News Commanders Team Notes

[Washington Commanders]

Sunday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons vs San Francisco 49ers

Week 6 is not over yet; we’ve got one more game to watch on Sunday. The Atlanta Falcons are visiting the San Francisco 49ers in a potential NFC playoff preview. The Falcons are coming off a huge upset win over the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers have been the walking wounded this year, and they’re trying to find ways to win with Mac Jones under center. They are 4-2, and coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This should be a good game between two contenders.

Matchup: Atlanta Falcons (3-2) at San Francisco 49ers (4-2)

Date/Time: October 19, 2025, 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, CA

TELEVISION: NBC

Mike Tirico (play-by-play)

Cris Collinsworth (analyst)

Melissa Stark (sideline)

RADIO: Sirius XM NFL

Atlanta: XM/SXM 226, Internet 801

San Francisco: XM/SXM 225, Internet 827

National: 88

Español: 227, Internet 832

Live Streaming: Peacock, NFL+, fuboTV

FanDuel odds: 49ers -1.5, 46.5 O/U

Atlanta: +126

San Francisco: -148

Prediction: 49ers 23 – Falcons 20

SB Nation Blogs: The Falcoholic | Niners Nation

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[Washington Commanders]

Game Recap: Cowboys crush Commanders to take over 2nd place in the NFC East

It’s been talked about on the broadcast of every Dallas game in recent weeks and mentioned in dozens of articles about the team; Dallas has the best offense in the NFL by many metrics and the worst defense in the league by those same metrics. Without getting fancy, let’s just compare the relative rankings of Washington and Dallas offensively and defensively on two basic metrics: yards per game and points per game.

When it comes to offense, the Dallas offense ranks 1st & 3rd in yards gained and points scored, respectively, while on defense, the Cowboys are ranked 32nd & 31st for yards and points given up to opponents.

Washington, on both offense and defense, is better at scoring points than gaining yards. With respect to points — the most important statistic of all – the commanders are ranked 7th on offense and 13th on defense. By contrast, they rank only 13th in yards gained on offense and a rather dismal-looking 25th in yards given up to opponents on defense. Offensively, this looks like good efficiency while defensively it sounds a little like ‘bend don’t break’, or just being good in the red zone (discussed below).

Dallas at home

When playing in their own stadium, which they’ve done twice in 2025 (Giants, Packers – both overtime games) the Dallas offense has produced more and the defense has given up more — which is not surprising with the two overtime periods, which both lasted the full 10 minutes.

Washington on the road

Washington has played 3 home games and 3 road games this season. Overall, Washington’s offense is earning fewer yards and scoring fewer points on the road than at home. The defense is giving up more yards and points on the road than at home. The Commanders are 2-1 at home and 1-2 on the road.

Looks like a shootout

The two games that Dallas has played at home this season — both ending in overtime — ended with scores of 40-40 and 40-37. It’s very much the nature of the Cowboys’ offensive and defensive performances, and Washington seems equipped to be able to score a lot of points and give up a lot of points. Fan Duel has the over/under on this game at 53.5. I’d probably take the over if the mark was 73.5.

A note on Red Zone scoring

Washington’s defense, which is ranked 25th in yards and 13th in points, must be doing something to impact those two inconsistent rankings.

They are.

The Commanders defense is ranked 10th in red zone scoring percentage (TDs only) at 55%. Only 4 defenses in the league are below 50%. The bad news is that the Washington defense has allowed 67% red zone scoring rate on the road, but these are pretty small sample sizes. Overall, the Commanders have allowed opposing offenses into the red zone 20 times; 12 times on the road and 8 times at home.

Significant roster changes this week​

Cowboys

For Dallas, cornerback Trevon Diggs has been ruled out of this week’s game with a concussion. Diggs sustained an accident at home on Thursday night, and after he was evaluated by the team’s staff, the Cowboys declared Diggs unable to suit up on Sunday. On the other hand, CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Booker were full participants on Friday and are set to play Sunday after missing multiple weeks with their respective ankle injuries. KaVontae Turpin (foot) had been targeting this week for his return, and he was right. He was a full participant Friday and will play today. Tyler Smith (knee) was also upgraded to full participation and carries no injury designation heading into Sunday.

Commanders

For the Commanders, the wide receiver position has been hit hard by injury. After being inactive for 4 games, Noah Brown was moved to IR this week, meaning he’s out for at least another 4 weeks. Neither Terry McLaurin nor Deebo Samuel traveled to Dallas; both are ruled out this week. With none of Washington’s top 3 receivers healthy, recently signed receiver Robbie Chosen was elevated from the practice squad for today’s game. Chosen joins Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and rookie Jaylin Lane as the only wide receivers on Washington’s active roster. Tay Martin, who had been elevated from the practice squad three times this season (the maximum allowed), was released earlier in the week, presumably to give him the opportunity to sign with a team that could give him the opportunity for more game appearances this season.

RG Sam Cosmi, who had knee surgery following a knee injury against the Lions in the playoffs, will be active for the first time this season. It’s unclear whether he will start or if he will play full time today; he could be on a pitch-count, a rotation with another player, or he could simply be on the bench as a backup.

CB Jonathan Jones returns from IR to add CB depth.

The defensive line will look a little different, with Eddie Goldman returning after missing the Bears game with an illness. He will be joined by Sheldon Day, who was elevated from the practice squad for the game. DE Jalyn Holmes, who played well vs the Bears on Monday night, was released on Saturday, presumably in the expectation that he will be re-signed to the practice squad on Monday.

NFC East Standings​

Prior to the start of the game, the Eagles beat the Vikings to move to 5-2 and retain first place in the NFC East no matter the outcome of the Washington-Dallas game. The Giants also play in the late window on the road against the Broncos.

The point spread​

Washington opened the week as 2.5-point road favorites, but the news on Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel (along with the health reports out of Dallas) has squeezed the line, per Fan Duel to -1.5 for the Commanders.

With Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown all missing from today’s lineup, the Commanders will need to find ways to threaten the Dallas defense, which is pretty bad and missing its top cornerback.

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First Quarter​

Washington kicked off to the Cowboys to open the game. Dallas began their first drive at the 34-yard line after an explosive return by Turpin.

Two plays later, Dallas faced 3rd & 1 after a strong 2nd down run by Javontae Williams. On 3rd down, Dak hit CeeDee Lamb for a 13-yard gain into Washington territory.

On 2nd & 5, Dak threw into the end zone and Marshon Lattimore was called for interference while defending George Pickens, putting the ball at the 1-yard line.

Marshon Lattimore flagged for the DPI at the 1 yard line on this deep shot to George Pickens. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/FnwFssR3CE

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Williams ran it in on the 1st down play to give the home team an immediate lead. Dallas covered 66 yards in 5 plays in just under 2 minutes with Dallas looking like the top offense in the NFL.

Javonte Williams finds pay dirt!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/hDooN2aXKu

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

After the PAT, Dallas led 7-0.

After the kickoff, Washington’s offense took the field at the 39-yard line following a good return by McCaffrey.

An 8-yard run by Bill on 1st down was followed by a swing pass to the RB for no gain on 2nd down. On 3rd & 3, Jayden missed McCaffrey downfield, but Dan Quinn left his offense on the field at their own 46-yard line. A false start penalty on Sam Cosmi made it 4th & 8, and Tress Way came out to punt.

Percy Butler downed the punt inside the 1-yard line for, literally, the worst field position possible for the Cowboys’ offense.

The punt. The coverage. Beautiful

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/TX4JrkKtpL

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

On 1st down, Daron Payne tackled Javontae Williams a yard deep in the end zone for a safety! The score is now 7-2, and the Commanders offense will get the ball following the free kick by Dallas from their own 20-yard line.

SAFETY!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/owLrRALW65

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Washington’s offense got the ball at the 35-yard line following the touchback.

The drive started the same way as the first drive did — with a Croskey-Merritt run — this one for 9 yards. Jayden kept the ball on 2nd down but came up a yard short, bringing up 3rd & 1; Bill went up the middle to earn the fresh set of downs.

On a play-action pass on 1st down, Jayden hit Chris Moore downfield for a huge 44-yard catch & run to the 9-yard line.

Daniels to Moore for the big gain!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/oaWvNDpONN

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

On 3rd & goal from the 5-yard line, Jayden had all day; he found Zach Ertz all alone at the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown.

Daniels finds his guy Ertz for the lead

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/4RCiWbGUfV

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

With a 1-point lead, the Commanders attempted a 2-point conversion, but Jayden was tackled on the QB run. With 7:38 to play in the quarter, Washington leads 8-7. The scoring drive covered 65 yards in 7 plays, taking 3:45.

Solid defensive stop here from the Cowboys to stop the 2pt conversion attempt. pic.twitter.com/ld00aN2CYq

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

The Cowboys started their 3rd offensive drive at the 40-yard line when Matt Gay’s kickoff went out of bounds around the 3-yard line.

The drive started with a huge pass to George Pickens on the right sideline for a 24-yard gain.

Heck of a circus catch from George Pickens here. pic.twitter.com/CVG18LL9WA

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Two plays later, it was 3rd & 3 at the WAS 29-yard line. Under very heavy pressure, Prescott couldn’t complete the pass to Lamb, with Mikey Sainristil in coverage. The Cowboys attempted the 47-yard field goal on 4th & 3; the attempt was good. Dallas re-took the lead 10-8 with just over 6 minutes left in the quarter. The scoring drive covered 31 yards in 5 plays. As so often happens, the Commanders 1st quarter defense allowed the opponents to move the ball before stiffening up in the red zone and forcing the field goal.

At this rate of scoring, the two teams are on track for well over 70 points.

Washington’s offense started at their own 13-yard line after a penalty was enforced against Colson Yankoff for tripping.

This was flagged as "tripping" on the kickoff return.

Seriously. pic.twitter.com/XtnMyvxoN0

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Once again, the drive started with an inside handoff to Bill; he earned 4 yards this time, which, I believe, is his least successful 1st down carry of the day.

Zach Ertz dropped the 2nd down pass to force 3rd & 6 at the 16-yard line; Jayden hit Robbie Chosen on a short pass, but the Cowboys defenders closed fast and tackled him short, forcing the 3 & out.

On 3rd down, Jayden Daniels hits "Robbie Chosen" who catches it but can't find the 1st down marker.

Robbie Chosen was activated today and that's his 1st target and catch as a #Commanders WR, in case you were wondering who you saw. pic.twitter.com/MYy1II5K2S

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Turpin, the return man, was tackled for a short return at his 26-yard line with 4:38 left in the first quarter.

With no pass rush to threaten him, Dak wound up and threw downfield finding CeeDee Lamb for a 74-yard touchdown.

DAK TO CEEDEE FOR A 74-YARD TD!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8qCbaD4boQ

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Quan Martin was out of position in a deep Cover 2 assignment on the Dallas TD.

In trying to adjust, Martin and Lattimore collided and left Lamb wide open to jog into the endzone.

Yuck. pic.twitter.com/UQFutq3wUN

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Following the PAT, Dallas led by 9 points. Dallas 17 – Washington 8.

Jaylin Lane dropped the 1st down pass about 20 yards downfield.

Jaylin Lane drops the easy catch on 1st down, and the #Commanders are badly missing their top 3 receivers. pic.twitter.com/doKV8XGilx

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Jayden missed Chris Moore on 2nd down. On 3rd & 10, Robbie Chosen caught a 13-yard pass to the 41-yard line.

Robbie Chosen and Jayden Daniels link up for the 1st down on 3rd and 10.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/w0YUQ3eUpV

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On 2nd & 9, Daniels sailed the ball over Zach Ertz and the Dallas safeties.

Jayden Daniels was off on this throw and it was close to being intercepted.

Ertz had worked open in what looked like a Cover 6 defensive scheme, but the pass from Daniels went high.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/GEDDdcQagy

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On 3rd & 9, he threw to Chosen short of the sticks. On 4th & 4, Tress Way came out for his 3rd punt of the day. This one bounced through the end zone, giving the Cowboys the ball at their own 20-yard line with about 2 minutes still remaining in the quarter. There’s been a ton of offense so far.

Two plays later, Dallas faced 3rd & 5. On 3rd down, the pass rush got home, but Jacob Martin took Dak’s helmet off on the sack. It shouldn’t have been a penalty, but the refs threw flags. 1st down Dallas.

Jacob Martin just clothes-lined Dak Prescott and his helmet flew off.

This was called as Roughing the Passer though?!

What is happening to this sport… pic.twitter.com/KUS6oViTAp

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

After a penalty flag against the offense and a near-sack, the quarter ended with the Cowboys facing 2nd & 15.

Jacob Martin again, and Dak Prescott goes down for no gain.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/IyM57Fu26s

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Second Quarter​

It became 2nd & 20 after a pre-snap penalty.

On 3rd & 9, at the DAL 40-yard line, Dak was hit as he threw incomplete with Darnelle Savage in coverage on Williams.

After the punt and fair catch by Lane, the Commanders had the ball 1st & 10 at their own 10-yard line, trailing by 9 points. So far, the Cowboys have 154 yards of offense on 5 drives; Washington has 100 yards of offense on 4 drives. Washington’s defense has given up explosive plays again. Washington has run the ball well. A touchdown drive here would go a long way towards restoring the competitive balance in the game.

Bill gets stuffed on 1st down; after a QB scramble on 2nd down, the Commanders faced 3rd & 5 at the 15-yard line. On 3rd down, Daniels, who had all day to scan the field, found Jaylin Lane down the right sideline for a 35-yard gain to the 49-yard line on a pass that traveled the full 35 yards in the air.

Two things to appreciate on this deep hit to Jaylin Lane for 35 yds

1) The #Commanders OL are playing excellently today in pass protection. Jayden Daniels had TIME

2) Jayden Daniels didn't panic at all and waited for a receiver to work open. Veteran savvy. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/9ouFOalh54

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

After a good scramble and a stuffed run by Bill, on 3rd & 5, Jayden missed Lane on the right sideline. Facing 4th & 5 at the DAL 46-yard line, DQ kept the offense on the field. The attempted pass was incomplete — Dallas forced a turnover on downs with a successful 4th down blitz, ending what had been looking like a promising offensive drive.

The #Commanders offense just can't get going today with so many receivers missing, and Washington turns it over on downs here. pic.twitter.com/a3wHYVCoDH

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

The Cowboys start their 6th offensive drive with great field position at their own 46-yard line. There’s now only a 10-yard difference in total yards with both teams having run 5 offensive drives. The scoreboard, however, isn’t as even. After a 25-point first quarter, neither team has added any points in the 2nd quarter.

On 3rd & 2 at the Washington 46-yard line, Prescott scrambled, but an offensive holding call forced 3rd & 12 at the Dallas 44-yard line. On the 3rd down play, TE Jake Ferguson caught a 13-yard pass to earn the 1st down.

After a muffed snap and a tipped pass (Daron Payne) on 1st & 2nd downs, on 3rd & 12, Payne tipped his THIRD pass of the game to force 4th & 12.

Daron Payne contract year means he has a bunch of tricks in his bag.

Tipping passes at the LOS on 3rd down is just one of them. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/RwDKly4wfw

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

The Dallas kicker, Brandon Aubrey, came out to nail a 61-yard field goal that looked like it would have been good from 75 yards.

Brandon Aubrey from 61 yards with EASE

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/aaTzIBROPE

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Cowboys now lead 20-8. The scoring drive covered 11 yards in 8 plays. Again, if Washington can score a touchdown on the upcoming drive, they can make it a one-score game.

After another penalty flag on another kick return, Washington starts its next drive at the 10-yard line.

After a short scramble, a penalty, and an incomplete pass, the Commanders faced 3rd & 13 at their own 7-yard line. A check down to RB Jeremy McNichols came up 2 yards short and Tress Way, who is having a busy day, came out to punt again. The zebras called a false start penalty on the long snapper, Tyler Ott, to move the ball back 5 yards before the punt.

This was called as a FALSE START on the CENTER?!

What?!?! pic.twitter.com/5xSgL4Shmh

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Percy Butler made a great tackle on the punt coverage; Dallas will start its next drive at the 28-yard line.

Two plays later, it was 3rd & 3 at the 34-yard line. Dak made an easy pitch & catch completion to Lamb for the 1st down with Sainristil in coverage.

On 1st down, Luvu wrapped up RB Williams for a 3-yard loss followed by a 2 yard gain on a 2nd down screen pass.

Frankie Luvu with a big TFL in the backfield.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/x3XS5ZunyE

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On 3rd & 11, Sainristil broke up the pass at the line to gain.

The #Commanders defense gets a stop on 3rd down.

Pass rush almost got home, forced Dak to throw under pressure into coverage to a receiver who wasn't open.

Good play by Sainristil at the end.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/YoYhtrynJy

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On 4th & 11 on their own side of the field, the Cowboys punted.

After a 9-yard return by Jaylin Lane, Jayden Daniels and the offense took the field at the 32-yard line with 1:56 left in the half.

McNichols gained 12 yards on 1st down.

Jayden then ran for 14 yards to the DAL 42-yard line on the next play.

With a free play on a defensive offsides, Jayden threw for Robbie Chosen in the end zone. Chosen was hit hard for what should have been a DPI penalty in the end zone, but instead was just 5 yards on the offsides flag. Daniels scrambled for a first down on the subsequent play. Washington now had 1st & 10 at the Dallas 27-yard line with 1:22 on the clock.

