeler tore his Achilles tendon during the Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and that’s a tough injury to come back from. He will also be 31 heading into next season, so maybe this is a preview for what’s to come if he decides to call it a career.
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Hogs Haven
How do you know if they are zone blocking?
If everyone on the line is moving laterally in the same direction, either left or right, it’s zone blocking. The linemen look like synchronized swimmers for the first step or two. To the defense, it’s like a river flowing to one side trying to wash them away. The RB gets to a point where he chooses one of three creases in the defense to run through.
If the blockers are moving in multiple directions, it’s probably gap blocking. For example, the center may double team a DT with an OG; they pin him from two sides. If the OL double teams both DTs, the blocking scheme is called called Duo and it’s surely an inside gap run. If you see a pulling guard who is moving behind the other blockers to come around and help create a hole in the defense, usually by blocking the LB, that’s a classic gap play.
Hogs Haven
Pimp my Franchise: Defensive Coaching Staff Edition
The bye has begun and there’s a lot of changes that will commence next season. The defensive side in particular will most likely seen vast changes come underway. While a new Defensive Coordinator is all but certain now, I don’t believe majority of this staff will be retained in the process. With that being said, I wanted to create a coaching staff on that side of the ball (while it may seem unrealistic and some stretch of imagination for some hires, I think this is the best possible outcome for this team’s future.
Defensive Coordinator: NEW Al Harris
This will not be easy ask for someone to take on especially a first year coordinator but I certainly believe in Al Harris to be the perfect man for this job. Al Harris has been praised for his work with DBs the Bears are leading the league in takeovers with 4 players in the top 10 of takeovers as well. He led Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland to historic seasons in their careers as well. He is respected and widely regarded for his work. Even more important, he’s extremely loyal to Dan Quinn. We might be looking at a different staff had Dallas allow Al to leave with Quinn last year. This is the obvious choice for me.
Assistant Coach/ Defensive Pass Game Coordinator: NEW Raheem Morris
Here’s where the stretch of imagination begins.
Hogs Haven
Bye Week 5 Questions – For YOU!
Given that it’s the bye week, there won’t be a 5 Questions with an opposing fan site. But I thought it might be interesting to ask you, a HH reader and Commanders fan, 5 questions on what you think about the state of the team.
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Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles, Cowboys thoughts from a Dallas point of view
We are down bad. We are hopeful. But we are tired.
It is universally understood that the Eagles take NFL matters way more seriously than the Cowboys from a leadership standpoint. This may change in the future, but right now the proof is pretty obvious. I could go on and on about how the Cowboys delay things like contract extensions that serve only to hurt them in the long game, I could obviously reference the Micah Parsons trade, there are a number of examples that run counter to Howie Roseman’s “nothing is ever enough” mentality that we all respect (even if we hate the Eagles) so much.
The Cowboys trading for Quinnen Williams (and Logan Wilson, he gets lost in these discussions so I am trying to show him some love) definitely excited people, but more so with regards to 2026 and 2027. It isn’t out of the question to say that 3-5-1 (their record when they made the trade) was too deep of a hole to climb out of, but with a win on Monday night in Las Vegas they took the first step. We will certainly see there.
As noted 2026 and 2027 are where excitement lies as those years line up with the primes and majority of windows for players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, the young offensive line, George Pickens (please), you get the picture. Nobody would turn down a playoff appearance or magical run if it came to be here in 2025, but we are all mostly understanding that this is too much of an ask.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys and Eagles thoughts, from a Philly perspective
As someone familiar with the benefits of two wide receivers playing very well (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the past), I can understand why Cowboys fans are excited about the duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. I still think it’s crazy the Cowboys didn’t pay Pickens at the time of acquiring him and I wonder if they’ll be able to keep him. If they do, that’ll be pretty annoying from an Eagles perspective. Even if they don’t, the Eagles will obviously have to deal with this duo this weekend. And that’s a concern since starting cornerback Adoree’ Jackson could be a weakness, even though on the whole he’s been more competent than originally expected.
The Eagles’ defense looks awesome. Really, way better than it has any business being since the Eagles have the youngest defense in the NFL and the least expensive defense in the NFL. But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is really good at this job. And Philly’s pass rush has been boosted by the trade for Jaelan Phillips, the reintegration of off-ball Nakobe Dean (who’s really good as a blitzer), the unretirement of Brandon Graham, and the return of Nolan Smith from injured reserve. Also a very big deal: Jalen Carter, who presumably will be available for this game after not being able to play in Week 1 since he foolishly got ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott, looks much more healthy and effective following Philly’s Week 9 bye. The battle of the Cowboys’ offense versus the Eagles’ defense is a great matchup on paper.
