The Daily Slop – 10 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
The Athletic (paywall)
The Commanders bet on David Blough’s ability to remake their offense — and teach it
To be sure, professional football is primarily about physical strength and playing to the edge of mayhem — but with purpose and precision. As Washington guard Sam Cosmi puts it, “It’s really hard
to mimic (the physicality required for) O-Line. If I did that in public, I’d be behind bars.”
But it’s also about processing data, at an incredibly advanced rate, found within complex ideas. That requires someone who can teach those ideas and terminologies to players who learn in different ways and at different speeds. For the first time in his meteoric rise through the NFL’s coaching ranks, Blough is the primary instructor.
Of all the bets the Commanders are making in this third season under general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, among the biggest is that their two new, first-time coordinators — Blough on offense and Daronte Jones on defense — can teach their systems, rapidly and completely and effectively, to their respective sides of the football, starting Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Nothing much is riding on this, other than the success or failure of a multibillion-dollar franchise, centered around a once-in-a-generation quarterback in Jayden Daniels, and/or the head coach’s job security.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
NFC East roundtable: Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders enter critical seasons; Giants seek new culture
Who’s the player not enough people are talking about who’s going to make a big impact for the team you cover?
Jhabvala: Brandon Coleman. He’s received more attention lately, and that will only continue. Coleman replaced Tunsil at left tackle, a spot he played as a rookie in 2024. The Commanders shifted him inside to left guard last season — he was benched two games in — but moved him back to tackle when Tunsil got hurt. Coleman spent the offseason training with Tunsil and admitted he needed the experience to learn how to better take care of his body to try to avoid preventable nagging injuries. It’s impossible to truly replace Tunsil, but Coleman handled the transition well in training camp and is best-suited for the role among Washington’s linemen. If Coleman performs well, it could ultimately put him on track for a longer-term future in Washington. If he struggles, it could affect the entire offense, particularly Daniels.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illustrated
Jayden Daniels Wants to Play Point Guard in Washington’s New Offense
On Wednesday, Daniels was asked about the weapons around him: “I trust those guys to go out there and make plays. I love basketball,” Daniels said. “Just being a point guard, getting the ball to playmakers, the ball in space, and let them do their thing. When it’s time for me … to go get a bucket, I’ve got to go do that sometimes.” Clearly, Daniels’ killer mindset hasn’t changed while trying to focus on the new system over the last few months.
The point-guard role Daniels mentions is a good comparison, since his job will be to create an explosive play without actually being the explosive play. Giving him Stefon Diggs and Chig Okonkwo alone on top of Terry McLaurin made his life 80% easier, as better surrounding talent will give Daniels more chances to turn ordinary completions into productive plays. The overall idea is for the offense to grow more from what happens after Daniels puts the ball in the right place, not from him creating everything himself.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Roundtable
Commanders vs Eagles: Three key matchups to watch
SAF Nick Cross & LB Sonny Styles vs. RB Saquon Barkley & TE Dallas Goedert
This is the matchup that will define Washington’s defense on Sunday. Saquon Barkley torched the Commanders for 132 rushing yards in their last meeting — gaining nearly 100 yards before contact in that game alone. Washington allowed the most yards before contact per run attempt of any defense in the league last season – a number Daronte Jones has made a specific emphasis to fix in his first year as defensive coordinator. That’s where Nick Cross comes in.
The former Colts safety arrived this offseason ranked fifth among all defensive backs in the league with 46 stops resulting in negative EPA plays in 2025. His job on Sunday is to be the physical presence in the box that forces Barkley into the second level where linebackers can finish. If Cross plays assignment-sound football and Styles can process quickly enough to get off blocks, Washington can hold Barkley under 100. If either one freelances, Philadelphia may have their way in the running game.
Goedert is the other half of this problem. The Eagles’ tight end set a career high with 11 receiving touchdowns last season — 10 of them in the red zone — on 60 catches for 591 yards. He caught a touchdown against Washington in their late-season meeting in 2025. Washington allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends of any defense last season, a damning statistic that this new defensive scheme under Jones was specifically designed to address. Sonny Styles’ coverage ability is the most important rookie trait on this entire defense — and his first real NFL test is matching up with one of the best red-zone tight ends in football. Styles has the athleticism to make this work. Whether a first-year linebacker executes it consistently against a veteran with a decade of NFL experience is the central question of Washington’s entire defensive game plan.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
5 Commanders poised to catch the entire NFL off guard in 2026
Ben Sinnott – Commanders TE
The Commanders are giving Ben Sinnott a chance to secure a bigger role under new offensive coordinator David Blough. Things have not gone according to plan for the 2024 second-round pick over the first two years of his time in Washington, but it’s also clear there was some friction between the tight end and previous play-caller Kliff Kingsbury.
Sinnott’s taken some shots at Kingsbury’s offense throughout the summer. He didn’t feel like he got a fair shot, and Blough’s offense is bringing much more out of the Kansas State product. While the third-year pro is still behind Chig Okonkwo and blocking specialist John Bates, seeing the field more is more than feasible.
Blough is expected to make more of the tight ends within his system. The more security blankets quarterback Jayden Daniels has, the quicker he’ll be able to get the football out. And even though Sinnott was used sparingly under Kingsbury, the stats show his reliability as a pass-catcher whenever targets come his way.