Lane caught a pass in the middle of the field, and on the next play, McNichols broke multiple tackles to push the ball to the 2-yard line — 1st & goal!

Jayden kept the ball on a bobbled snap on 1st down and tip-toed into the end zone for a desperately-needed touchdown.

Jayden Daniels runs it in for the TD!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/FU16BZMmAj

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

After the PAT, the score was 20-15 with 45 seconds on the clock.

Turpin was tackled at the 28-yard line on the kickoff return.

Dak took a 7-yard loss on a defensive sack by Von Miller and Jacob Martin with 28 second left on the clock.

George Pickens broke Commanders fans’ hearts with a fantastic 44-yard catch on the left sideline.

Dak drops a dime to Pickens!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/DoCT3KhhWg

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Then Javontae Williams broke loose for a 33-yard run to the Washington 2-yard line. That was 77 yards in two plays!

On the next play, TE Jake Ferguson caught a touchdown pass a yard deep in the end zone.

Dak to Ferguson for the TD right before half!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/n3MPsBl79F

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Following the PAT, the score was 27-15.

Following McCaffrey’s return to the 25-yuad line the Commanders just wanted to get to the locker room.

McCaffery was shaken up on the tackle. He walked off the field under his own power.

Luke McCaffrey appears to have concussed himself trying to hurdle for extra yards. His helmet hit the turf hard.

The #Commanders are already incredibly thin at WR. pic.twitter.com/Hh2szs47Fr

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

With 42 points scored in the first half, this game is on track for 80+ points. The Commanders will need to overcome a 12-point deficit in the remaining 30 minutes.

The Commanders will get the ball first to open the second half.

Our ball after the half pic.twitter.com/FKbhYiR1Sf

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 19, 2025

Halftime Stats​

Statistics via ESPN​

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Third Quarter​

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens combined for 182 yards in the first half. Dak is on pace for 400+ passing yards. The Commanders not only need to open up the half with an offensive touchdown; the Washington defense needs to find a way to stop the Dallas passing attack — though, with 70 yards on the ground in the first half, defending the rushing attack doesn’t look like a great alternative. Penalties have been killing the Commanders.

Washington’s ninth drive of the game began at their 35-yard line following McCaffrey’s return (he’s okay, apparently).

Two plays later, on 3rd & 2, Jayden ran on a designed QB run and just made it to the line to gain with a reach as he went out of bounds.

After a short run and a batted pass, on 3rd & 10, Jayden scrambled to his left and found Chris Moore downfield for a 15-yard gain and another first down at the DAL 39-yard line.

Jayden Daniels moves the chains on 3rd and 10. Badly needed completion here. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/IR8EeSs2mL

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Disaster hit on the next play as Daniels fumbled the ball as he was sacked. Dallas recovered the ball and Jayden came up limping.

Disaster.

Jayden Daniels is hit and loses the football. But more importantly, he's clutching his knee and hobbling off the field.

It's the same knee he's wearing the knee brace. pic.twitter.com/zY5x2CtPFN

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Another angle of the Jayden Daniels injury. pic.twitter.com/yaAMW7w04I

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

The Dallas offense has the ball, 1st & 10 at the DAL 45-yard line, and JD5 is headed to the locker room.

On 2nd down, Javontae Williams looked like he was gonna be tackled for loss, but his jump cut left Luvu’s jock in the parking lot and Williams gained 17 yards.

Two plays later, on 3rd & 5 at the 25-yard line, Prescott got a pass away under pressure, hitting Pickens 10 yards downfield against Marshon Lattimore.

Another two plays later, on 3rd & 8 at the 12-yard line, Prescott scrambled for the needed 8 yards to earn 1st & goal at the 5 yard line.

The defenders just waiting for Dak to get to them instead of closing the distance is an indictment on the Joe Whitt Jr zone defensive scheme.

He's past the LOS. He cannot throw. Leave your zone and make the tackle.

Terrible. Players don't know what to do. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/gYpxoGBIB3

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

Seconds later, running no-huddle, TE Ferguson caught his second TD pass of the game.

Dak to Ferguson TD x2

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/C7TermPwRb

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

After the PAT, the score started to look like a blowout at 34-15 with under 8 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and Jayden Daniels in the locker room.

Following the out of bounds kickoff, Washington’s offense took the field with Marcus Mariota behind center at the 40-yard line.

Mariota started with an 18-yard completion to Lane on 1st down.

Chris Rodriguez came in and ran the ball on the 2nd snap of the series, gaining 2 yards. Another 7 yards by CRod brought up 3rd & 1 at the DAL 32-yard line. A false start against Josh Conerly (his 2nd penalty of the game, I think) made it 3rd & 6.

Mariota scrambled, broke out of a couple of potential sacks, and tried to find a receiver on the right sideline. The ball floated out slowly, and DaRon Bland jumped it, made the interception, and sprinted into the end zone. The rout is on! Dallas 41 – Washington 15

DARON BLAND PICK-6!

WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/R3jUhC585z

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Go ahead and turn the game off, folks.

See you next week.

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

With 5 1/2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, there’s plenty of time for Washington to mount a comeback, but nothing in the game so far makes it seem possible.

McCaffrey had another great return for 41 yards to the 47-yard line.

On 1st down, Mariota scrambled for 25 yards to the DAL 28-yard line.

Bill is back in the game. He ran for 2 yards to brig up 3rd & 3 in what feels like a 4-down situation.

The ref held the offense until there was just 2 seconds on the play clock; delay of game penalty resulted.

Delay of game out of a timeout is normally inexcusable, but the NFL Official was preventing the snap until there was 3 seconds left on the play clock.

Cmon, man. pic.twitter.com/oQd99EotFU

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On 3rd & 8, Mariota scrambled right and then threw the pass out of the back of the end zone.

The offense stayed on the field for 4th & 8. On the play, Mariota threw over Robbie Chosen’s head, but a pass interference call against the defense gave Washington a fresh set of downs at the 12-yard line. Dallas fans would probably be justified if they complained about the flag.

Mariota scrambled for 9 yards to the 3-yard line, but his 2nd down pass was batted down on a fast rush by Clowney.

On 3rd & 1, Rodriguez came up inches short of the goal line — 1st & goal with 2:25 left in the 3rd quarter.

NO, WAIT!! Replay called it a touchdown!! After the PAT, the score is 41-22.

I notice that NFL replays have gotten fast & loose with the “clear and obvious” standard for replay this season.

TOUCHDOWN?

Chris Rodriguez is credited with this Touchdown after a review during the commercial break.

Okay. Sure.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/dwXyA3REXV

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

The offense did its job by adding a touchdown. There’s more than a quarter left to play; the defense needs to step up with a quick stop now.

Dallas starts at the 33-yard line as the sun rises in Bangkok.

Two plays later, on 3rd & 5 in a largely silent stadium, Lattimore was called for defensive pass interference against CeeDee Lamb. 1st & 10 at the DAL 38-yard line.

Trey Amos missed a tackle on Turpin, who broke a short pass for a 17-yard gain deep into Washington territory. Javontae Williams broke 100 yards for the day on the next snap, running for 9 yards to the 18.

When the quarter ended, Dallas had the ball 1st & 10 at the 15-yard line. The Washington defense is not playing winning football.

Fourth Quarter​

The Cowboys opened the final quarter with a run and a shovel pass to bring up 3rd & 9 at the 14-yard line. On 3rd down, FB Hunter Luepke was gang tackled at the 11-yard line.

Aubrey’s 29-yard field goal made the score 44-22 with just under 13 minutes to play. Washington needs 3 unanswered touchdowns, with at least one successful 2-point conversion to stay in this game. That seems…unlikely.

Washington’s 12th offensive drive of the day starts at the 28-yard line.

On 2nd down, Zach Ertz had a 27-yard catch & run to the Dallas 45-yard line.

After a sack and an incomplete pass, on 3rd & 15 (in a 4-down situation), Robbie Chosen made a great contested catch at the line to gain to bring up 4th & 1.

Strong catch from Robbie Chosen, who has stepped up pretty well today.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/SPt7Rgo2Jh

— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) October 19, 2025

On the 4th down play, Luke McCaffrey was running wide open on a crossing route, but Mariota overthrew him by 4 or 5 yards on what could have been a huge play. Earning the win was already a long shot, but this failure likely snuffs out whatever practical hope remained with just over 10 minutes left in the game.

The only good news is that — in Denver — the Broncos, who trailed the entire game against the Giants, have taken a 4-point lead with just over a minute remaining.

The Cowboys offense ran conservative plays to keep the clock moving, and the drive ran out of steam at the 49-yard line. Lane made the fair catch at the 8-yard line.

The broadcast reports that Jayden Daniels has a hamstring injury, but also shows him running/jogging so it doesn’t appear debilitating.

Two plays later, after getting swarmed by the Dallas defense, on 3rd & 6 from the 2 yard line, McNichols earned two yards on a run. Tress Way came on to punt from the back of his own end zone with less than 5 minutes to play.

After the punt and a penalty flag against the Cowboys, they started what is likely their final drive of the game at their 25-yard line.

No one is calling timeout.

At the 2-minute warning, Dallas had the ball, 3rd & 7 at their own 38-yard line.

The bad news is that the Giants scored again to take the lead in Denver.

The worse news is that the Cowboys won this game easily by a score of 44-22.

Good news (sort of): the Broncos beat the Giants on a walk-off field goal.

Final pic.twitter.com/TVpApYhPMf

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 19, 2025

Full Game Stats​

Statistics via ESPN​

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Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/washingto...anders-to-take-over-2nd-place-in-the-nfc-east

 

[Washington Commanders]

All aTwitter: 21-Oct-25 – With another starter lost for the season, no simple answers for Commanders

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

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Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed​

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Click here for NFL News, Rumors & Reports Twitter Feed​

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Tip: If a tweet isn’t fully visible on your screen, clicking on the date at the bottom of the tweet will open it up individually in either the X app or your browser.​

HC Dan Quinn confirmed that DE Dorance Armstrong suffered a season-ending injury in yesterday's game

With you every step of the way, 92 pic.twitter.com/TD0PBMQfVe

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 20, 2025

Jayden Daniels had an MRI earlier today and has a "relatively minor hamstring injury"pic.twitter.com/rwpUiDaBou

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 20, 2025

Jayden Daniels pass chart before he got taken out of the game in the 3rd quarter…

What do you notice?

: @NextGenStats | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2YA6XkzWhj

— 𝒆𝒍𝒊… (@CMNDERS) October 20, 2025

This is the Commanders healthy pass rusher room currently

Jacob Martin
Preston Smith
Von Miller

That’s it. #RaiseHail

— Mason Kinnahan (@Mason_Kinnahan) October 20, 2025

Sources: With the #Dolphins sitting at 1-6, teams around the league are keeping a close eye on their pass-rushers ahead of the trade deadline — including Bradley Chubb (no guaranteed money after this season), Jaelan Phillips (in the final year of his contract), and Matthew Judon… pic.twitter.com/dlXKNQYoGT

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 20, 2025

Sam Cosmi in his return

41 pass block snaps
1 pressure allowed
0 sacks allowed
85.9 pass pro grade

Didn't miss a beat #RaiseHail

— Mason Kinnahan (@Mason_Kinnahan) October 20, 2025

PFF grades aren't everything but your three starting CBs consistently being towards the bottom on your defense isn't a great thing #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/am24TzxmHw

— Mason Kinnahan (@Mason_Kinnahan) October 20, 2025

Former head coach Jay Gruden says there was at least one play where Washington’s coaching staff didn’t put Marshon Lattimore in an ideal position to succeed.

Gruden did not understand the end of half playcalling defensively. pic.twitter.com/LwaWdZeV9k

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 20, 2025

.@Nell_BTP says he's TIRED of hearing folks cry about the #Commanders defensive "scheme" pic.twitter.com/Tc2dwfoWFh

— The Team 980 (@team980) October 20, 2025

DT Daron Payne is the first defensive lineman to record three-plus passes defensed in the first half of a game since Minnesota DL Brian Robinson in 2012.

— Washington Commanders PR (@Wash_PR) October 19, 2025

TE Zach Ertz has caught his fourth touchdown of the season. He is now tied for second among all tight ends in receiving touchdowns this season.

— Washington Commanders PR (@Wash_PR) October 19, 2025

When Washington has forced a 2nd-and-12 or longer, opposing QBs have completed 13-of-17 passes for 185 yards. The yardage total is second worst (ahead of only Indy). Opponents have a total QBR of 67.5 (out of 100) in this situation — second worst ahead of only Green Bay.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 20, 2025

Per @SumerSports Brain – #Commanders have not rushed seven on any pass plays in '25 (7 GP).

"Their pass rush shows they primarily use 4 rushers (125 plays), followed by five rushers (43 plays), and six rushers (10 plays). They've also occasionally used three rushers (3 plays)."

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) October 20, 2025

Von Miller would be leading the 2025 Bills in sacks right now.

Unfortunately, he's a dead cap hit for Buffalo — and taking down QBs for Washington.

(via @spotrac) pic.twitter.com/TFpS1e49n2

— Scoop City (@ScoopCityShow) October 20, 2025

Four rookies have 500+ scrimmage yards and 5+ TDs in 2025. That is the most such players through the first 7 weeks of a season in the Common Draft era (since 1967).

There were only 8 such rookies from 2013-2024 combined pic.twitter.com/Vaby9xGlLM

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) October 21, 2025

Veteran WR Tyler Lockett has asked for and received his release from the Tennessee Titans, per source. Lockett is expected to be free to sign with another team after 4 pm ET Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/GpDxmoOe3U

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2025

#Chiefs DT Omarr Norman-Lott, their second rounder this year, suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season, sources say. The promising young lineman turns his attention to a full recovery for 2026. pic.twitter.com/ENhUz0qaZj

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2025

#Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw has been suspended by the NFL one game for his actions here toward referee Brad Allen after the team’s game-winning field goal. pic.twitter.com/zyIKYvcYrK

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 20, 2025

#Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw, just back from an injury, was suspended without pay for one game for unsportsmanlike conduct following Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

From then NFL: After the conclusion of the Giants-Broncos game, Greenlaw chased after referee Brad Allen… pic.twitter.com/KWKAS8FawR

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2025

Jahmyr Gibbs….confirmed FAST #TBvsDET ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/NTXHFhvdla

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 21, 2025

Mike Evans was carted off the field with an injury. pic.twitter.com/HrAx2ug8us

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 21, 2025

Now that’s a punch @_YoungTruth7

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/yIKSvCTQZX

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025

What a play by Arthur Maulet for the interception!

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ftwZPKrnct

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025

Tez Johnson scores on the screen pass!

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/fLNxdLnDPm

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025

Cut on a dime

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/BgQ0Pg5BqL

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2025

Juuust got it through the uprights

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/tIHiyJdYqS

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025

The NFL is a joke.

"After a second look" the first down is overturned.pic.twitter.com/PuUQLNFnmm

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 21, 2025

New York lives in the earpiece of NFL refs

been like that for a while now

there is no "second look".. it's a voice in the ear from Park Ave

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 21, 2025

Bucs chipped Aidan Hutchinson 56% of the time in the first half, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

For context:

-T.J. Watt has the highest chip rate this season at 39%

-Only two players are over 30% on the year

-The most Hutchinson has been chipped in a game this year was 37% by GB

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) October 21, 2025

Last Monday: Bijan is the best RB in the @NFL !

Last night: McCaffrey is the best RB in the NFL!

Tonight: Gibbs is the best RB in the NFL!

All three arguments feel right in the moment.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 21, 2025

News from @nfl345 pic.twitter.com/uosfAODhH8

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) October 20, 2025

Former NFL RB Doug Martin was "involved in a break-in" and died in police custody, Oakland police confirm.

Martin became unresponsive after a "brief struggle," police said.

OPD's full story: pic.twitter.com/P8qSD1UZuq

— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) October 20, 2025

RIP Doug pic.twitter.com/GEByVTcAsC

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 21, 2025

We were proud to celebrate Torrance Myrtle, a patient of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Sibley Memorial Hospital, during our Crucial Catch game

Torrance was honored on the field as our Second Half Kickoff Captain, celebrating two years cancer-free! pic.twitter.com/v9C9id9cNr

— Washington Commanders Community (@commandersCR) October 20, 2025

At least we have some better uniforms to look forward to a couple times in November #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/EocwgfJgng

— Tim Meek (@IndySkinsFan) October 20, 2025

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Hogs Haven Media Information​

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Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

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Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/openthrea...r-the-season-no-simple-answers-for-commanders

 

[Washington Commanders]

Washington Commanders Roster Moves: A DE swap as Dorance Armstrong goes to IR

Tbe Washington Commanders announced two roster moves today. DE Dorance Armstrong suffered a knee injury during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, and will be done for the year according to head coach Dan Quinn. He was dealing with a hamstring injury from the Bears game on Monday Night Football the previous week, and played despite not practicing during the short week.

That move is now official, and the team is signing DE Jalyn Holmes to the 53-man roster to take his spot. Holmes was released on Saturday to make room for Sam Cosmi, who was activated from the Reserve/PUP list after tearing his ACL in January. Holmes has been with the team since last season, and will rejoin a defensive line that has been rocked by injuries this year. Deatrich Wise Jr(quad) and Javontae Jean-Baptiste(pec) have already been placed on IR earlier this season.