The Eagles’ offense, however … it’s hard to be optimistic about that group right now. It’s the most expensive offense in the NFL and they’ve way under-performed reasonable expectations. What’s the issue? It’s not just one thing. Jalen Hurts has to play better, sure. But it’s impossible to argue the coaching staff is doing a great job at helping him. The Eagles haven’t been able to run the ball effectively this season in no small part due to the offensive line being banged up and worn down from last year’s massive workload. The OL outlook is no worse with Lane Johnson banged up and starting center Cam Jurgens dealing with a knee injury.
ESPN
Jalen Hurts won’t ‘run away’ from Eagles’ reported frustration
Some players have grown frustrated by Hurts’ approach this season, according to a report by The Athletic, specifically when it comes to his hesitancy to throw the ball into tight windows against zone coverage. Reporter Derrick Gunn added that the frustration stems primarily from Hurts playing “his game” instead of taking what is discussed during the week and transitioning it to game day.
The offense has been a disappointment this season. The Eagles rank 25th in total yards (300.1 per game), 28th in passing (184.9) and 29th in third-down conversion rate (33.87%). They are averaging 115.2 rushing yards per game (17th in NFL), compared with 179.3 in 2024 (2nd).
He has been held to under 200 passing yards six times this season, including the past two weeks against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. The Eagles scored a total of 26 points in those games, relying mostly on a red-hot defense to help pull out wins.
Hurts said he has not been approached by anyone inside the organization about the reported frustrations.
Big Blue View
6 early candidates said to emerge for New York Giants head coaching job
Jay Glazer report indicates Giants will stay in NFL ranks, won’t look for a college head coach.
Everybody and their cousin can put together lists of candidates for the New York Giants full-time head-coaching job. When NFL insider Jay Glazer does it, though, it is time to pay attention.
Glazer did exactly that during Sunday’s NFL pre-game show on FOX. He listed six names as early candidates, and said college coaches like Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss and Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame would not get consideration.
Glazer’s list:
- Mike McCarthy, a Super Bowl-winner with the Green Bay Packers.
- Matt Nagy, former Chicago Bears coach and current offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Lou Anarumo, current defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. A former Giants assistant, Anarumo is a Staten Island native who interviewed for the job in 2022.
- Steve Spagnuolo, the two-time Giants defensive coordinator and former interim head coach.
- Arthur Smith, former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator.
- Chris Shula, 39-year-old defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams.
Glazer indicated that the Giants will have to choose between a culture-setter or an offensive coach brought in to develop quarterback Jaxson Dart.
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Joe Jacoby among 9 senior semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Nine individuals have reached the Semifinalist stage in the Seniors category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 presented by Visual Edge IT. To be considered, each former player last could have appeared in a professional football game in the 2000 season.
The Hall of Fame’s nine-person Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will meet Nov. 25 to determine the three former players who will be Finalists for the new class. Those names, and the names of the Finalists in the Coach and Contributor categories, will be unveiled in early December.
Advancing as Semifinalists are: Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, Henry Ellard, L.C. Greenwood, Joe Jacoby, Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Steve Tasker and Otis Taylor.
Joe Jacoby, offensive lineman (1981-1993): During his 13-year career, all with the Washington Redskins, Jacoby won three Super Bowls, twice earned first-team All-Pro honors and was named to the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons (1983-86).
Reduction voting also is occurring in the Modern-Era Players category. Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor.
While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws currently stipulate that between four and eight new members shall be selected.
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ESPN
2026 NFL mock draft: Miller’s first-round pick predictions
7. Washington Commanders (3-8)
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami*
The Commanders have needs along their defensive front seven, specifically at edge rusher and linebacker. Bain has three sacks, 40 pressures and a time to first pressure of 2.58 seconds this season (32nd in the FBS) despite facing constant double-teams. The 6-3 275-pounder is versatile, with the strength to align as a 6-technique along the right side of the defense and as a 3-technique in speedier defensive line packages. With Von Miller nearing the end of his career (he turns 37 in March) and Jacob Martin entering free agency, Washington needs to upgrade on the edge.
