Commanders links
Articles
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders need the dependable version of Marshon Lattimore against the Bears
Lattimore’s gone through a rollercoaster start to the campaign. One game, he looks like the shutdown corner who took the league by storm once upon a time. Next, he’s a liability, getting burned
for significant gains or conceding crucial penalties in key moments. It’s feast or famine for the four-time Pro Bowler right now, and that won’t go unnoticed by Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson as part of his strategic planning for their Monday Night Football showdown.
Johnson [has] an innovative offensive mind. There is a lot of motion. There are numerous trick plays and misdirections. He’s a master at exploiting weaknesses and capitalizing on the defenses he faces. It’s been hard work installing his philosophy and raising standards in Chicago so far, but there have been signs of life from the Bears over the last couple of games.
The offensive guru also boasts an exceptional record coming off bye weeks, so it’s a challenge Washington must be ready for. That bears special significance for Lattimore, who’ll be up against either Rome Odunze or D.J. Moore throughout the contest.
Moore and Odunze are both first-round picks. They can both punish errors or lapses in concentration at will. They will also feel confident about getting the upper hand on Lattimore, who’s found life testing against quicker receivers throughout the campaign to date.
It’ll be interesting to see which version of Lattimore shows up at Northwest Stadium. Will the Commanders see the confident, lockdown presence in the face of one of the league’s most explosive tandems, or will fans be forced to watch a shaky, confidence-sapped coverage presence in a must-win game?
Commanders Wire
Why is the Commanders’ defensive line playing better in 2025?
“[W]e changed a lot of the techniques that we played last year, especially in the run game to this year. And it was challenging for them as coaches because it was totally different than what we did last year. And I take my hat off to those guys because they were not only willing to do it, they ran with it.”
Whitt then said he felt the techniques are a good for for Payne, who has adjusted well. “I think the techniques that we’re coaching now up front are more in Payne’s wheelhouse of what he is used to doing. And so that’s the first thing. And then collectively as a whole d-line crew, they’re just playing more together.”
Whitt likes the progress he has observed in second-year DT Johnny Newton, who is out of Illinois. Newton contributed two solo tackles against the Chargers. One was for a loss, and he also contributed a QB hit and deflected the key interception into the hands of Mike Sainristil, stopping a Chargers’ touchdown threat.”His confidence has really grown. I think it’s been good to have [DT] Eddie [Goldman] here and Kinlaw and [DT] Sheldon [Day], those guys really teach him the finer nuances of the game. So, his confidence is growing, and now he’s playing fast. He’s not thinking anymore. He’s just being explosive. The guy that you saw coming from Illinois, you see that now out of him because he’s playing with confidence. He’s not second-guessing himself.”
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders vs. Chicago Bears: 5 matchups to watch in Week 6
Commanders WR Deebo Samuel vs. Bears CB Kyler Gordon
Samuel is having a phenomenal start to his first season for Washington. He’s doing it all, and he and Jayden Daniels have quickly developed a strong rapport. Samuel is coming off his best game of the season against a tough Chargers’ defense, where he caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. The Bears get their slot cornerback, Kyler Gordon, back for this game. This is even a bigger deal than Edwards’ return. Gordon is considered one of the NFL’s better slot corners, and he gets a tough draw for his first game back. This is a critical matchup from the perspective of both teams.
A to Z Sports
The Bears’ defense gets a boost, but is it enough?
We already know how bad the Bears’ defense is when it comes to stopping the run, but there are players Daniels can target in the passing game. The Bears have four defensive backs allowing 100+ passer rating when targeted, but Kyler Gordon is set to make his season debut this week, giving them a major boost. The main problem for the Bears is that they lack a pass rush and have the fewest sacks in the league, with only five, and the worst pressure rate in the league at only 25.2%. Daniels will have time in the pocket to make plays, and he excels there already this season.
Daniels has a 66% completion percentage with 439 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions this season when he has a clean pocket, with more of that coming up against the Bears. The Commanders will lean on the run game, of course, and it’ll open up downfield shots for Daniels and the offense. Expect the explosive plays to continue for Daniels, and the lights are never too bright, especially when they play at home.