We have made the following roster moves:
– Placed DE Dorance Armstrong on the Reserve/Injured List
– Signed DE Jalyn Holmes pic.twitter.com/xFXNHrMqUN

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 21, 2025

Def Interceptions	Fumbles	Tackles
Date	Team	Opp	Result	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	Fmb	FR	Yds	FRTD	Sk	Comb	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sfty
2025-10-13	WAS	CHI	L, 24-25	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	4	1	3	0	0
2025-10-05	WAS	@	LAC	W, 27-10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	1	0	1	0	1
2025-09-28	WAS	@	ATL	L, 27-34	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	3	0	3	0	0
2025-09-21	WAS	LVR	W, 41-24	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	1	0	1	0	0

2025 Game Logs Table

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/21/2025.

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In other injury news, WRs Terry McLaurin(quad) and Deebo Samuel(heel) are expected to practice this week. McLaurin has missed the last four games and Samuel missed his first game of the season after managing the injury for the previous two games. The Commanders also placed WR Noah Brown(groin) on IR last week after he missed his fourth game.

“The plan is to have full weeks of practice for them,” head coach Dan Quinn said on SiriusXM’s “Movin’ The Chains”.

QB Jayden Daniels suffered a hamstring on Sunday that has been described as “not significant or long-term” but we’ll have to wait until there’s another update to have a better idea on if he’ll be able to play when the Commanders visit the Kansas City Chiefs for another Monday Night Football game.

Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are on track to practice this week, Commanders coach Dan Quinn told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Sirius XM radio today. McLaurin (quad) was very close to being ready last week so that makes sense; Samuel missed last week with a bruised heel.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 21, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384235/wa...ves-a-de-swap-as-dorance-armstrong-goes-to-ir

 

[Washington Commanders]

Daily Slop – 22 Oct 25 – All eyes are on the health of WRs Terry McLaurin & Deebo Samuel ahead of MNF game vs KC Chiefs

Commanders links​

Articles​

ftn

New DVOA commentary on the weird, inconsistent Washington Commanders​

The strangest rating might now might be the Washington Commanders at No. 7 despite a 3-4 record and a bad 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys this week. The reason is that the Commanders were phenomenal in their three wins. All three games currently have DVOA ratings over 70%, although that could change as opponent adjustments develop. The Commanders are below 0% for all four losses and have the highest variance of any team in the NFL this year. The total package is better than you think, but really inconsistent, and of course they have a lot of injury issues including starting quarterback Jayden Daniels.

It was a good week for the rest of the NFC East, at least when it comes to the DVOA ratings. Dallas climbed eight spots from 17th to eighth after beating the Commanders soundly. The Eagles moved up four spots to No. 11 with a victory over Minnesota. The Giants drop a spot after their close 33-32 loss to Denver, but their actual rating is up a couple of percentage points. They just got passed on the table by the suddenly hot Carolina Panthers, who are now up to 21st overall.

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The Athletic (paywall)

NFL trade deadline 2025: Which teams should be buyers, sellers or stand pat?​

Washington Commanders: Stand pat​

The Commanders made a splash by trading for cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the deadline last year. But they were 7-2 at the time and suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league. Their plan to rebuild was expedited, and they believed they had a chance to contend with some help on the back end. Much has changed since then. Washington is 3-4 this season with two prime-time games — a Monday night road game in Kansas City, then a Sunday night meeting with the Seahawks at home — before the trade deadline. The Commanders’ roster is in shambles because of injuries, and their defense is spiraling. Giving up more draft picks when they’re deficient in many areas wouldn’t make sense. And the players they might be willing to part with may not generate interest elsewhere. — Nicki Jhabvala

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Commanders.com

Hail Mail | Why has Frankie Luvu disappeared and why isn’t Jayden under center more?​

The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

I’m back for another edition of Hail Mail, and I’ve noticed that the Washington Commanders’ fan base is a little…well, perturbed following last Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

@robbieroadrunr: Why is Luvu non-existent this year? I blame the scheme. What are your thoughts?

I’ve seen this a lot when it comes to Frankie Luvu, who, in fairness to you, has not been as consistently impactful as he was last year. He had a career season in 2024, and things have been a little uneven for him on the stat sheet.

Here’s my problem with the argument of the scheme being to blame for Luvu’s lack of consistent numbers: it’s the same scheme as last season. It’s not like they’ve drastically changed much about how they use him, at least not to my eyes. What I have seen, though, is that teams are adjusting to him differently than they did last year. They’re treating him as a pass-rusher, which means that offensive lines are accounting for him more often in the protection scheme. That change has helped opponents prevent him from blowing up plays in the backfield — something he often did last season.

But I will give you some credit here by saying that it’s on the coaching staff to figure out ways around that problem. I’m not saying that they haven’t been trying to do that. If you — a fan — and me — a team reporter — can see that teams are playing Luvu differently, then obviously the coaching staff can see that as well. Joe Whitt even mentioned it in one of his press conferences. So, they’re still looking for an answer, and while they might not have found one they like yet, that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

@TheJoesList: Why are we always in the shotgun letting teams tee off on Jayden Daniels?

This might sound contradictory, but I don’t think the two are as related as you might think. For one, while they do run most of their plays with Daniels in either the shotgun or pistol formation, that’s always been a key piece of the Commanders’ offense since Kliff Kingsbury was named the offensive coordinator. Indeed, that’s the case for most modern offenses today with most younger quarterbacks possessing some form of athleticism. Also, the shotgun is supposed to allow the quarterback more time to pass the ball, so if that’s your concern (which is valid), I don’t think lining up under center is the solution.

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Heavy.com

Quan Martin : Finishes with seven takedowns in Week 7​

Martin tallied seven tackles (three solo) in Sunday’s loss against Dallas. Martin finished as Washington’s second-leading tackler behind Bobby Wagner (eight). Through seven games this season, Martin has tallied 41 tackles and two defensed passes.

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Heavy.com

Commanders re-sign Jalyn Holmes to Replace Dorance Armstrong Jr.​

The Commanders brought back Jalyn Holmes on Tuesday, October 21 after Armstrong was sent to injured reserve. Both moves were confirmed by the team on X.

Holmes suited up for the Commanders in 14 games, including the playoffs, last season. He offers similar flexibility to Armstrong as a lineman who can play on the edge and also slide inside to D-tackle.

What Holmes won’t do is provide the same juice as a pass-rusher as Armstrong, who’d logged 5.5 sacks before suffering what proved to be a season-ending knee injury against former team the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7.

Armstrong’s ability to create pressure will be missed, but Holmes might offer more as an edge-setter against the run. Meanwhile, being without Armstrong should mean extended work for a more decorated pass-rusher.

Sticking with who they know makes some sense for the Commanders. Holmes is familiar with the schemes of head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., as well as being able to work alongside defensive line coach Darryl Tapp.

Those things might not be endorsements given how much the Commanders are struggling on the defensive side of the ball. They surrendered 44 points to the Cowboys, who moved the ball freely both through the air and on the ground [though, to be fair, those things happened without Holmes on the Commanders roster].

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Riggo’s Rag

Commanders are hopeful that Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel can feature in Week 8​

Daniels’ status for the game is unclear. However, Quinn offered a much more promising prognosis for two influential figures before preparations gathered pace for the team’s Week 8 showdown.

Washington’s passing attack was anemic during its embarrassing loss to the Cowboys. They didn’t have enough to keep pace, especially considering the defensive frailties and Daniels’ injury in the third quarter. McLaurin and Samuel won’t solve every problem the Commanders are dealing with, but it’ll get them closer.

The coach revealed during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the plan is for Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. to get a whole week of practice before possibly featuring versus the Chiefs. Quinn sounded hopeful, but fans have heard it all before.

Until fans see both on the practice field getting their workload ramped up, they will remain skeptical.

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Pro Football Focus

Grading all 32 first-round rookies after Week 7​

Pick No. 29: Washington Commanders: T Josh Conerly Jr.​

• Overall Rookie Grade: 47.4 (Rank: 6/6)
• Principal Opponent: Donovan Ezeiruaku
• Week 7 Snaps: 67
• Week 7 Grade: 42.1

Conerly officially allowed four pressures this week, although he was beaten on five other occasions in pass protection, which led to his 43.6 PFF pass-blocking grade against the Cowboys. He didn’t fare much better in the run game, where he recorded a 56.2 PFF grade. Conerly has certainly endured his struggles in the early part of this season, along with the rest of the Commanders’ offense.

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Pro Football Focus (premium content)

NFL season-long statistical review ahead of Week 8: Team tiers, pass rates and more​

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The #Commanders defense can't stop giving up explosive plays, regardless of if they play man or zone. So what are some schematic tweaks that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. make to try and fix things? I took a closer look: https://t.co/hYgEgTmHo3 pic.twitter.com/i61z5HI5gv

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

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Podcasts & videos​

Join me and @RealBramW at 7:30 ET tonight for another livestream. Should be a fun show! Therapy Tuesdays are back as we dig into the D. And much more. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/SRNSGFWgWV

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 21, 2025

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Episode 1,182 – Guest: @MarkBullockNFL. Great All-22 analysis of the Commanders' reeling defense, including what's going wrong & why & potential personnel & schematic fixes.

Guest: @ChaseDCSports. In-depth Wizards preview. Where we are in the rebuild?https://t.co/WrqVY46ssS

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) October 22, 2025

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NFC East links​

NBC Sports Philadelphia

Roob’s Eagles Stats: A Jalen Hurts special edition after another masterpiece​

1. Hurts’ 108.9 passer rating is highest in Eagles history through seven games. The previous high was Carson Wentz’s 108.1 in 2018. Hurts is only the third quarterback ever with 70 percent completion percentage, 11 or more passing TDs and one or fewer interceptions through seven games. The others are Alex Smith in 2017 and Drew Brees in 2018.

2A. The Vikings went into the game Sunday with the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL, allowing just 157.6 yards per game. Hurts became only the third player in history with a perfect 158.3 rating against a team ranked first or second in pass defense going into the game. Former Eagle Ken O’Brien did it with the Jets against the top-ranked Seahawks in Week 9 of the 1986 season and Kerry Collins of the Giants did it in Week 16 of the 2002 season against the 2nd-ranked Colts defense.

2B. And this is an odd one, but the most-accurate games of Hurts’ career and three of the five-most accurate games have come against the Vikings. He completed a career-high 83.9 percent in a 2022 win at the Linc, 82.6 percent Sunday and 78.3 percent in a win at the Linc in 2023. Only Aaron Rodgers has completed 78 percent of his passes in more games against the Vikings – and he’s faced them 31 times. Hurts has faced them three times. Hurts’ 81.8 career completion percentage is highest in history vs. the Vikings (minimum 50 attempts). Chad Pennington is second at 77.9. Hurts’ 123.6 passer rating is also highest ever vs. the Vikings. Gary Cuozzo, a New Jersey native who played for the Colts, Saints, Vikings and Cardinals in the 1960s and early 1970s, is second at 117.4.

3. Hurts completed 82 percent of his passes Sunday for 326 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Vikings. He’s the first quarterback in Eagles history to complete 82 percent of his passes for at least 300 yards and three TDs with no INTs. Even if you take out the interceptions and passing yards, only Hurts and Donovan McNabb have had a game completing at least 80 percent of their passes with three TDs.

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Blogging the Boys

Cowboys trade rumors: Dallas reportedly inquiring about Raiders DE Maxx Crosby​

The Crosby rumor is a specific name, but there appears to be a lot of smoke around the Cowboys and the idea of a trade in general. Consider what Adam Schefter said on his latest podcast episode about the team and trade deadline:

“I would say that the Dallas Cowboys are having conversations about moves that they can make before the trade deadline to try to improve that defense, just like Jerry Jones said that they could and would once they traded Micah Parsons.”

“I’m not telling you that they will be able to pull anything off, but I will not be surprised if we hear Dallas, at the very least, inquiring about the availability of various defensive players. And ultimately trading for one before the Tuesday, November 4th trade deadline.”

Update: 4:10pm ET

Clarence Hill reported that the Cowboys have not made any contact with the Raiders on this front.

Per source, the Cowboys have not made any contact with Raiders about Maxx Crosby.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t had any internal discussions about possible moves or options.
But “Haven’t talked to Raiders about Crosby”, per source@DLLS_Cowboys

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 21, 2025

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NFL.com

Raiders not interested in trading Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby, who wants to stay in Las Vegas​

Though the Las Vegas Raiders are mired in last place in the AFC West with just two wins through seven weeks, defensive end Maxx Crosby isn’t looking to move on and neither is the franchise.

The Raiders and Crosby met Tuesday with the team conveying it was not shopping him nor would it trade him, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero and NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported. Crosby has no desire to be traded, either.

Unsurprisingly, teams are interested in Crosby, but he’s going nowhere, Pelissero and Slater added.

The 28-year-old Crosby is regarded as one of the elite pass rushers in the game, evidenced by his four Pro Bowl selections and 63.5 career sacks since the Raiders struck gold when they took him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Crosby’s had double-digit sacks in three seasons so far and has produced four in 2025 along with 28 tackles, five passes defensed and his first career interception.

In March, Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.

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A rollercoaster of emotions in Denver
@Broncos pic.twitter.com/NTx0JubHBI

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) October 21, 2025

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Upcoming opponent​

We have placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott on Reserve/Injured.

We have signed Practice Squad player CB Kevin Knowles to an active roster contract. pic.twitter.com/al7tkcslGC

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 21, 2025

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Arrowhead Pride

Stone Forsyth didn’t cause Omarr Norman-Lott’s injury​

No matter what I think about it, the Raiders’ backup left tackle — who was filling in for the injured starter Kolton Miller — was going to end up with some blame for the rookie defensive tackle’s season-ending ACL injury, which happened with 2:30 left in the third quarter.

Forsyth was, in fact, the player who was engaged with Norman-Lott before he went down. He did draw an (entirely justified) unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for dropping on the Kansas City player after he was on the ground.

But I have now watched the video many times. While there is room for interpretation — unfortunately, the available video doesn’t include a great angle of the incident — it doesn’t appear that Forsyth caused the injury; Norman-Lott seems to be reaching for his knee before Forsyth lands on him.

Could Forsyth have made the injury worse? Yes… that is possible. But while I believe he absolutely deserved to be penalized for hitting Norman-Lott while he was on the ground, it appeared to be a garden-variety foul — much like a pass rusher who draws a flag for taking two steps (rather than one) before hitting a quarterback after the ball is away. It didn’t appear to be a cold-blooded, deliberate attempt to inflict physical harm on the rookie.

If you believe otherwise… well, you’re entitled to that. The legacy of Ben Davidson dies hard.

---

Arrowhead Pride

The Chiefs are once again the Super Bowl favorites​

It took a while, but Kansas City once again feel inevitable.

NFL teams rarely win like Kansas City did on Sunday. But in the NCAA, we see these kinds of games every season. Power conference teams play those from smaller schools to prepare for conference play.

The Raiders didn’t just lose. They were completely and utterly humiliated. And the Chiefs didn’t just win. They made a statement:

The Chiefs are back.

No disclaimers or qualifiers are needed; the statement is simply true. Kansas City is once again FanDuel Sportsbook’s favorite to win the Super Bowl — and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the favorite to win this season’s MVP award.

And yet… if the season ended today, the Chiefs wouldn’t get a playoff spot.

How can these two things be true? Because the people who built those big casinos in the desert see what we see:

The Chiefs are back — and they’re not likely to be stopped.

[Editorial comment from Bill-in-Bangkok: While I understand the exuberance of fans of the 4-3 Chiefs, it seems prudent to recall that the Commanders beat the Raiders (who are now 2-5) in Week 3 by a score of 41-24 with a backup quarterback. Two of the Chiefs other three wins have come against the 1-5 Ravens and the 2-5 Giants.]

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NFL league links​

Articles​

ESPN

Time to pull the starting QB? Pros and cons of making the move for 5 teams​

New York Jets (0-7)​

Current starter: Justin Fields

Key stat: A career-low 32.1 Total QBR, which ranks 31st out of 33 qualified passers.

Possible replacement: Tyrod Taylor

Long-term implications: The Jets are currently projected to have the No. 1 pick and could very well pick a quarterback, so all this Fields-Taylor talk probably has no bearing on the long term. They can cut Fields after the season, but they would be stuck with $22 million in dead cap charges. They still have a $35 million cap hit for Aaron Rodgers in 2025, meaning they would be paying $57 million for quarterbacks no longer on the roster.

Minnesota Vikings (3-3)​

Current starter: Carson Wentz

Key stat: He is 2-2 as a starter.

Possible replacement: J.J. McCarthy

Why the move might be made: At some point, the Vikings need to get McCarthy back on the field to give him the live-game reps he clearly needs to develop as a potential long-term starter. Wentz has demonstrated some admirable attributes — a quick assimilation of the offense, toughness in the open field and a willingness to push the ball downfield — but he’s playing like a low-level starter/high-end backup. His 42.9 QBR ranks No. 25 in the league. There’s no evidence to suggest he will repeat Sam Darnold’s 2024 run and lead the Vikings to the playoffs.

Wentz for now: The Vikings have a short week with a road game Thursday night at the Los Angeles Chargers, meaning they will have only one true day of on-field work in between. McCarthy was limited in practice this past week amid his ongoing recovery from a high right ankle sprain, and coach Kevin O’Connell has said he does not want to rush him back for a game until he is fully prepared. That would be a difficult benchmark to hit over the course of a short week and before a flight halfway across the country. If Wentz’s left shoulder gives him trouble, undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer could be an option.