It’s now or never for Sinnott. That’s not up for discussion.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
THE FILM DON’T LIE: Jayden Daniels Is ELITE… AND STILL RISING! | Film Breakdown | Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Sports Illustrated
How Have the Eagles Adjusted to Disappointment?
Few of this ongoing decade’s contenders have struggled with year-to-year consistency as much as the Eagles.
Just go down the list of their last four playoff results: multiple Super Bowl appearances, the latter of which ended with the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, were closely followed by unimpressive exits in the Wild Card round. As regularly as their front office injects fresh blood into its defense, their scoring scheme has struggled to put All-Pro-caliber weapons like Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown in positions to succeed throughout their recent contending window.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
SB Nation
The Commanders disconnect
There seems to be a massive disconnect between how Commanders fans view their team compared to the rest of the football world. I realize that a lot of fans view things with rose colored glasses this time of year, but this feels like it goes beyond that.
I figured out the source of it: Commanders fans view 2024 as the baseline for their team, and think 2025 was an injury-fueled aberration.
Everyone else sees 2024 as the aberration because they had a lot of fluky wins and being a bad team has been the Commanders’ reputation for decades now.
As often is the case, the truth is probably in the middle, but looking at the Commanders’ roster, I’m not overly impressed. Not a lot of star power, and a lot of hopes riding on a skinny QB who may not be able to hold up to the pounding, especially behind a bad offensive line.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Big Blue View
Malik Nabers looks ready as NY Giants open practice for Week 1 game vs. Dallas Cowboys
Neither the Giants nor Nabers have committed to the 2024 first-round pick playing on Sunday. The signs, though, point toward that happening.
Nabers practiced all summer with no real hiccups as he worked his way back from two surgeries to repair a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 season.
Nabers was listed as a full practice participant while the Giants practiced in full pads.
“I think he’s ready to go, man,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ll see, though, there’s still four days, five days until we play.
“If he’s ready to go, and he feels like he’s ready to go, he’ll play. If he’s not ready, he won’t play.”
The release by the Giants on Monday of veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton could also be taken as a sign that the team expects Nabers to play.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
A.J. Brown’s debut for Patriots ends with ankle injury
Brown, in his Patriots debut, remained down following a third-down incomplete pass in which quarterback Drake Maye was throwing in his direction with Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett in tight coverage. Pritchett’s right knee appeared to land on Brown’s ankle with the force of his body weight. Brown grabbed for the back of his right leg as he sat up.
Brown was initially listed as questionable to return, but the Patriots downgraded him to out at the start of the fourth quarter.
Coach Mike Vrabel said he didn’t have an update on Brown after the game.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Seahawks take Week 1 win over Patriots, lose QB Darnold early
On the first series, quarterback Sam Darnold went down for the remainder of the game — and potentially beyond — with an injury to his right hip. Backup quarterback Drew Lock stepped up and the defense took over the second half, forcing Patriots QB Drake Maye to turn the ball over three times in the fourth quarter.
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Darnold was at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, undergoing a CT scan on his hip. The initial test was encouraging but inconclusive, and Darnold now is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday. Coach Mike Macdonald said postgame that initial tests seem to show the QB avoided a fracture.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Seahawks rally past Patriots after Maye’s 3 INTs
Drake Maye’s final stat line tonight: 23-for-33 passing, 178 yards, one touchdown — and those three interceptions. He also had 47 yards on seven carries as well and was sacked three times.
The thing he will harp on the most regarding his three picks will be how they cost his team a better chance at the win tonight, and that’s absolutely appropriate. But let’s zoom out and remember this is the runner-up for last year’s NFL MVP award, and he just started the year with a 1-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
If Maye has any hope of doing one better and actually winning that award this time, he’ll have to dig himself after a massive hole.
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
Where Do Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris Go Now?
The pair could end up being collateral damage in the fight between LSU and the SEC
LSU has chosen not to roster Wright and Harris. It’s now also unclear if they can return to the NFL this season. Meanwhile, the pair may seek more remedies from the legal system.
Last week, Wright and Harris won an injunction in a Louisiana state court to play a fifth year of college football. Though hundreds of other players have sued for a fifth year, their case made headlines because they had signed NFL preseason contracts and appeared on NFL rosters; they would have been the first to return to the college game. The SEC, after a futile attempt to block LSU from playing them, filed a federal lawsuit of its own, alleging LSU was infringing upon the SEC’s first amendment rights by taking actions against the wishes of other conference members, and asking a judge to rule the SEC had the power to exact punishments.
While LSU attempts to do damage control with the SEC, Wright and Harris are in a precarious position.
Wright could have the option to join an NFL roster or practice squad—if the league agrees to let him. Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents Wright, told FOS that “it’s unclear whether the NFL will permit a team to sign him. I’m still working on that.”
The NFL told teams at last month’s special league meeting in Atlanta that any player released by an NFL team who returns to play in college would be ineligible to play in the NFL this season. Such a player then would be a free agent, able to sign with any NFL team for next season and beyond, without having to go through the NFL Draft process again. This clarification didn’t come, however, until Wright and Harris had already left the NFL.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