Heavy.com
Chris Rodriguez: Status in question for Monday
Rodriguez (calf) is listed as questionable for Monday’s game versus the Bears. Rodriguez officially was listed as a DNP on all three of the Commanders’ Week 6 practice reports due to a calf injury, but the team still is giving him a chance to suit up Monday. Even if he’s available, though, he’ll be a complementary option at best along with Jeremy McNichols behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Such a role has amounted to 23 carries for 105 yards and no touchdowns and zero targets in three contests this season.
Podcasts & videos
HC Dan Quinn Previews Monday Night Football | Bears vs. Commanders | The Gameplan | NFL
NFC East links
The Athletic (paywall)
What I’m hearing on Eagles fallout
Said one league executive: “The Eagles have looked drained, emotionally and physically. The defense we saw Thursday night was on the field for (70-plus) plays in the heat just four days ago.”
The temps haven’t helped; it was 88 degrees at kickoff Week 2 in Kansas City, 88 at kickoff Week 4 in Tampa (and in the 90s before that game ended) and 80 at kickoff Week 5 at home.
It’s not an excuse. However, it’s possible Philly’s not broken; the Eagles are just out of sync and worn out.
The Eagles will continue to insist they have no plans to trade Brown, their star receiver. But every week that passes with problems piling up makes decision-makers around the league wonder. One league source told me: “Brown doesn’t look frustrated or mad — he looks indifferent. And that’s not a good place to be.” A GM in the AFC said, “I think Howie (Roseman) moves him. It would have to be for the right player or pick, but (a trade) wouldn’t surprise me. Howie likes deals, especially if a player’s value overrides how Brown is being used.”
Most teams anticipate the asking price to be steep. Expect more calls as we near November.
Jersey Boys
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart didn’t sleep much, if at all, after beating the Eagles in prime time. By Friday morning, while most of us were shuffling kids off to school or heading to work, the Giants rookie was already on the phone with his coaches during his drive to the facility, preparing for the Denver Broncos.
It had been almost 20 years since the Giants last defeated the Eagles in prime time, and now Big Blue is living, and occasionally dying, with its rookies, Dart and running back sensation Cam Skattebo.
Since Dart took over as the Giants’ starter, they’ve beaten Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers and Nick Sirianni’s defending champs. Somehow, this team that was supposed to be a bit of a disaster suddenly looks … kind of dangerous.
And look, I feel like I need to say this because it hit me standing on the field during warmups at MetLife Stadium: Both of those young guys look less like NFL players and more like the kind of dudes you’d bump into at Bar Anticipation on Memorial Day weekend. (Those who know, know.)
I’m a Jersey girl; that’s a big compliment.
Around the league now, I keep hearing the same line: “Daboll finally has his guy.”
Not just a quarterback who can run his offense, but a quarterback who reflects him.
One AFC head coach texted me, “(Daboll) thinks Dart has some Josh Allen in him. That’s what this love is all about.”
There’s a looseness to the Giants’ offense again, a confidence that’s been missing. Dart’s not perfect, but you can see why the building believes in him. Maybe it’s something in the water, but there’s a little Jersey in this Giants team again.
Dart might still look more like a guy holding court on the patio at the Parker House than one commanding an NFL huddle, but that’s the fun in this. He’s not supposed to be saving jobs. The Giants weren’t supposed to be this fun. And yet here they are, believing — and maybe, just maybe, building something real.
NJ.com
Humbled Eagles have a long to-do list as they try to keep their season from going off the rails
Two seasons ago the Eagles’ head coach tried all kinds of things to keep the season from going off the rails following a 10-1 start, but he couldn’t prevent the monstrous freefall that resulted in a first-round playoff exit.
Last season, he used the team’s Week 5 bye to help turn a struggling team around and the Eagles closed out the season by going 16-1 and, of course, winning the Super Bowl.
Now, the Eagles are at another crossroads following two straight losses and an overall uninspiring start on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football this season.
“There were some things that we had (against the Giants) that probably (were) a little uncharacteristic,” Sirianni said. “It’s our job to get it fixed. I’m saying that’s concerning and I’m putting (it) on me because when we’re in a team meeting, that’s the things we’re going over. You got to keep preaching it and going after it and be relentless with it. That’s my plan. We’ll get better from it.”
We’ll see.