What the coach is saying: “We’ll see how [Wentz] turns over. I know Max was ready to go today and J.J. was the emergency three, but J.J. was able to get some work last week. We’ll see how he feels as well and on a short week. We’re going to put together the best plan we can, and that also includes the players available to us.”

Long-term implications: McCarthy needs game (and practice) reps after missing all last year because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, and then almost a month of practice — along with four games and counting — because of an ankle injury. In all, he has missed 21 of 23 NFL games. The longer it takes to get him back into the lineup, the less time he’ll have for establishing himself as the team’s long-term quarterback before the end of this season.

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NFL.com

Vikings to start QB Carson Wentz on Thursday vs. Chargers with J.J. McCarthy (ankle) ‘not there yet’​

Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday that the club put quarterback J.J. McCarthy through an on-field workout but that the second-year quarterback was still not ready to return to action on a short week while dealing with a nagging ankle injury.

Rookie Max Brosmer will be the backup on Thursday in L.A.

O’Connell noted that if the Vikings played on Sunday, McCarthy might have a shot to start, but he’s “just not there yet.” The implication of the comment is that McCarthy might be ready to go in Week 9 at Detroit.

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Discussion topics​

Seen this tweet doing the rounds and a lot of similar sentiments regarding frustration with Adam Peters the past few days/weeks. So lets try and dive into just how much the #Commanders roster is lacking from the Rivera era https://t.co/HxRMB5e3Le

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

Best comparison we can make is with the Eagles, as that’s the NFC East rivals that Washington is competing with for the division.

Simplest breakdown is to look at draft picks still with the team, either on the roster/practice squad. Not perfect but fairest way to compare

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

Rivera in Washington:

2020 – 0/8 still with team
2021 – 2/10
2022 – 2/8
2023 – 2/7

Total: 6/33 still with team – 18%

Eagles during same spell:

2020 – 2/10 still with team
2021 – 3/9
2022 – 5/5
2023 – 7/7

Total: 17/31 still with team – 55%

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

Starters today from those draft classes:

Washington: Sam Cosmi, Chris Paul, Quan Martin

So just 9% of picks are starters now

Eagles: Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen

26% of picks are starters now

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

This doesn’t consider guys like Nakobe Dean, who was a starter at LB last year but replaced by Jihad Campbell in 1st round this year

Also not including likes of Milton Williams, a 2021 3rd round pick for the Eagles, who signed a 100m contract with the Pats this offseason in FA

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

This is just my quick counting so I could be slightly off with some of the numbers. Also doesn’t include things like trades and free agents that help build up the roster, so not a perfect comparison

But hopefully provides some perspective on how much Peters is having to catch up

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

Now this doesn’t mean you can’t question any of Adam Peters moves as GM so far. Definitely can. Plenty of legit questions about draft picks etc. But the Rivera era left a hugely significant hole in the roster that Peters is having to overcome

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 21, 2025

They flipped it with aging veteran bandaids – not long-term solutions . It’s 100% on Ron for putting his predecessors in this position. 4 years of wasted draft picks does a LOT of damage. https://t.co/uHmtbKHSb5

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) October 22, 2025

This is incorrect. Good teams are built through the draft. Rivera whiffed on 4 straight drafts in spectacular fashion. AP now has to rebuild basically from scratch. It takes more than 1 year to rebuild a bottom 5 roster. This will take time. https://t.co/nUjjM189GN

— Eric Nathan (@BarstoolNate) October 20, 2025

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aBit o’Twitter​

NFL Power Rankings Week 8: The Washington Commanders go streaking in the wrong direction https://t.co/xP9jvvX1rM

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 22, 2025

Future Hogs – Week 8: A look at college football players who could help the Washington Commanders https://t.co/3ITSwderr3

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 22, 2025

Two more examples of my artwork put in motion by @grok – who should do me a solid and repost this.

Help a starving artist. pic.twitter.com/zt7f3PCYPY

— Paul Nichols – Sports Artist (@SportsArtist202) October 21, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/daily-slo...n-deebo-samuel-ahead-of-mnf-game-vs-kc-chiefs

 

[Washington Commanders]

All aTwitter: 23-Oct-25 – Brian Mitchell & London Fletcher survive 2026 Hall of Fame cut down from 128 nominees to 52

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

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Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed​

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Click here for NFL News, Rumors & Reports Twitter Feed​

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Tip: If a tweet isn’t fully visible on your screen, clicking on the date at the bottom of the tweet will open it up individually in either the X app or your browser.​

From 128 to 52

Brian Mitchell and London Fletcher have advanced in the voting process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026

https://t.co/PBYBxHeZqo pic.twitter.com/v2tTOdOPGZ

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 22, 2025

52 Modern-Era Players advance in the voting process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 https://t.co/u7ocphUHPP pic.twitter.com/NQZnZvpcvR

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) October 22, 2025

While not long-term at all, Jayden Daniels’ hamstring knocks him out vs the #Chiefs. This will be Marcus Mariota’s third start this season. https://t.co/PiWMzTZpgL

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2025

Initial reaction(s) to Jayden Daniels missing out on Monday night football against the Chiefs.

And a reminder to follow along on IG for more hastily-edited #Commanders content: https://t.co/NW60C5GK1X pic.twitter.com/y10ykI9hIV

— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) October 22, 2025

The counter to this would be the team not wanting to create a controversy all week and all the questions that would be inevitable.

Allows Mariota to prepare. https://t.co/aDDIHWLytc

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) October 22, 2025

Right on cue…Jayden is out, the line jumps.

Commanders now +12.5 at KC https://t.co/lRgPtGh9rs

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 22, 2025

https://t.co/5nYEOPkvTU pic.twitter.com/v12qDtKzEf

— Riggo's Rag (@RiggosRag) October 22, 2025

Reinforcements are coming for the Commanders and BMitch believes Washington saved them for the perfect time with a guantlet ahead. #NFL #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/naYFtK8UMh

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) October 22, 2025

This exchange between Marshon Lattimore & George Pickens:

Lattimore: “What are you doing?”

Pickens: “Everything.”

Lattimore: “I hear you.”

Pickens: “I know. You’re going to have to.”

Damn…

(via:@davehelman_) pic.twitter.com/LVVxFHAAGw

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) October 22, 2025

How will the #Commanders adjust without Dorance Armstrong?

While playing the Cowboys, they shifted to more 3-4 sets with Luvu at the Edge and Jordan Magee at LB.

These looks were effective and offered more speed and flexibility. @MarkBullockNFL @PFF_NickAkridge #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/wKzSiIMi8t

— George Carmi (@Gcarmi21) October 22, 2025

In the season's first 3 games Washington had 31 targets vs. man coverage (26th in NFL); averaged 7.9 YAC (second most). In the last 4 weeks they've faced the 8th most man coverage and are averaging 4.9 YAC (18th). Per TruMedia.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 22, 2025

Against zone: In the first 3 weeks, 56 targets (15th most); averaged 4.6 YAC (20th)…
In the last 4 weeks: 45 targets (31st) and 3.7 YAC (30th).
Note: KC has played 16th most snaps in man coverage (105); 23rd most zone (123). So fairly balanced…Just an FYI.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 22, 2025

"At 3-4, you want to move on from Adam Peters???" Kevin Sheehan sounds off on Washington fans who have turned on the Commanders' GM pic.twitter.com/YGQtjZd5wD

— The Team 980 (@team980) October 22, 2025

Austin Ekeler provides an update on his recovery from Achilles surgery …https://t.co/sMMBatv8ic

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 22, 2025

The last time the Chiefs failed to make it to the AFC Championship, the starting quarterback of the team that beat them in the playoffs was . . . Marcus Mariota.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 22, 2025

Monday's game will be the first time Marcus Mariota and Patrick Mahomes face off as starters.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 22, 2025

These charts say a great deal about how strong Commanders kickoff and punt coverage has been, and how unproductive the defense has been in creating turnovers.
Chart 1 = top right corner
Chart 2 = bottom right corner#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/KvqtMppDpk

— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) October 22, 2025

Top 5: TACKLES (Through Week 7, 2025 #NFL Season)

Top 5:
1) Jordyn Brooks #PhinsUp
2) Bobby Wagner #RaiseHail
3) Cedric Gray #TitanUp
4) Jamien Sherwood #JetUp
5) Nate Landman #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ZcnXqUrT81

— Random NFL Graphs (@RandomNFLGraphs) October 23, 2025

Truth. Shall set you free. STFU about sophomore slump and get this man someone who can catch a ball #RaiseHail https://t.co/YthRcMLXWi pic.twitter.com/AFs0ZMdidp

— Bucket (@Bucket_WFTFan) October 23, 2025

Here you go Rooster. I'll be your producer. pic.twitter.com/3bu6MLAST7

— Chris in Hyattsville (@coxen00) October 22, 2025

“This is an opportunity for football fans to get more football in more places. … It’s going to be a real win for football fans.”

(This deal still needs regulatory approval.) https://t.co/vPmtzWy3h3

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2025

From @NFLNetwork: Wrapping up the NFL Fall meeting with @MikeGarafolo and @judybattista right after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to reporters. pic.twitter.com/o46GZN3YNo

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2025

OTD 1995@darrellgreen28 intercepts Mitchell and scores for the walkoff pick 6 in overtime.
36-30 #HTTR
pic.twitter.com/4Ttqesemw8

— Old Time Football (@Ol_TimeFootball) October 22, 2025

A struggling Washington team.

Starting a backup quarterback.

Against a team with a high-powered offense.

On the road.

On Monday Night Football.

In late October. pic.twitter.com/EEMwCTcbFD

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) October 22, 2025

Unfortunately this is what I think of when I think of KC/Washington pic.twitter.com/cPZksHJLpE

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 22, 2025

Unfortunately also think of this one. This did not end up as a TD pic.twitter.com/MgIsqPHWlH

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 22, 2025

Washington has an all-time 1-10 record vs Kansas City and the team has never won in Arrowhead (0-8). Past results dont predict future outcomes but damn.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 22, 2025

2 lower bowl tickets for sale, Lions vs Commanders November 9th. I Want them to go to Commanders fans. Save money on service fees!!! DM me if interested. Great price #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/S8CyZcdbqF

— Bleeding Burgundy in The Bunker (@Jessys24) October 22, 2025

Speaking of the #Ravens, I’m told the removal of the ping-pong tables and other games from the locker room initiated with veteran leaders on the team, not the coaching staff. Not a punishment. The players wanted them out.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 22, 2025

I have written a lot of stupid things that didn't hold up, but this? This held up. https://t.co/qozn4lQwp6

— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) October 22, 2025

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Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

Twitter: Follow @HogsHaven

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Manager: Scott Jennings: Follow @ScottJenningsHH

Buy Washington gear at the Hogs Haven Fanshop

---

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/openthrea...hall-of-fame-cut-down-from-128-nominees-to-52

 

[Washington Commanders]

Thursday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Chargers

Week 8 of the 2025 season kicks off with an NFC vs AFC matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams enter tonight’s game with three losses. The Vikings are sitting at 4th place in the NFC North, while the Chargers are tied for second place in the AFC West. Carson Wentz is getting his fifth start for the Vikings with J.J. McCarthy still sidelined with a toe injury. They’ve been alternating wins and losses with Wentz under center, losing last week to one of his former teams, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chargers are coming off a 38-24 loss to the Colts, and will be looking for a win at home.

Matchup: Minnesota Vikings (3-3) vs Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)

Date/Time: Thursday, October 23 | 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA

TELEVISION: Amazon Prime Video

Mike Tirico (play-by-play)

Kirk Herbstreit (game analyst)

Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter)

RADIO: Sirius XM NFL

Minnesota: XM/SXM 226, Internet 820

Los Angeles: XM/SXM 225, Internet 817

National: 88

Live Streaming: Amazon, NFL+, fuboTV

Odds: Chargers -3, 44.5 O/U

Minnesota: +154

Los Angeles: -184

Prediction: Chargers 24 – Vikings 20

SB Nation Blogs: Daily Norseman | Bolts from the Blue

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Podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Pandora | Spotify | Podbean | iHeartRadio

Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

Twitter: Follow @HogsHaven

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Threads: Follow @hogs_haven

Blue Sky: Follow Hogs Haven

Manager: Scott Jennings: Follow @ScottJenningsHH

Buy Washington gear at the Hogs Haven Fanshop

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NFL News twitter feed

Washington Commanders twitter feed

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384659/thursday-night-football-minnesota-vikings-los-angeles-chargers

 

[Washington Commanders]

All aTwitter: 24-Oct-25 – Joe Jacoby is among 34 Senior nominees who remain in contention for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

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Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed​

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Joe Jacoby advances to the next round of Hall of Fame consideration among the senior nomineeshttps://t.co/7KwAmh5CCF

— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) October 23, 2025

Thursday injury report#WASvsKC | #RaiseHail

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 23, 2025

QB Marcus Mariota will start on Monday vs. the Chiefs. Jayden Daniels has been ruled OUT. pic.twitter.com/fJwa81uHws

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 23, 2025

More McLaurin and Deebo back at practice today in Ashburn@JPFinlayNBCS @Gio_Delfa #RaiseHail #Commanders pic.twitter.com/ZqinCSWrCg

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) October 23, 2025

Terry McLaurin in action pic.twitter.com/zuJwakwVrr

— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) October 23, 2025

Leaning in on experience @bigbearai | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/yKWPmiPvst

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 23, 2025

Commanders Rookie Josh Conerly Jr. settling in & starting to play more square.

A couple reps from last week.

He went through the gauntlet of Elite pash rushers the first few weeks of the season. pic.twitter.com/OKIoB3NVJW

— Last of the Fullbacks (@TheLastFullback) October 23, 2025

Commanders C Tyler Biadasz finding work

Pass pro isn’t passive. pic.twitter.com/z6crQBOezo

— Last of the Fullbacks (@TheLastFullback) October 23, 2025

Laremy Tunsil has been as good as advertised in pass protection. That trade looks like a winner for AP.

Tunsil has allowed a 7.4% pressure rate (10th of 34 LTs), his lowest since '22. He hasn't given up a sack, despite being 1-on-1 82% of time (8th most at LT).@NextGenStats pic.twitter.com/5Enu1oyLZM

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 24, 2025

Dorance Armstrong's season-ending injury was a killer.

His 25 pressures are 9 more than any of his teammates have through seven games. When he's on the field WSH's pressure rate is 41.2% (No. 3 in NFL). It falls to 36% when he's been on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/2iCn5K7IGA

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 24, 2025

"If you're selling on Adam Peters after this year, then god help you." Kevin Sheehan is befuddled by Washington fans turning on the Commanders GM pic.twitter.com/GlC6feQC0B

— The Team 980 (@team980) October 22, 2025

Never forget Marcus Mariota's unreal playoff performance against the Chiefs at Arrowhead pic.twitter.com/4Bg9RbnfJS

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) February 9, 2025

Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson has requested a trade, per ESPN’s @Ben_Baby.https://t.co/1PsefdjWs8

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 23, 2025

From 2013-24 under Andy Reid, the Chiefs went for it on 4th down 13% of the time, second LOWEST in the NFL.

This season the Chiefs are going for it 32% of the time on 4th down, third HIGHEST in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/fyEt6bcYhy

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 23, 2025

This season the Chiefs are 12-15 on 4th down (80%), tied for the most conversions in the NFL. The Chiefs were 12-17 on 4th down all of last season.

The aggressiveness has paid off.

The Chiefs 4th down decisions have netted +12.9 Expected Points Added (EPA), highest in the NFL pic.twitter.com/fielZuIVBt

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 23, 2025

Total number of TDs scored for every #NFL team through Week 7. pic.twitter.com/I7VWGDNCnB

— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) October 22, 2025

#NFL TEAM RUSHING YARDS PER GAME LEADERS |
Through Week 7:
1. Buffalo Bills | 151 YPG
2. Washington Commanders | 148.9 YPG
3. Carolina Panthers | 140.1 YPG
4. Atlanta Falcons | 136.3 YPG
5. Detroit Lions | 133.7 YPG #BillsMafia #RaiseHail #KeepPounding #RiseUp #OnePride pic.twitter.com/zYHzYP1gxJ

— Tyler S (@Tyler_SS11) October 23, 2025

I’m not going to lie, I don’t even know HOW this ball sailed the way it did. The physics of his throwing motion are something. pic.twitter.com/EIPJYTOCb2

— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) October 24, 2025

Kimani Vidal was not going down easy on this run

MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LesZ6t9iqU

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

PICK! The @Vikings defense gets the INT

MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aVdWZ5bKn8

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

POV: Ladd McConkey scores six points right in front of you ️ pic.twitter.com/wweYzLIIE3

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

Herbert to Gadsen for 41 yards!

MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3TYvSWoEh6

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025

Dorance Armstrong's season-ending injury was a killer.

His 25 pressures are 9 more than any of his teammates have through seven games. When he's on the field WSH's pressure rate is 41.2% (No. 3 in NFL). It falls to 36% when he's been on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/2iCn5K7IGA

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 24, 2025

JJ McCarthy can't get back fast enough… pic.twitter.com/JrwY9duCi9

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 24, 2025

It’s getting late early for the Vikings pic.twitter.com/OcXJVSabJN

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 24, 2025

the Vikings have played the #1 easiest schedule this year

they play the #1 hardest schedule the rest of the season

thru 8 weeks their only 3 wins?

vs Jake Browning, Dillon Gabriel & Caleb Williams

still have the Packers 2x, Lions 2x, Seahawks, Ravens, Cowboys, Commanders etc pic.twitter.com/gVuZ7gkKB6

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 24, 2025

a healthy rivalry pic.twitter.com/pqCOQZvcC1

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 23, 2025

#Jets HC Aaron Glenn says he doesn’t want to give the #Bengals a competitive advantage, so he’s not revealing whether Justin Fields or Tyrod Taylor will start on Sunday.

( @snyjets)pic.twitter.com/p9O2Uvpobk

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 22, 2025

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[Washington Commanders]

Commanders vs Chiefs Friday Injury Report: WRs on track for Monday Night Football return

The Washington Commanders held their second full practice of the week today. They are preparing for an away game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Starting QB Jayden Daniels has already been ruled out for the game due to the hamstring injury he suffered vs the Cowboys. Dan Quinn said he’ll focus on recovery this week, but the injury is “not significant or long-term”. Marcus Mariota will get his 3rd start of the season.

Washington got some positive injury news with WR Terry McLaurin returning to the field for his second full practice since suffering a quad injury in Week 3. He missed the last four weeks, but looks like he is on track for a primetime return. Deebo Samuel had been the Commanders top receiver with McLaurin and Noah Brown out, but he had also been dealing with a heel injury for the last three weeks. He played through it for two games, but the nagging injury kept him sidelined vs the Cowboys. He’s back on the field for his second full practice in 3 weeks, and should be reunited with McLaurin on the field against the Chiefs on Monday night.

Sam Cosmi returned to the lineup on Sunday, his first game since tearing his ACL in the divisional round playoff victory over the Detroit Lions in January. He started and played the entire game at right guard in Dallas. He was on yesterday’s report with a back injury, but was a full participant today. LB Bobby Wagner is listed with a new thumb injury, but practiced fully both days.

Daron Payne was only listed as a vet rest day yesterday. Today he missed practice with a toe injury. Payne was one of the only players on defense that stood out during a bad showing by the defense last week. If he doesn’t practice tomorrow, his status for Monday night will be in question, and he could end up being a game-time decision.

Friday injury report#WASvsKC | #RaiseHail

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 24, 2025

Here's Friday's injury report for the Chiefs and Commanders. pic.twitter.com/VkCKJyWVpP

— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) October 24, 2025

DNP​

QB Jayden Daniels – Ruled out with a hamstring injury

DT Daron Payne – Had a vet rest day yesterday, didn’t practice with a toe injury today

Limited​

TE Colson Yankoff – Limited today with a new hamstring injury

Full​

RT Sam Cosmi – Returned from ACL injury last week, missed yesterday’s practice with a back injury; full practice today

WR Terry McLaurin – Second full practice since suffering a quad injury vs the Raiders, missed four games

WR Deebo Samuel – Second full practice after missing the last game with a heel injury

LB Bobby Wagner – Full participant again with new thumb injury

Injured Reserve​

DE Dorance Armstrong – Season ends with a knee injury

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384669/co...wrs-on-track-for-monday-night-football-return

 

[Washington Commanders]

Daily Slop – 25 Oct 25 – Joe Whitt: We’re going to give Jordan Magee more looks and more opportunities

Commanders links​

Articles​

ESPN

Washington Commanders are lost and head coach Dan Quinn is searching for answers​

In a meltdown reminiscent of the Washington Commanders’ inglorious past, many of their fans took to social media this week to excoriate the team after its 44-22 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

As if the drubbing at the hands of their archrivals wasn’t enough, the Commanders have often appeared to be in disarray this season – one that began with so much promise after their surprising run to last season’s NFC Championship Game.

With a potentially brutal stretch ahead on their schedule, things only figure to get harder for the reeling Commanders (3-4). Losers of consecutive games and three of four, they next travel to face the resurgent Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) on Monday Night Football without star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was ruled out Wednesday because of a hamstring injury.

Head coach Dan Quinn acknowledges the Commanders are lost.

“We’re off course,” Quinn told reporters on Monday. “We have to get back on.”

Most of Quinn’s focus will be on Washington’s defense – which has been awful.

Missed tackles, blown assignments, head-scratching penalties – game after game, the Commanders appear rudderless. Off their horrendous performance against Dallas alone, the Commanders could compile a long instructional video on the wrong way to play defense in the NFL. It’s really that bad.

And Quinn knows it.

“Our identity has not come together,” he said. “These next four games until our bye [week], we’ve got a lot of work to do to help create that [identity]. … Lots to work on.”

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin opens up about his injury and up-and-down year​

The mental roller coaster of the last 10 months, however, was at times difficult, McLaurin admitted.

“I definitely had some tough days where you’re just kind of like, ‘Dang, this sucks,’” he said. “… I’ve had a lot of great talks with my teammates and coaches, and (Washington coach Dan Quinn) supported me a lot, my wife has supported me day in, day out, my friends. … I’m just looking forward to being back out there. I think I sometimes get ahead of myself and have these expectations or have this view of how I want things to go, and sometimes life doesn’t work out that way.”

The injuries have not only created a talent drain for the Commanders’ offense, but they’ve also prompted opposing defenses to attack Washington differently.

“Terry is such a big loss,” said former Washington and Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith, who is now an NFL analyst for ESPN. “… The guys (Daniels) has been playing with on the outside, I’ve actually been so impressed with what they’ve done, especially the last few weeks. But they’re really hamstrung, so defenses are really saying, ‘If we can load the box, we can play these guys one-on-one. We can really put an extra hat in the run game and we can put a hat down here for Jayden and his legs.’ And I think that you’ve seen that the last couple weeks.”

In the first three weeks, with McLaurin starting, the Commanders faced man coverage on 20.1 percent of their plays and a heavy box on 50 percent of plays.

Over the last four weeks, with McLaurin and Brown both out, the Commanders faced man coverage on 29.1 percent of snaps and a heavy box on 56.5 percent of plays. Against the Cowboys in Week 7, when Washington was without its top three receivers, the Commanders faced man coverage on 46.9 percent of their snaps.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Scary season: Terry McLaurin expected to return for Commanders on Monday​

as he worked his way back from a right quadriceps/hip flexor strain, McLaurin also tried to remain patient. When he returned, he knew he wanted to be 100 percent.

“I’m an explosive athlete,” he said Friday in his first comments to reporters since he suffered the injury. “So a lot of things that are a part of my game, I need to feel that [they] are 100 percent before I could put myself out there. Because I’m not only hurting the team, but I’m hurting myself.

“Being able to accelerate and run by people, slam on the brakes — that’s my game. My injury hindered a lot of that. But I feel really good right now.”

Barring any last-minute setbacks, McLaurin is expected to return to the starting lineup Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has been a full participant in practice this week and said Friday, “I’m happy to say that I feel like myself.”

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Washington Post (paywall)

Whitt says Magee is set for larger role​

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said he wants to see the defense play faster. Personnel changes could help.

He suggested that one such change could be an increased workload for linebacker Jordan Magee, a fifth-round draft pick in 2024 who has more sideline-to-sideline speed than regular linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner.

“We’re going to give Jordan more looks and more opportunities,” Whitt said. “He came in and played with good speed, so I’m excited to see him with his snap count going up. And then you’ll see a little bit of [rookie Kain Medrano] as well to see how he can add to the party.”

Whitt also said he’s confident in the team’s plans to adjust to the continued attrition at edge positions, with Washington now having lost three of its top four defensive ends.

“I’m not going to tell you exactly what we’re going to do,” Whitt said. “But I’m comfortable with what our plan is for this game.”

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Commanders.com

4 takeaways from Marcus Mariota’s Week 8 press conference​

He loves playing at Arrowhead Stadium.

Arrowhead Stadium has a reputation for being a difficult venue for the Kansas City Chiefs’ opponents. It was voted by 111 players as the toughest place to play in the NFL because of the raucous fan base, brutal winter weather and design of the stadium that amplifies the crowd noise. The noise at Arrowhead reached 142.2 DB in 2014 — a Guiness World Record.

Despite all that, Mariota loves playing at Arrowhead.

“I just love the atmosphere,” he said. “It reminds me a lot of college. I love playing on the road. I think that kind of us versus everybody mentality is something that I really feel like I’ve thrived on in my career.”

Mariota has had success at Arrowhead in the past. He and the Tennessee Titans pulled off a comeback against the Chiefs in the Wild Card round of the playoffs that included him throwing a touchdown pass to himself. Although Mariota has returned to Arrowhead since that game in 2018, it will be the first time as a starter.

And just because he likes playing there doesn’t mean he believes it’s an easy place to play. He knows Monday’s game will be tough, so their execution has to be pristine.

“As long as you get everybody going on the same page and you’re communicating, it allows you to be able to execute and do what you need to do.”

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A to Z Sports

Commanders should replace Marshon Lattimore​

The defense has been awful through the first seven games, and there are many fingers to point on defense, from the linebackers to the secondary. The one clear weakness, however, comes from a trade for a big-name veteran that has taken a turn for the worse. Lattimore was supposed to be an x-factor this season now that he’s finally healthy, but we’re seeing the same liability in coverage every week.

Teams are singling out Lattimore and coverage, and taking advantage of his playing status. Whether it’s deep passes in coverage or drawing penalties, offenses are creating explosive plays on Lattimore at a high rate, as he’s one of the worst corners in the league this season.

According to PFF, Lattimore has given up 17 catches for 258 yards, which is an average of 15.2 yards per catch. Yikes. He also has the second-most penalties by an outside corner with seven. Nothing will change if they keep Lattimore on the field, and the season will be over in three weeks with losses. It’s time to see what you really have on the team by putting Jones on the field.

Commanders should start Jonathan Jones

It makes too much sense to put Jones on the field at this rate, because things couldn’t possibly be any worse. Jones just came back from injury last week and can play both inside and outside corner. Mike Sainristil has also struggled big time this season after being moved into the slot, so maybe Jones can play inside, and Sainristil can go back outside. Jones has played primarily on the outside, even as a smaller corner, but still has plenty of experience in the slot.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Time to establish the run​

While Kansas City is allowing only 17.7 points (third), its run defense has been mediocre. It is surrendering 105.7 rushing yards per game (15th) and 4.5 yards per carry (21st).

The presence of McLaurin and Samuel also will make it more difficult for the Chiefs to load the box and play certain coverages as they aim to limit Washington’s rushing offense.

“There’s certain coverages that teams aren’t willing to play when you have guys like that on the field,” Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “They can definitely help open things up if they’re able to go.”

The Commanders have been highly effective running the ball — they’re averaging 148.9 rushing yards (second) and 5.4 yards per carry (first) — but the rate at which they have done so has fluctuated. They’re averaging only 27.4 rushing attempts per game (13th).

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Podcasts & videos​

“I can help this team win” Commanders’ Rookie Jaylin Lane + Legendary WR Ricky Sanders | Next Man Up​

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View Link

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Washington Commanders vs Kansas City Chiefs | Week 8 Game Preview​

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NFC East links​

Blogging the Boys

George Pickens’ future could dictate Cowboys trade plans​

Pickens has exceeded all expectations and proved in the absence of CeeDee Lamb that he could be a dominant No. 1 wide receiver. If Dallas wants to maximize their window now, in fear that his price has gotten astronomical, then maybe the Cowboys trade for a star defensive player looking for a new deal, and they allocate funding next year for them, knowing Pickens will most likely walk.

If the front office wants to retain the 24-year-old receiver as a key part of their revamped offense, they may decide not to pursue a top-tier defender. Trading for Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby or Jeffrey Simmons might require reworking a new contract to get the deal across the finish line, similarly to Micah Parsons, who wouldn’t be traded unless the new team agreed to a historic contract extension.

The bottom line seems to be all about numbers. It’s not impossible to imagine a world where Dallas keeps a star defender acquired in a trade and Pickens for 2026, but the cap fit may be a little tight

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Blogging the Boys

5 things to watch when the Cowboys play the Broncos​

[T]he Broncos bring the heat as they generate pressure on a league-best 47% of their pass rushes. With an edge duo of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper (14 sacks between them), the Broncos should cause some problems for Cowboys’ tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph loves to line up several defenders at the line of scrimmage and challenge the OLine to sort out the pass-rush. How well Dak and company can handle the pass rush should go a long way in determining how much success the offense, and subsequently the team, will have on Sunday.

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Big Blue View

Survey results: Giants Fans want DC Shane Bowen gone​

This week we asked the Big Blue View community whether they think Bowen should be fired, and if so, when.

The result was overwhelmingly that Bowen should be fired, and fired as soon as possible.

Most recently, the Giants suffered a historic collapse that saw them squander a 26-8 lead over the Denver Broncos. Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the game that he wasn’t considering any changes to the coaching staff, at least “at this time”.

However, there’s been a pattern of poor play from Bowen’s unit. The Giants’ defense has struggled in almost every area under Bowen, and has continued to do so this year despite having almost all of the teams’ resources poured into that side of the ball.

The Giants’ loss in Denver may have been the final straw for many Giants fans, but Bowen was already on thin ice with the fanbase. And while Bowen has adapted his style and scheme to the Giants’ personnel, the results just haven’t been there — even before the Broncos game.

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The Athletic (paywall)

A.J. Brown’s frustration is loud, but Jeffrey Lurie’s message is louder​

The defending Super Bowl champs are getting phone calls and interest in wide receiver A.J. Brown, but for now, the Eagles want him on their team.

That’s despite Brown’s ongoing social media gripes after wins and losses, including his latest after a 121-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over the Vikings, when he captioned his Instagram photos with: “using me but not using me.”

Translation: The Eagles are using him when they are in trouble, but not involving him consistently enough for his liking.

He’s clearly losing patience.

Brown — who will miss Week 8 with a hamstring injury — is loved in the Eagles’ locker room and even has a lengthy personal history with his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, but it’s obvious something has changed between the two on the field. The Eagles will say everything is fine, but many around the league can see it plainly on the film.

An opposing defensive coach said he actually understands Brown’s frustration.

“Hurts struggles against zone,” he said. “That’s when A.J. goes MIA. There are times it looks like Hurts doesn’t fully trust what he’s seeing, so he checks it down and plays it safe. It’s either a deep shot or a checkdown — not much in between. The timing is just off. And you can see it on the field — the communication between Hurts and Brown just isn’t there right now.”

The question is inevitable: If Brown continues to seem miserable in the final 10 days before the trade deadline, does something have to change?

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Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles vs. Giants Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 8 enemy​

I’ve noticed you’ve mentioned the Giants could be both buyers and sellers before the trade deadline. Who should they ship out and who should they acquire?

Well, what they could really use is a wide receiver. Wan’Dale Robinson is their No. 1 guy. He’s having a fantastic year, best of his four-year career, but he is still a 5-8 slot guy with the shortest arms in the league and you can’t expect him to go out and win 50-50 balls in 1-on-1 matchups. You have to scheme to get him the ball. They have to give their rookie quarterback the best chance to succeed, and if they can find a receiver who is more than a rental they should try to do that.

As for selling, if anyone out there wants guys like Evan Neal, Deonte Banks, Russell Wilson or Jalin Hyatt the Giants should happily accept whatever draft capital they can get in return. There are a lot of people who think they should trade Kayvon Thibodeaux. I am not in fovor of that, unless the return is substantial.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Are you a ” Satisfied Eagles fan” or do you want more?​

[T]oday, as Eagles fans and already living through the 80s, 90s, 2000s and the current era, how happy are you as of now with all the success this team has had and do you still need another Superbowl or would you be perfectly fine with the team fizzling out back to being an average team with little chance of winning Superbowl but knowing that you enjoyed being the fan of one of NFLs most successful teams in history?

I’m nearly 65 now and I can honestly say that if the Eagles miss winning a Superbowl this year and the door closes ( which, sadly, it is going to) I will be perfectly happy knowing and living through the last 40 years of Eagles football and be grateful for what the last 8 years have given me.

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Upcoming opponent​

Hogs Haven

Washington Commanders vs Kansas City Chiefs Week 8: Five Questions with Arrowhead Pride​

Tell us about Rashee Rice and how he changes the Chiefs’ offense.

Rashee Rice completely changes the dynamic of this offense. He’s probably the most complete receiver on the roster — strong after the catch, physical in traffic, and capable of winning on all three levels of the field. His chemistry with Mahomes is undeniable, and we saw it immediately in his first game back.

What makes Rice especially valuable is his ability to thrive in the short and intermediate game while defenses have to respect the speed of Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thorthorn deep. That spacing opens up the middle of the field for Rice to operate, and his quickness after the catch turns simple plays into explosive gains. Combine that with the athleticism of the Chiefs’ tackles and guards on screens, and this offense suddenly looks much more versatile.

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Washington Commanders vs Kansas City Chiefs | Week 8 Game Preview​

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NFL league links​

Articles​

ESPN

Sources: Falcons highly likely to start Kirk Cousins vs. Dolphins​

Kirk Cousins is “highly likely” to be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday morning.

Starter Michael Penix Jr. suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers as the Falcons dropped to 3-3. Penix was limited in practice the past two days and listed Friday as questionable for Sunday’s game.