Big Blue View
Mailbag: Salary cap, Schoen and Daboll, Jalin Hyatt, more questions
Jeffrey Jacobs asks: I was reading earlier today (Sunday, 10/5) that the Giants are actually going to play 2 men short due to not having enough cap space. For years we have been hearing about the Giants cap situation. Aside from managing the draft, managing the cap seems to be the most important part of the General Managers’ job – and it would seem to be one that Joe Schoen has done a terrible job at. Imagine what this defense would look like if Leonard Williams and Xavier McKinney had not been cut loose for cap reasons. I don’t understand why the Giants are always at the bottom of the league in cap space, and why they refuse to follow the Eagles in using void years and pushing money into the future to build a better team.
Your thoughts?
GM Joe Schoen was handed a crippling salary cap mess when he took the job, pretty much cleaned it up, and has now made a mess of his own. I will do my best to hit the different points raised in the questions above.
In terms of not using void years, I absolutely believe that has been a mistake. When your competition is using a tool to improve its current roster, and we know the Philadelphia Eagles use void years to an extreme, and you are not using that same tool you are putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage. It doesn’t make sense to me.
I understand that when you push money into the future, that bill eventually comes due. But the salary cap is exploding year over year as the NFL is simply drowning in money. If you push $20 million ahead this year by using void years, that will be a far lower percentage of the cap in three or four years when you have to pay it than it would be today.
Yes, the Giants played against the Saints with two openings on their 53-man roster. Now, to be clear, that does not mean they played with two fewer players. Both teams dressed 48 players. The problem was that by not adding two players to their 53-man roster they left themselves with two fewer players to choose from. It certainly would have been a good thing to have wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey available, especially after Darius Slayton was injured. We saw Thursday night how Humphrey can help the Giants. The only valid explanation for not filling those two roster spots was the lack of cap space, and that is a travesty in Week 5.
How can the Giants create more cap space? They have already restructured the contract of Andrew Thomas. They did the same with Dexter Lawrence a year ago. I guess they could go back to Lawrence again, but I would not want to do that. They could try to restructure Brian Burns’ contract.
Other than that, you are looking at whatever incremental savings you could get from trading Russell Wilson or cutting players like placekicker Graham Gano or defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Honestly, I thought the Giants would cut both of those players in the offseason to save cap space. Gano is still good, but for the third straight year he is on IR and they are paying him not to kick. Nunez-Roches is really the fourth defensive tackle, yet carries a bigger cap hit than Roy Robertson-Harris or rookie Darius Alexander.
I can’t look at any of the contracts Schoen has signed a player to and thought “that’s a terrible contract.” We can argue about whether giving Wilson $10 million after having already signed Jameis Winston was money well spent. The Giants probably should not have given James Hudson a two-year deal. I don’t think, though, that dishing out terrible Kenny Golladay-esque contracts is the issue.
What truly bothers me about the way Schoen manages the cap is that every general manager understands that because of injuries, practice squad elevations, free agent signings, etc., a team will need somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million in cap space to handle operating costs throughout the season.
Per Over The Cap, the midpoint in available cap space this season is the Eagles with $11.6 million and the Los Angeles Chargers with $10.6 million.
Despite knowing he will need that money, Schoen has blown far past that number and left the Giants scraping for in-season operating money two years in a row.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys at Panthers referee report: Dallas will have uphill battle with zebras
The Cowboys have now gone consecutive weeks with 11 penalties, and it’s their third time in four games with double-digit penalties. After sitting outside the top 10 in penalties for the year, they’ve now leapt into a tie for the fifth-most flags; more concerning, they’re fourth in total penalty yardage.
Special teams continues to be an issue here, too. The offense is 19th in penalties, the defense is 16th in penalties, but special teams is second in the league in flags drawn. Coincidentally, the Titans – led by John “Bones” Fassel – is the one unit more penalized than Dallas.
As for the Panthers, they’re one of the more disciplined teams in the NFL, currently drawing the fifth-fewest penalties. They have yet to draw double-digit flags in a game and have just one game with more than 60 penalty yards. Odds seem good those streaks continue with this week’s officiating crew.
Last year marked the first time since 2017 that Hussey’s crew did not finish the year with more penalties called on the visitor, though it was narrow, with just six more flags on the home team. Prior to that, his crew usually finished with considerably more flags thrown on the road team; so far this year, he’s called seven more penalties on the home team.
It’s possible that Hussey is changing his tendencies, though that’s usually uncommon for referees as tenured as he. A breakdown of Hussey’s games this year offers a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy: he officiated a Titans game in Tennessee in Week 2 that saw the Titans – and that horribly undisciplined special teams unit we mentioned before – flagged six more times than their visiting opponent. That game sticks out as a real statistical anomaly.