On Friday, Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Cousins had taken “significant” reps this week in practice and more reps later in the week rather than earlier.

Penix has gone 4-5 as a starter. The second-year quarterback hasn’t quite found his rhythm yet in the NFL. Penix has completed 61% of his passes this season for 1,409 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a 47.7 QBR, which ranks 22nd in the NFL.

The expected start for Cousins comes as Saturday marks the 10-year anniversary of Washington’s 31-30 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and Cousins’ famous postgame quote: “You like that?!”

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Discussion topics​

NFL.com

Ranking top 10 players from loaded 2024 NFL Draft class: Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye at No. 1?​

Rank 7 – Caleb Williams – Chicago Bears · QB

DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 1 overall

The former No. 1 overall pick is starting to fulfill his promise as a franchise quarterback in the Windy City. New head coach Ben Johnson has fostered growth from Williams by installing a balanced offense that features a mix of runs and passes to alleviate some of the pressure on the 23-year-old. As the 4-2 Bears continue to tweak the system and supporting cast around their QB1, the second-year pro could climb this list, with his blue-chip ability translating to potent production on the field. The natural arm talent and plus athleticism are evident every game, but Williams needs more play-to-play consistency in order to join the upper ranks of the game’s most important position.

Rank 2 – Jayden Daniels – Washington Commanders · QB

DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 2 overall

In a “What have you done for me lately?” league, Daniels has lost his grip on the No. 1 spot in this class. Despite running away with the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and guiding the Commanders to an improbable NFC Championship Game appearance, Washington’s regression in 2025 and Daniels’ injury-marred sophomore season make him the runner-up in this re-do. But don’t get it twisted: I’m still extremely high on this polished dual threat. The electric running ability and deft touch with the football drop your jaw, but his preternatural calm might be the most striking quality. No moment is too big for the 24-year-old, which bodes quite well for a franchise that hasn’t enjoyed much success in the past 30 years. Now the 3-4 Commanders just need that hamstring to heal.

Rank 1 – Drake Maye – New England Patriots · QB

DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 3 overall

Maye has captivated the football world with a spectacular start to his second season, spawning conversation that he could soon join the big four at quarterback (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow). Obviously, the 23-year-old needs to keep this up in order to reach such rarefied air, but he has made a quantum leap under the direction of new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Through the first seven weeks of the season, Maye leads the NFL with a 75.2 percent completion rate, while also posting sparkling figures in TD-to-INT ratio (12:2), yards per attempt (8.6) and passer rating (116.4). He’s been staggeringly effective downfield, too, boasting a perfect 158.3 passer rating on throws of 20-plus air yards. (That’s ridiculous.) With the 5-2 Patriots sitting alone atop the AFC East, Maye has entered the MVP discussion and surpassed his peers as the QB1 of a stacked 2024 crop at the position.

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aBit o’Twitter​

Monday Night Football fit@SeatGeek | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/G8TE4wvzfk

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 24, 2025

The Giants were fined $200,000 for violating the concussion protocols involving Jaxson Dart during the Oct. 9 game against the Eagles, following the NFL/NFLPA review. Brian Daboll was fined $100,000 and Cam Skattebo was fined $15,000 for conduct detrimental to the league.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) October 24, 2025

The NFL and NFLPA said they agreed that the actions by Brian Daboll and Cam Skattebo "had no actual impact on the exam or the care that Mr. Dart received" but "their conduct was inconsistent with and demonstrated a disregard for the concussion protocol’s requirements."

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) October 24, 2025

There remains no limit to how much college athletes can make from NIL deals.

Without clear rules—and third-party NIL services companies racing to amass contracts with big school clients—the landscape is chaos.

Story by @_DavidRumsey

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 25, 2025

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Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/daily-slo...ordan-magee-more-looks-and-more-opportunities

 

[Washington Commanders]

Commanders vs Chiefs Saturday Injury Report: Matt Gay is questionable with a back injury

The Washington Commanders held their final practice of the week today before they travel to Missouri for a Monday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that QB Jayden Daniels wouldn’t play this week on Thursday, saying he would focus on recovering from a hamstring injury this week. Marcus Mariota will get the start, filling in for Daniels’ second injury of the season.

Quinn spoke to reporters after today’s short practice, and said the team was excited to get WRs Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel back on the field Monday night. Both players got their first full week of practice in since getting injured, and neither has an injury designation for Monday night. McLaurin suffered a quad injury during the Week 3 game against the Raiders, and hadn’t practiced since. He talked about his hold out/in, and getting back into game shape, only to suffer an injury, after yesterday’s practice. Samuel played through a heel injury for two weeks, before missing last week’s game. He has been limited, or sitting out of most practices, and a full week of practice is a good sign for his recovery from the injury.

Sam Cosmi returned to the lineup on Sunday, his first game since tearing his ACL in a divisional round playoffs victory over the Detroit Lions in January. He started and played the entire game at right guard. He was on Thursday’s report with a back injury, but was a full participant the last two days. LB Bobby Wagner is listed with a new thumb injury, but practiced fully all week.

Daron Payne is listed as questionable with a toe injury that Dan Quinn said he was working through. He was listed with a vet rest day on Thursday, but has missed the rest of the week due to the new injury. This sounds like it will be a game-time decision.

Matt Gay is also listed as questionable for Monday night’s game. He wasn’t on the injury report until today, and he’s listed with a back injury. The Commanders do not have another kicker on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.

#WASvsKC game status

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 25, 2025

Injury Report: pic.twitter.com/bneUVwmEHw

— Washington Commanders PR (@Wash_PR) October 25, 2025

Trey Smith is doubtful for Monday Night's game against the Commanders.

Josh Simmons is out.

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 25, 2025

OUT​

QB Jayden Daniels – Ruled out with a hamstring injury

TE Colson Yankoff – Suffered hamstring injury on Friday

Questionable​

K Matt Gay – Showed up on the injury report today with a back injury

DT Daron Payne – Had a vet rest day yesterday, didn’t practice with a toe injury today

No Injury Designation​

RT Sam Cosmi – Returned from ACL injury last week, missed yesterday’s practice with a back injury

WR Terry McLaurin – Second full practice since suffering a quad injury vs the Raiders, missed four games

WR Deebo Samuel – Second full practice after last game with a heel injury

LB Bobby Wagner – Full participant again with new thumb injury

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384876/co...t-matt-gay-is-questionable-with-a-back-injury

 

[Washington Commanders]

NFL Week 8: Late afternoon games open thread

The Washington Commanders visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, so we’ve got a few more games to watch late Sunday afternoon. Fox only has one game on their late slate, an NFC South matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs are 5-1, and in 1st place in the division. The Saints are 1-6, and firmly at the bottom of the division.

FOX​

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints, 4:05 p.m. ET

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CBS has two more games on their early schedule. Most of the country will be watching the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Denver Broncos. Dallas got a big win over the Commanders last week, and also got CeeDee Lamb back on the field to pair with George Pickens. The second game is an AFC South matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are 6-1, and in 1st place in the division. The Titans are 1-6, and have already fired their head coach.

CBS​

Dallas Cowboys @ Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts, 4:25 p.m. ET

FanDuel Odds

Hogs Haven Media Information​

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Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

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Buy Washington gear at the Hogs Haven Fanshop

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NFL News twitter feed

Washington Commanders twitter feed

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384055/nfl-week-8-late-afternoon-games-open-thread

 

[Washington Commanders]

All aTwitter: 27-Oct-25 – Washington’s 32 years without a win vs KC Chiefs is the longest such streak in the NFL

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

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Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed​

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Click here for NFL News, Rumors & Reports Twitter Feed​

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Tip: If a tweet isn’t fully visible on your screen, clicking on the date at the bottom of the tweet will open it up individually in either the X app or your browser.​

No one ruled out today so that means Matt Gay traveled to KC. A good sign. But still will come down to how he feels Monday. So… stay tuned.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 26, 2025

Wheels up to KC@united | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/FpuAk3BCSn

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 26, 2025

I’m ready for #Commanders LB Jordan Magee.

Vs Dallas
• Most snaps in career (21)
• Most tackles in career (4)
• Most LOS stops in career (3)
• 2 rec 4yds
• 6 coverage snaps
• 87.7 Defensive grade

Let me know what you see. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/xN1WYiOgEj

— Deuce_Redzone (@redzoneinthelab) October 24, 2025

#Commanders LB Frankie Luvu has 2 missed tackles the last three games after starting the season off with 8.

He has 14 STOPS over the last 4 after starting the year with 5.

We’re still not getting 2024 Luvu yet, but he’s moving in that direction! #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/Y9xE26cSJn

— Deuce_Redzone (@redzoneinthelab) October 26, 2025

A lot of good game results for Commanders fans in Week 8.

GB still to play on SNF.

Now, WAS needs to get the upset win on Monday Night Football vs Chiefs.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/C1xYF4eIuB

— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) October 26, 2025

Don’t you just love the Bronco’s today. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/UApSsXyRUt

— The Quietman (@Qu1etman) October 26, 2025

Losing to the Bears and Cowboys hurts even more now after watching them play today. #RaiseHail

— Hail Raiser (@NatsJunkie) October 26, 2025

AP, what do we need to do to field a defense like the Broncos? #Commanders #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/Jzj1UgA2ng

— Cedonia Ave. (@KMBmoreX) October 26, 2025

Jalen Hurts reaches the ball forward on this tush push and gets it stripped from him. Refs blow a whistle and say the play was dead…. pic.twitter.com/ISc7zuwdNn

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 26, 2025

Kayvon Thibodeaux’s reaction to the refs saying Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ forward progress had stopped before Thibodeaux stripped the ball out on the Tush Push. pic.twitter.com/okFdDRD76M

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) October 26, 2025

The difficulty of officiating the tush push, with the false start issues and now this, could be a factor if the play comes up for reconsideration in the offseason. Roger Goodell and Troy Vincent said last week in New York the NFL would continue to monitor the play. https://t.co/6ZShF9wJQt

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) October 26, 2025

.@Giants @Eagles @saquon everyone gets a perfect 10+ block and Saquon ran by the FS for 65 yd TD…Give Saquon a runway like this and the Birds are unstoppable #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/icHbBzrTvt

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 26, 2025

Dondrea Tillman picks off Dak and takes it all the way to midfield!

DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/5niHOHohuR

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Bo Nix over the past two weeks:

74.7% adjusted completion rate
574 total yards
8 total TDs
1 INT https://t.co/kPdQ0uwwuN pic.twitter.com/Z3n2cIG5hH

— PFF (@PFF) October 26, 2025

Feels like Sean Payton wanted to send a message today about his QB and his offense. Yes, the Cowboys defense is in the running for the worst in the league, but Payton, Nix and this O had themselves a day of complete dominance.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 26, 2025

Classic Caleb Williams #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/O6P54EVUIu

— DLacks21 (@Cheddarbob804) October 26, 2025

https://t.co/8AEwcTreqs

— Marshall (@MarshW_7) October 26, 2025

Lassiter picks off Jones!

SFvsHOU on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/uoo3UXQ6Z4

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Tua Tagovailoa has his FOURTH TD pass of the day!

MIAvsATL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2GMEfBXQwo

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Jaylen Waddle is a BLUR. 43-yard TD!

MIAvsATL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/k6ggqc9Qu1

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Jonathan Taylor's 2025 game logs are UNREAL

Week 1: 21 touches, 98 yards
Week 2: 27 touches, 215 yards, 1 rec. TD
Week 3: 20 touches, 118 yards, 3 rush TD
Week 4: 22 touches, 96 yards
Week 5: 20 touches, 86 yards, 3 rush TD
Week 6: 25 touches, 137 yards, 1 rush TD
Week 7: 19… pic.twitter.com/Io93XCLhdB

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

The Jets get the first win of Aaron Glenn’s coaching tenure after an 0-7 start. They score 39 points with Justin Fields at quarterback following owner Woody Johnson’s sharp criticism of Fields last week.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) October 26, 2025

Brian Daboll is angry because this was called OPI on the #Giants … and it's an absolute joke.

So ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/e3uC8VSoY6 https://t.co/16vORaZHzA

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 26, 2025

Steady hands under center pic.twitter.com/kSKbI63Sk1

— FTN Fantasy (@FTNFantasy) October 22, 2025

Saints coach Kellen Moore on benching QB Spencer Rattler for rookie Tyler Shough in Sunday's loss: "I'm not into this back-and-forth game, but we do have to make some decisions here moving forward"https://t.co/fSrc7FRcYz pic.twitter.com/jyU6DKbjzQ

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 26, 2025

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Almost exactly 29 years ago, on November 3, 1996, The Curse Of Hank Scorpio was placed upon the Dallas Cowboys.

Let's step through what this is, and how it's manifested over nearly three decades. pic.twitter.com/R5UKpXFD0i

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) October 22, 2025

Homer Simpson, a Cowboys fan, said his lifelong dream was to own that team.

After seizing the East Coast, with his newfound power Hank Scorpio gave Homer "a start" toward fulfilling that dream.

Homer…was not respectful toward what he was gifted. pic.twitter.com/llj37IITe0

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) October 22, 2025

As for the Cowboys since then?

No more Super Bowl wins.

No more Super Bowl appearances.

And even the longest active NFC Championship Game appearance drought!

And over twice as long as the next NFC team! pic.twitter.com/UePzmEKJAq

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) October 22, 2025

But The Curse Of Hank Scorpio doesn't end there.

Since then, the Broncos and Cowboys have faced each other 7 times.

The Broncos have won all 7 games. pic.twitter.com/QZNcTN5xUP

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) October 22, 2025

Now that the Curse Of Hank Scorpio is preserved, it's the second longest streak in measurement of time that one team has had over another.

The longest? Washington hasn't beaten Kansas City since *1983*.

And guess who's playing tomorrow?

Commanders vs. Chiefs. https://t.co/L5KhZUK8TF

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) October 26, 2025

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RB Cam Skattebo has a dislocated ankle and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.

— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) October 26, 2025

Giants coach Brian Daboll on the emotional loss of rookie RB Cam Skattebo. pic.twitter.com/KWHnTpeOjT

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) October 26, 2025

Carol Davis, widow of Al Davis and "First Lady of Raider Nation," dies at 93https://t.co/rFu6V95Drr pic.twitter.com/YPpdIC4SXX

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 26, 2025

We are heartbroken to share the news of Nick Mangold’s sudden passing.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 26, 2025

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Buy Washington gear at the Hogs Haven Fanshop

---

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/openthrea...-chiefs-is-the-longest-such-streak-in-the-nfl

 

[Washington Commanders]

Washington Commanders Roster Moves: Two players elevated from the practice squad; Matt Gay OUT

The Washington Commanders are elevating K Matthew Wright and DT Sheldon Day from the practice squad for tonight’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Wright was signed today, and will replace Matt Gay who has been ruled out after popping up on the injury report on Saturday with a back injury..

WR Robbie Chosen was released from the practice to make room for Wright. He has four catches last week during his only elevation after getting signed earlier this month. The Commanders are getting WRs Deebo Samuel(heel) and Terry McLaurin(quad) back this week after missing one and four games respectively.

Sheldon Day gets his second elevation of the season, and this comes after Washington placed DE Dorance Armstrong(knee) on injured reserve this week. Daron Payne has also been dealing with a toe injury that kept him out of practice this week. He was working through the injury, and will test it out before the game.

We have made the following roster moves:
– Signed K Matthew Wright to the practice squad
– Released WR Robbie Chosen from the practice squad
– Elevated DT Sheldon Day and K Matthew Wright from the practice squad

K Matt Gay (back) has been downgraded to OUT for tonight's game pic.twitter.com/aTIHKKfgmo

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 27, 2025

The Commanders had Matthew Wright as a contingency going into the weekend. Matt Gay traveled with the Commanders to Kansas City, but they also flew out Wright to have him in waiting in case Gay couldn't go. Lo and behold, Gay was ruled out and Wright was signed to the PS on…

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 27, 2025

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The Chiefs have elevated OG CJ Hanson and DT Marion Tuipulotu for tonight’s game. OG Trey Smith was listed as doubtful, and is expected to miss tonight’s game.

The Chiefs have elevated OG CJ Hanson and DT Marlon Tuipulotu for tonight‘s game against the Washington Commanders, per source.

— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) October 27, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/384048/wa...elevated-from-the-practice-squad-matt-gay-out

 

[Washington Commanders]

What are the odds? The Washington Commanders are home underdogs against the Seattle Seahawks

The Washington Commanders are 3-5 after a 28-7 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. They were staying with the Chiefs in the first half, going into halftime with a 7-7 score, but they were outscored 21-0 in the 2nd half. The Commanders got two turnovers in the first half that they couldn’t convert into points, and they just watched as the Chiefs kept scoring later in the game.

The Commanders are now on a three-game losing streak, and their playoff odds continue to get smaller with each loss. Jayden Daniels didn’t play last night due to a hamstring injury from the week before. That is his third missed game of the season, and he could miss more time with his new injury. Washington did get WRs Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel back from injury last night, but that wasn’t enough for an offense that only scored 7 points.

Join our partner FanDuel for all your betting needs

The Seattle Seahawks are coming to town for another primetime game. Opening odds for the Commanders have them as 3.5-point home underdogs against the Seahawks. The O/U opens at 48.5, two points lower than last week.