One thing that has been materially different this year, though, is the on-field impact of Hussey’s calls. Known to be a boon for the home team’s winning chances, Hussey has seen the home team go 107-56 under his watch before the start of this season.
However, the home team is 2-2 so far this year, with several surprises.
Not only that, but the home team is 1-3 against the spread with Hussey on the call this year, which seems to suggest home teams aren’t getting the usual boost they have in the past.
That’s a comforting trend for the Cowboys, but the fact remains that the Panthers don’t draw the flag too much. The Cowboys offense leads the league in first downs gained by penalty, but Carolina is giving up the fewest first downs by penalty, just two. In the same vein, the Panthers are tied for sixth in gaining first downs that way.
The Panthers are a very disciplined team so far this year, and the Cowboys haven’t been one in recent weeks. Hussey may no longer be the harbinger of doom for visitors, but his presence and extensive track record is anything but a positive for the Cowboys.
Upcoming opponent
Windy City Gridiron
Moving Montez
When the Bears acquired Montez Sweat in 2023, the move looked like a masterstroke. Sweat was averaging 8 sacks per season over his career, but he’d elevated his game significantly in the two years prior, posting sack totals 50% above that baseline. His quarterback disruption extended beyond sacks—he was consistently knocking down quarterbacks more than once per game. Ryan Poles saw a premier pass rusher entering his prime and committed accordingly, handing Sweat a contract that carries a $25.5M cap hit, currently the 11th-highest among edge players.
Since signing that deal, Sweat’s performance has fallen off dramatically. Last season, his quarterback hit numbers dropped to half of what he produced during his peak years, while his sack total matched the second-lowest mark of his career. This year has been even more concerning. The defensive scheme shift—favoring bigger, more physical edge players—appears to have marginalized Sweat’s skill set. He’s currently on pace for just 4 sacks over a full season, a stunning regression for a player commanding elite money. Whether the decline stems from scheme fit, natural aging, or other factors, the reality is stark: Sweat is no longer generating pressure befitting his price tag.
The Bears are at a clear decision point. According to Spotrac, they have a reasonable exit strategy after this season. Releasing Sweat would incur just $8M in dead cap—painful, but manageable given the alternative of paying $25.5M for replacement-level production. Alternatively, a team running a scheme better suited to Sweat’s skill set might surrender a mid-round pick (perhaps a 5th) to take on his contract and bet on a bounce-back.
Windy City Gridiron
Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders: Week 6 Players to Watch
Offense: Theo Benedet, OT
The “Canadian Eagle” got his first start last week on the right side of the offensive line before sliding over to the left side just before halftime. Though Maxx Crosby almost single-handedly won the game for the Raiders, Benedet put forth a respectable performance and looked even better at Left Tackle than he did at Right Tackle, where they moved him at the end of the first half and for the entire second half. Though head coach Ben Johnson played it coy when asked who will be the starting LT this week, Theo will be likely be starting at one of the tackle spots. With Dorance Armstrong tied for 4th across the entire league with 5 sacks on the year, Benedet will have his hands full no matter where he lines up. Add in future Hall of Famer in Von Miller and former Bear Killer Preston Smith and protecting Caleb Williams in the passing game will be paramount for the 2nd year UDFA. How he handles the Monday Night lights on the road will be massive.
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
Cardinals preparing to start Jacoby Brissett vs. Colts as Kyler Murray deals with mid-foot sprain
While the Cardinals are leaving the door open for Murray and won’t make a final decision until Sunday morning, they are preparing for Jacoby Brissett to start against the Colts, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported.
Rapoport added that Murray is dealing with a mid-foot sprain, which is a version of a Lisfranc injury, and that there is a possibility he sits beyond this week since pushing it can cause an aggravation.
The 28-year-old missed two offensive plays of a Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans, going to the blue tent and then the locker room for evaluation after diving to recover an errant snap that struck him in the facemask. He sat out the first two practices of the week before returning in a limited fashion Friday, but Arizona looks to be ready to hold him out so he can heal.
Brissett, 32, has a 19-34 career record split between six teams, most recently going 1-4 under center for the New England Patriots last season with 826 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He’s capable of distributing to Arizona’s top targets, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride, but the offense’s ceiling in terms of explosiveness likely lowers considerably.