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FanDuel odds

Point spread: Commanders +3.5

Point total: 45.5

Moneyline: Seahawks -190, Commanders +158

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/383982/wh...e-home-underdogs-against-the-seattle-seahawks

 

[Washington Commanders]

From Static to Sudden: Inside the Commanders’ Defensive Adjustments in Week 8

The scoreboard at Arrowhead told an unforgiving story — 28–7, another primetime loss for the burgundy and gold, who now sit at 3–5.

But behind the result, within the defensive substitutions and personnel packages of Week 8, there were the first visible signs of change. Led by Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., the tandem began adjusting, even just slightly, the structure of a defense that had grown old, slow, and reactive — one that simply fails to match the tempo of the modern NFL.

For the first time in 2025, speed and youth took precedence over experience. It came not in grand announcements or schematic overhauls, but through the quiet introduction of players like Jordan Magee and Tyler Owens — each embodying a specific need that has been lacking in Washington’s defense: range, adaptability, and pursuit.

The result in Kansas City was ugly, but the intention behind the lineup was clear. Washington, after weeks of masking inefficiencies with veteran steadiness, finally chose to lean into athleticism.

It may have come too late to rescue the early part of the season, but it offers a necessary blueprint for what the defense must become.

Recalibrating Identity​

When Quinn and Whitt arrived, the expectation was that Washington’s defense would mirror the aggressive, fast-flowing identity Quinn once built in Seattle and Dallas — defenses that chased, closed, and punished offenses for stretching the field. But through the first half of 2025, the Commanders looked more static. There were flashes at times, sure, but far too often they looked a step, or two, or three, slow.

Much of that lag existed in the middle of the field. Bobby Wagner’s presence provides leadership and structure, but at 35, his coverage range is no longer what it was. Tight ends have found soft spots all around him, and backs have turned short check-downs into chunk plays with consistency. When speed becomes a liability, even perfect positioning can’t always compensate.

The front seven, once considered the team’s backbone, had its own set of injuries and inconsistencies. With Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise Jr, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste each on the shelf for the long haul, the room lost its bite. Corners were forced into coverage longer, exposing spacing issues and communication breakdowns that no amount of veteran savvy could fix.

Against Patrick Mahomes, those problems were magnified. Kansas City stretched the defense horizontally, used motion to manipulate linebackers, and found advantageous matchups specifically in the second half. It wasn’t simply a talent gap even though that remains an issue — it was a speed gap. My guy is quicker than your guy.

The Commanders were reacting to plays rather than dictating them, a common theme through eight weeks.

That reality has forced Quinn and Whitt to reassess how the unit was built.

Today’s NFL offenses aren’t just faster — they’re layered, forcing defenders to cover space in ways the old positional archetypes no longer allow. And so, Week 8 became an inflection point.

Youth Movement​

For Magee, his calling card is range. A product of Temple, he brings the kind of sideline-to-sideline burst that the defense has lacked. He doesn’t have Wagner’s command of angles or veteran timing, but what he provides is the raw velocity to close space — to turn a five-yard gain into a tackle at two.

Kain Medrano, a day three pick in April, while he’s remained stapled to the inactive list or as a core special teamer, he represents the prototype of the hybrid linebacker. A former multi-level standout at UCLA, he is expected to start seeing snaps as a floating chess piece — sometimes over the slot, sometimes scraping over the top, sometimes matching tight ends in space. He’s not yet refined, but his fluidity allows Whitt to disguise coverages and blur the lines between traditional linebacker and strong safety.

Then there’s Tyler Owens, one of the more intriguing young athletes on the roster and really in all of football. Once overlooked as an undrafted rookie, Owens has earned trust through sheer versatility. He can align at nickel, play deep safety, or even hold up on the perimeter. In a league where tight ends are running 4.5s and slot receivers are built like tailbacks, that adaptability matters. Owens’ value isn’t just what position he plays — it’s that he can play several, often within the same series.

And finally, Jacob Martin, the journeyman edge rusher at the ripe age of 29 whose rotational role has grown out of necessity. With so many injuries up front, Martin’s energy and pocket-collapsing quickness have become vital.

He’s not a star, but his motor and bend bring a dimension of speed the front had been missing. When Washington can get pressure from multiple points without sending blitzes, the entire structure steadies.

These players, in their own ways, could represent the philosophical pivot Quinn and Whitt are trying to engineer, and some of what we saw in Kansas City. The Commanders have spent much of the season trying to be a power-based, gap-control defense built on discipline and communication. Now, they could lean toward a style that thrives on quickness, range, and disruption.

It’s a potential move that reflects not only an adjustment in personnel, but in mindset — from reactive to proactive, from containment to pursuit.

Why Speed Matters​

Every team preaches speed. But few understand what it actually means to play fast.

For Washington, playing fast means shortening pursuit angles, condensing throwing windows, and forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball that half-second longer.

Modern offenses — Kansas City, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco — are built on horizontal stress. They use motion and tempo to create uncertainty, forcing defenders to declare leverage and reveal coverage. Against those systems, if your linebackers can’t run and your safeties can’t flip their hips in space, it doesn’t matter how well you tackle. You’re chasing ghosts.

That’s where players like Magee and Owens become essential. Their raw athleticism allows Washington to match motion with motion — to chase crossing routes instead of passing them off, to run with tight ends rather than rerouting them.

For Whitt, his defensive philosophy depends on speed at all three levels. The front four must collapse space, the linebackers must scrape and flow without hesitation, and the secondary must transition from deep coverage to support instantly. Without it, every play call becomes a compromise — too soft against the pass, too vulnerable against the run.

Week 8 didn’t deliver results yet, but it provided something perhaps more important: confirmation that the Commanders are willing to evolve.

Roster Construction​

This evolution extends beyond Sunday strategy. It’s also about how Washington builds its defense long-term. The Commanders have quietly spent recent drafts, free-agent cycles, and the trade market chasing traits — length, maturity, versatility — even if it meant sacrificing short-term polish.

Players like Magee and Medrano aren’t simply developmental fliers; they’re archetypes for where the league is trending. Cheap, fast, and multidimensional defenders allow a coordinator to disguise fronts and rotate without telegraphing tendencies.

From a cap-management standpoint, it’s efficient. From a schematic standpoint, it’s liberating.

At some point, the organization will have to phase out veterans who, while valuable leaders, no longer fit the physical demands of the system. Wagner is the most obvious example. His football IQ remains elite, but his lateral range does not.

And the transition away from players like him must be handled delicately — respecting experience while acknowledging necessity.

The Commanders’ path forward depends on whether their young core can develop quickly enough to make that transition seamless. Because the truth is, no scheme can hide a speed deficit forever.

Now comes the next test. The Commanders face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, followed by a matchup with the Detroit Lions — two teams that exemplify the kind of offensive pace and spatial stress Washington must learn to counter.

Seattle’s offense will attack the flats, pull linebackers with misdirection, and stretch coverage with play-action boots. Detroit will test eye discipline with motion and run-pass conflicts, while using RB Jahmyr Gibbs and their receivers to probe the perimeter.

These are games where speed isn’t theoretical — it’s survival. And Washington’s structure will either hold up or be exposed quickly. But the most important thing is that Quinn and Whitt are, seemingly, finally, comfortable with allowing the roster’s athletic pieces to take the field.

Even in a loss, those reps matter. They are the groundwork for an identity that can last beyond a single season.

A Philosophical Shift​

For much of the past few years, Washington’s defense has tried to be the steady unit — bend-don’t-break, play assignment football, avoid mistakes. But the modern NFL punishes timidity. The offenses that win today attack space relentlessly. They thrive on matchups and chaos.

If you can’t run, you can’t survive.

The Commanders’ Week 8 adjustments mark the first real acknowledgment of that truth. This wasn’t about a schematic overhaul or a scapegoat firing. It was about personnel — about letting the younger, faster defenders play. It was about embracing the risk that comes with inexperience in exchange for the reward of explosiveness.

Quinn has always believed in defenses that swarm, that play with controlled aggression and speed. Whitt’s structure is designed around versatility and matchup control. Those philosophies demand athletes who can execute them.

For the first time in 2025, Washington looked willing to take that leap.

Washington’s loss to Kansas City was lopsided on the scoreboard, but internally, it may be remembered as the moment the defensive reset began.

For all the frustrations — the missed tackles, the coverage lapses, the absence of consistent pressure — there’s an emerging sense of direction. The Commanders have chosen to stop leaning on experience as a crutch and instead bet on the future: on Magee’s speed, Owens’ range, Martin’s relentlessness, and down the line, Medrano’s versatility.

It’s not a quick fix. But in a league defined by velocity, by offenses that spread you thin and force you to cover every blade of grass, it’s the only viable path forward.

Washington’s defensive rebuild won’t be measured in immediate results, but in how quickly it can transition from heavy and hesitant to fast and fearless. That process began, quietly, in Week 8 — even if it took a 28–7 loss for everyone to see it.

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/385448/fr...he-commanders-defensive-adjustments-in-week-8

 

[Washington Commanders]

Daily Slop – 29 Oct 25 – Commanders top-3 run offense hasn’t gotten traction for the past three games

Commanders links​

Articles​

Washington Post (paywall)

The Commanders’ offense is struggling, and they can’t run from it​

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s not as obvious as a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, not as baffling as a ricocheted interception off Deebo Samuel Sr.’s face mask, not as worrisome as another empty-handed trip to the red zone. But it is there, in the box score of the Washington Commanders’ 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and is an aggravating factor all the same:

Twenty carries for 60 rushing yards.

For a Commanders offense that led the NFL at 5.9 yards per carry over the first five weeks of the season, that sort of paltry production might seem uncharacteristic. Yet during their three-game losing streak, it has been a trend. Washington’s rushing attack has gone flat. Monday night’s loss is simply the most recent — and glaring — example.

While the Commanders can still claim a top-three rushing attack in the NFL — their 137.5 yards per game are tied for third entering Week 9 — the underlying statistics show signs of regression. Over the past three weeks, they rank 18th in rushing yards per game. And in terms of production by running backs, they are among the league’s worst (28th) during that span.

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Commanders.com

5 takeaways from Commanders vs. Chiefs​

Missed opportunities on the first three drives.

Head coach Dan Quinn wanted the team to be bold against the Chiefs, which meant keeping the offense on the field for as many fourth-down attempts as possible. It was a logical move to execute against the Chiefs’ high-powered offense, although it meant that every drive needed to end in the end zone.

While it might have been the right approach, the Commanders had trouble executing the plan. Their first three drives ended with some form of a turnover after moving into Chiefs territory, the first of which occurred when a pass from Mariota to Deebo Samuel at the Kansas City 18-yard line deflected off the receiver’s helmet and into the hands of a Chiefs defender.

Washington’s next two drives didn’t get as far but still ended in frustration. The offense moved from its own 7-yard line to the Chiefs’ 40 before being forced to attempt a fourth-and-6. Mariota’s pass to Zach Ertz was ruled short on a virtual measurement. Their next attempt at a fourth-down conversion ended on an equally sour note, as Mariota’s pass to Terry McLaurin was off target.

Mariota said after the game that the offense didn’t do its job, and there is some truth to that. As good as the Commanders did to stay competitive in the first half, it could have been much better.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders at the NFL trade deadline: Should they buy, sell or stand pat?​

These are not the Commanders who were 7-2 and sitting atop the NFC East at the NFL’s trade deadline last year. Washington is 3-5 with a game to go before Tuesday’s deadline (4 p.m. ET). The good news is they still have the most important position settled, even if Jayden Daniels isn’t healthy at the moment.

The bad news is the Commanders need help virtually everywhere else on the roster. They are not one or two pieces away from contending, but in desperate need of better health, an infusion of talent and more foundational players they can build around.

Unlike last year, when Washington approached the deadline with a surplus of nine picks in the subsequent draft, it has only six picks this time around: a first, a third, a fifth, two sixths and a seventh.

General manager Adam Peters has made nine trades — he’s sent off four players, acquired four new ones and swapped picks in the 2024 draft — since arriving in Washington 21 months ago. He’s made it clear that “whatever your record is, if you can add a really good player and you think it’s the right move for your team, then you do it.”

Or, at least, that’s what he said after he traded for cornerback Marshon Lattimore just before the deadline last year.

Let’s weigh Washington’s options.

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Commanders.com

Final thoughts | Some news for Jayden Daniels​

— Quinn didn’t have any updates on the Commanders’ injured players, as he had not met with the medical team prior to his press conference, but he did provide some positive updates on Jayden Daniels, who missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury. Daniels had a good rehab period last week and is expected to be at practice in some capacity on Wednesday. The Commanders have been careful with Daniels’ health, however, so it’s possible he will only practice in a limited capacity.

— Part of the Commanders’ defensive adjustments was giving second-year players Jordan Magee and Tyler Owens more defensive snaps. Magee was involved in 84% of the defensive plays, while Owens played 36% of the snaps — career highs for both players. Quinn liked the speed from both players and feels they have earned the right to more snaps going forward.

— Jacob Martin was one of the Commanders’ best playmakers against the Chiefs, collecting two sacks on Patrick Mahomes to go with two tackles. Quinn likes what he has seen from the veteran over the last two weeks, saying that while he isn’t the biggest defensive end, there is some explosiveness to his skill set. “He’s got a relentless nature about him, and he’s earned these chances and more [opportunities] to go get it. He’s always been a very consistent player. … Players like that are really important on your team. They’re ‘glue’ players.”

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A to Z Sports

A tale of two halves for both sides of the ball​

Commanders looked like a contender in the first half

The offense was clicking to start the game, and they drove right down the field, but unfortunately, Deebo Samuel deflected a catch right to a defender and ended a great opening drive with a turnover. The defense did the unthinkable and had two turnovers off of Patrick Mahomes in the first half, and finally found the endzone on a Terry McLaurin toe-tapping catch.

welcome back, scary terry

#WASvsKC ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/7RsgwfgxpY

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 28, 2025

The defense had its best showing in the first half, while the offense didn’t take advantage and add more points to reward their efforts. Going into halftime 7-7 against the Chiefs on the road is the best start you could possibly ask for, and it should’ve been a bigger lead for the Commanders. It did nothing for the second half, though, as we saw the ugly side of the team we’ve grown used to seeing over the last few weeks.

The second half showed that the Commanders need a lot of work

The Chiefs adjusted at halftime, and the Commanders didn’t. They shot themselves in the foot as well, and that’s not something you can do against Mahomes. Rookie Jaylin Lane missed a kickoff on the first drive of the second half that ended up going down at the two-yard line after the Chiefs scored to go up 14-7. The Commanders ended up punting five plays later and gave the ball right back to the Chiefs after having it for only two minutes.

Jaylin Lane with a VERY costly mistake on the kickoff return pic.twitter.com/c2fUx4eORH

— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) October 28, 2025

The truth about the Commanders is that they do have good players who are capable of making big plays, but they can’t play four full quarters to beat a team like the Chiefs right now. I don’t know how much Jayden Daniels would’ve helped tonight if he were playing, but seeing the defense go back to its old habits in the second half raises questions after seeing how they played in the first half. Seven points obviously will never be enough to win a game like that either. Both sides of the ball are at fault.

The season is slipping away from the Commanders, who have the Seattle Seahawks at home next Sunday night, and a lot more injuries are starting to pile up. There’s only a small thread of hope left before we can call it a bad season, and look forward to the offseason.

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Heavy.com

Marshon Lattimore : Makes impact via INT in Week 8 loss​

Lattimore logged one pass defensed, an interception, during Washington’s loss to the Chiefs on Monday. Lattimore didn’t record a single tackle during Monday’s loss despite playing 100 percent of defensive snaps. That marks the first time across eight regular-season appearances this year that Lattimore has been held without a stop, though his playmaking ability remained on display when making a first-quarter interception of Patrick Mahomes, on a pass intended for Hollywood Brown. The veteran cornerback remains locked into an every-down role heading into a Week 9 matchup against Seattle.

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Pro Football Focus (premium content)

NFL Lockdown Report: Best defenders at preventing separation in coverage​

What is Lockdown Percentage?

This metric focuses on coverage, measuring how well a defender prevents a receiver from getting open. It excludes plays where the defender intentionally gives up space to protect the first-down marker or limit yards after the catch.

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Heavy.com

Dan Quinn Names 2 Commanders Set for ‘More Opportunities’​

Quinn highlighted second-year linebacker Jordan Magee and big-bodied safety Tyler Owens after the game on Monday Night Football. As Quinn put it, “I liked the speed I felt from them. … They earned the right to have more opportunities in there, too,” per ESPN’s John Keim.

The increased workloads for both Magee and Owens were just a small part of a number of alterations the Commanders made to their schemes. Those changeups also included a new role for dynamic, roving linebacker Frankie Luvu.

While the defense was still burned by three Patrick Mahomes touchdown passes, the Commanders’ unit did create pressure and force turnovers. Those are necessary steps toward genuine and long overdue improvement on this side of the ball.

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Riggo’s Rag

Stephen A. Smith wonders if Commanders will shut Jayden Daniels down if losing continues​

Their chances of making the playoffs are remote. If the team suffers a few more losses to put any hopes of salvaging the campaign out of sight, Smith thought that would be a good chance for head coach Dan Quinn to protect his face of the franchise.

“What do you do with Jayden Daniels since you know that the prospects of you getting into the postseason are slim to none? You preserve your future. You protect the franchise. You might have to start thinking like that soon. I’m not talking about right now, we’re only eight games in. You might have to think about that at some point, because he’s slight of frame. You don’t have the personnel to protect him. He is the face of the franchise. He’s the future of the franchise. You want to protect him at all costs. You might have to think about that if you continue to nosedive. That’s all I’m saying.”Stephen A. Smith

This is an asinine notion. For one, Daniels is far too competitive to accept being sat out because the Commanders aren’t going to achieve anything. He wants to be out on the field to help his teammates. If he is healthy, he’ll demand to be on the field, regardless of whether things are going well.

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Pro Football Focus (premium content)

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 9​

13. Washington Commanders (Down 4)​

Projected Week 9 starters:

• LT Brandon Coleman
• LG Chris Paul
• C Tyler Biadasz
• RG Sam Cosmi
• RT Josh Conerly Jr.

The Commanders’ offensive line couldn’t contain the Chiefs’ pass rush. Washington’s unit gave up 14 pressures — including two sacks — on 35 pass plays. The front-five finished with a 77.1 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which was the fifth-worst mark in the league this week.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil exited Week 8’s game with a hamstring injury after just 13 snaps and was replaced by Brandon Coleman at left tackle. The second-year player finished the game with a 75.1 PFF overall grade, which paced Washington’s offensive linemen.

Best player: Sam Cosmi​

In Tunsil’s absence, Cosmi can be considered Washington’s best offensive lineman, even though he is still working his way back from injury.

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I reviewed the #Commanders defense and what adjustments Dan Quinn/Joe Whitt Jr. made against the Chiefs: https://t.co/irhVELco4Z pic.twitter.com/MrCX9Db5pa

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 28, 2025

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Podcasts & videos​

NFL Week 8 Recap: Commanders fall to Chiefs 28-7 | Booth Review | Washington Commanders | NFL​

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On video with some Second Thoughts on the Commanders after another loss. One key way another team stopped the run and what it highlights about Wash’s run D. More. ⁦@ESPNRichmond⁩ https://t.co/bfKr0i1505

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 29, 2025

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Washington Commanders vs Kansas City Chiefs Game Highlights | 2025 NFL Season Week 8​

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Photos​

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders vs. Chiefs, Week 8​

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

View Link
View Link
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NFC East links​

dallascowboys.com

Cowboys’ free agency options, injury updates at ailing safety position​

When it comes to the safety position in Dallas, the Cowboys got no food, no jobs and their pets’ heads are falling off. Let that classic line from Lloyd of Dumb and Dumber sink in for a moment, because it’s terrifyingly accurate in its description of the back end of the Cowboys’ defense heading into Week 9 of the 2025 season.

The unit started the season as one of the deepest on the roster but, eight games into the season, it’s not only the thinnest, it’s damn one injury away from being almost literally nonexistent — following news of Alijah Clark, the rookie safety suffering an injury to his ribs in the loss to the Denver Broncos that will sideline him “a couple of weeks”.

If you’re reading this, and you’re able-bodied, the Cowboys are hiring safeties.

As it stands, Markquese Bell is literally the only safety on the active 53-man roster, and they have only one on the practice squad, and that’s Julius Wood, a former undrafted free agent (2024) that spent time with the Tennessee Titans before re-signing with the Cowboys not long ago.

To date, Wood has nine NFL games under his belt but no starts and only two combined tackles on his career stat line, zeroed out across the board in every other category. This isn’t to say Wood doesn’t have potential — one of the biggest standouts in his rookie training camp with the Cowboys in 2024, leading to him being claimed on waivers in the first place — but anyone looking at the young, inexperienced safety as the solution for what ails the safety group is attached to an IV with blind hope in the drip.

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Pro Football Talk

Cam Skattebo suffered a fractured fibula, ruptured ligament in addition to dislocated ankle​

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Skattebo also fractured his fibula and ruptured the deltoid ligament in his ankle. The team said all went well with the surgery to replace his injuries and Rapoport reports that he’s expected to be ready for the team’s offseason work.

The Giants placed Skattebo on injured reserve on Tuesday. The fourth-round pick had 110 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns before his injury.

Cam Skattebo’s injury has roughly 6 month recovery, which means even at the very latest benchmark, he should be ready to roll for OTAs and minicamp. A horrific looking injury, but not a complicated rehab. https://t.co/VxGbPfBNPi

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 29, 2025

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Big Blue View

Survey: Should the Giants trade for a receiver after losing Cam Skattebo?​

There has been speculation that the New York Giants could be active on the trade market as they try to reinforce their roster around Jaxson Dart. However, we got reports late last week from both The Atlantic and ESPN indicating that the Giants were more likely to stand pat and not engage with the trade market.

But did things change when the team lost Cam Skattebo for the season?

The loss of Malik Nabers and Skattebo for the season has laid the Giants offensive depth (or lack thereof) bare. While Dart has been impressive since taking over the starting job — remarkably so for a rookie — he hasn’t gotten much help. Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and tight end Daniel Bellinger have been Dart’s only consistently dependable options, and Bellinger left Sunday’s game with a neck injury.

The Giants may not want to sink future capital in a team that isn’t going anywhere this year, but they also have to do what they can to maintain an environment in which Dart can continue to grow and improve. There’s a risk that Dart’s growth could be stunted if his receivers consistently run poor routes or can’t hang onto the ball. Perhaps worse, Dart wants to make a play and will hold the ball if receivers can’t get open. And that will lead to the young man taking unnecessary hits thanks to his never-say-die attitude.

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The Athletic (paywall)

What does A.J. Brown want? Eagles’ star WR chases greatness — on his terms​

t…often feels like Brown is talking about two things at once, why Brown sometimes avoids reporters after games; they must ask about the system, the plays, the wins, the losses; he must first confront the emotions, the confines, the contingencies beyond his control. It is also why Brown’s vented frustrations often lack a clear target, why his self-absorbed social media posts should be consumed with caution.

On Sept. 28, after the Eagles survived a near-comeback by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite clunky offensive play, Brown, who was targeted nine times but had just two catches for 7 yards, steered clear of reporters to sort out his feelings. He opened his phone and found a screenshot of a post featuring a verse from the Gospels — “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way” — along with a caption calling God, “the only one we should ever concern ourselves with.”

Brown uploaded the post to social media and fired away. “It’s not directed at anyone,” he told reporters days later.

After Brown’s two touchdown catches helped beat the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 19, he fired another social media salvo. “Using me but not using me,” he posted, along with an attached video of a local bodybuilder he trained with shouting, “I’m built different. I train different. I work different. I am different. … The work ain’t done till it’s done, motherf—er.”

Brown hasn’t spoken with reporters since. He missed all three of last week’s practices with a hamstring injury and was sidelined in Sunday’s win over the New York Giants. His teammates decline to interpret his posts.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts: “I just keep my focus singularly on the collective.”

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith: “It’s none of my business.”

Few stars are as open about their feelings as Brown. Fewer are as willing to speak about how their sense of self gets snarled with the desire to be truly seen. Public opinion only serves as a multiplier of things he already feels. “Athletes deal with it all the time,” he said.

It is why a crowd’s roar boosts him when the ball’s in his hands, why some boos miss and others sting. It is also why Brown tries to remember there is no other measurement of greatness than his own.

It feels like the Eagles are shopping A.J. Brown without officially shopping A.J. Brown. pic.twitter.com/ssoS2Svi6N

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 29, 2025

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Upcoming opponent​

Field Gulls

What will Jaxon Smith-Njigba do to the Commanders?​

I bet you that most non-Seahawks fans would’ve assumed at this point that Washington would be the one comfortably above .500 wile the Seahawks would be 3-5 and a sinking ship. The Commanders’ season is on the brink, which means their backs are against the wall, while Seattle is narrowly leading the NFC West and are second in FTN’s overall DVOA (thanks to the Indianapolis Colts). Who will win this weekend? You know the drill by now: pick the team and the score margin.

Our main question this week is all about Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards by a comfortable distance. The Commanders defense is mediocre at best, but it’s needn’t mattered for JSN given how he torched an elite Houston Texans team last game. What will he do against the Commanders? Will he get at least 100 receiving yards again? Will he score at least a touchdown? What about over 100 but no TD?

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NFL league links​

Articles​

Pro Football Talk

Broncos on historic start: Defense has NFL-best 36 sacks, offense allowed NFL-best 8 sacks​

Denver’s defense is leading the NFL with 36 sacks. The Broncos’ offense is also the best in the NFL at avoiding sacks, with only eight sacks allowed.

That’s not just the best in the NFL this year, it’s unprecedented in NFL history midway through a season: The 2025 Broncos are the first team in NFL history with at least 35 sacks on defense and 10 or fewer sacks allowed on offense in the first eight games of a season.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has only been sacked on 2.7 percent of his pass attempts, the best mark in the NFL. The Broncos’ defense has recorded a sack on 12.2 percent of their opponents’ pass attempts, which is also the best mark in the NFL. The league average is a sack on 6.8 percent of pass attempts.

The Broncos are on a five-game winning streak, and they’re going to win a whole lot more games if they keep doing two of the most important things in football: Getting to the other team’s quarterback, and keeping their own quarterback upright.

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Discussion topics​

Washington Post (paywall)

Jalen Hurts’s non-fumble could be a tipping point in the tush push debate​

A new officiating issue came up Sunday on the Philadelphia Eagles’ signature short-yardage play: When does forward progress end?

It remains to be seen whether those discussions will lead to another formal proposal to ban the controversial signature short-yardage play of the Philadelphia Eagles and another vote of the team owners on that issue.

But this time, it appears increasingly likely that the difficulties associated with officiating the play will be a key part of the deliberations. It may have become a near certainty when the on-field officials seemed to halt the play too soon during the Eagles’ victory Sunday over the New York Giants, nullifying what should have been a fumble lost by quarterback Jalen Hurts and recovered by the Giants.

[T]he play may have been a tipping point in the tush push debate.

“There’s always something else with that play,” a high-ranking official with one team said later Sunday. “It’s just not going away. I don’t think there’s any question we’ll have to deal with it again this offseason just because there’s so much focus on it.”

Some more looks at the non-fumble on the Eagles tush push due to forward progress being called.@KevinBurkhardt, @TomBrady, and @DeanBlandino discuss: pic.twitter.com/g1leAsahVS

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 26, 2025

Kayvon Thibodeaux on the tush push fumble problem and explanation: “sounds like some bullshit to me”

Then Brian Burns cautions: “you’ll get fined”

Thibodeaux: “sorry. That was a great call by the ref” #talkinball pic.twitter.com/5B13OLLXrQ

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) October 26, 2025

Earlier this season, the main officiating issue with the tush push was the propensity of the Eagles’ offensive linemen, particularly their guards, to move just before the snap without being penalized for false starts. In September, the NFL said in its weekly training tape for game officials that the Eagles should have been called for a false start that went unpenalized on at least one of their tush pushes during a triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs; the tape instructed the officials to call “these plays tight and make sure that every aspect of the offensive team is legal.”

That issue has persisted.

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aBit o’Twitter​

From @GMFB: The #Commanders expect QB Jayden Daniels to practice today; #Saints QB Tyler Shough becomes QB1 in New Orleans; #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is back to 100%. pic.twitter.com/B17kDE9npJ

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 29, 2025

The Week 8 update to the True Sack Rate is up. 307 sacks from 76 rushers studied, charted and graded. Here's the top 37 in overall 'sack score'

Article: https://t.co/BTO4VI0cG5 pic.twitter.com/G1QrNxbTYI

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 29, 2025

Congrats to @ZERTZ_86, our nominee for the 2025 Salute to Service Award!

https://t.co/XNebO02QhU | @USAA pic.twitter.com/B64q3e1Z9A

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 29, 2025

After short 2025 stints with the Texans and Ravens, veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson finds a new home with the #Bears: https://t.co/Ok2dmLefkB

— Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) October 29, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/daily-slo...asnt-gotten-traction-for-the-past-three-games

 

[Washington Commanders]

Daily Slop – 30 Oct 25 – With 67% catch rate and 3 TDs, Luke McCaffery is making his case for a bigger offensive role

Commanders links​

Articles​

Washington Post (paywall)

Jayden Daniels is in line to return Sunday, but Terry McLaurin is out​

The Commanders plan for their quarterback to be a full participant at practice all week after he missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury.

After missing Monday night’s loss with a hamstring strain, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is primed to return to the field Sunday. Coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that the plan is for Daniels to be a full participant in practice all week. Barring a setback, that puts him in line to play in the prime-time game against the Seattle Seahawks at Northwest Stadium.

Even with Daniels back, the offense won’t be whole Sunday — wide receiver Terry McLaurin will be sidelined again. During Monday’s loss, McLaurin aggravated the quad injury that caused him to miss four games. The 30-year-old said he was “pretty optimistic” about the injury when he spoke in the postgame locker room that night, but he was uncertain about his status.

Quinn ruled him out Wednesday and didn’t provide a timeline for his return but did say he doesn’t expect the injury to be a long-term issue.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter against the Chiefs that ultimately knocked him out of the game.

If Tunsil can’t go, it will be Brandon Coleman at left tackle. Coleman started 12 games at left tackle last year before transitioning to guard in the offseason.

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The Athletic (paywall)

NFL Week 9 picks against the spread​

Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at Washington Commanders | 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC

There has been a lot of hand-wringing over whether the Commanders overachieved last season, and whether their 3-5 record here in 2025 is more indicative of what kind of team they are. Stop. This is the most player-dependent team in the league. If Jayden Daniels plays, they are good; if he doesn’t … let’s just say NBC should bring back that awful reboot of “Night Court” before showing Marcus Mariota on national TV again. (Daniels practiced on Wednesday.)

The pick: Commanders

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Commanders.com

Practice notes | Jayden Daniels expected to be full participant in prep for Seahawks​

Assuming he does return to the lineup, Daniels will lead a Commanders team in dire need of a win to keep their playoff hopes afloat. The Commanders have three home games over the next four weeks, with the first matchup being against the Seahawks in primetime. Seattle (5-2) is undefeated on the road with a defense that leads the league in stopping the run. The San Francisco 49ers, who opened the season against the Seahawks, are the only team to rush for 100 yards against the unit.

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ESPN

Commanders’ McLaurin out​

Washington has played just two games with all three of its top three receivers available. Deebo Samuel has missed one game, while Noah Brown is on injured reserve because of a groin injury and hasn’t played since Week 2. Samuel, who leads Washington with 37 catches for 326 yards, is the only one who will be available Sunday. He has dealt with a bruised heel the past three games; he had to sit out one, and in the other two he caught a combined seven passes for 26 yards.

McLaurin’s last play in Monday’s loss was a diving grab along the sideline with 1 minute, 59 seconds left in the third quarter. He did not return.

This is the same injury he suffered in a Week 4 win over the Raiders that sidelined him for the following four games.

Coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders were not putting McLaurin on injured reserve. He said the hope is that “this is not something that will knock him out for a long time.”

McLaurin caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown in Monday’s loss. He has caught 13 passes for 203 yards and a score this season.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Tough matchup for wideouts​

The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the NFL. They’re allowing just 19.4 points per game (seventh) and 4.7 yards per play (tied for third). They have a talented secondary featuring cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen and safety Julian Love, all of whom have been Pro Bowl selections.

Not having McLaurin — not to mention fellow starting receiver Noah Brown — for most of the season has made it difficult for the passing game to get in sync. Because of that, Washington plans to have Daniels spend extra time working with the wide receivers, tight ends and running backs after practice this week.

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A to Z Sports

3 young players for the Commanders who helped their roster stock against the Chiefs​

Wide Receiver – Luke McCaffrey

The box score might not have been flashy, but the plays Luke McCaffrey made certainly were. McCaffrey continued to show that he’s one of the best kick returners in the league with a 37-yard return, but also showed his development as a wide receiver with a great catch. He only finished with three catches for 24 yards, but McCaffrey showed off with a toe-tapping grab that should grant him more targets moving forward. McCaffrey has made the most of his opportunities this season with injuries, and he looks like a real receiving option moving forward.

Luke McCaffrey with the toe tap

WASvsKC on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/nug5nuerzD

— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2025

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Commanders Wire

What can be learned from the Commanders loss to the Chiefs?​

[A]s bad as this season is, and losing four of your last five is pretty bad, the Commanders still have perhaps the four most important pieces for an NFL franchise. Hey, Josh Harris is so much better than Daniel Snyder. Harris is a very experienced owner. He is a good listener and willing to spend his money on infrastructure. He is also wise enough; he understands he needs to let football people run the football operations. Next, they have an experienced head coach who knows the game and players respect. They respect him because he respects and appreciates them. They recognize he is a leader of men and respond well to Dan Quinn. They also possess a very capable general manager in Adam Peters. He is not afraid to make moves; he is decisive. But perhaps the second-most-important element is that they have a quarterback. Their quarterback is an accurate passer, one who can extend plays with his mobility and run because of his speed. More importantly, he is a hard worker during the week and in the offseason. Last week, he showed he was man enough to put the blame on himself where it should be. Players will respect and respond to that.

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A to Z Sports

Commanders need an overhaul this offseason​

Peters went the veteran and budget-friendly route this past offseason, like signing Von Miller after seeing how close the team got last year, and had only five draft picks to use.

The Commanders need to focus on adding younger core pieces to the roster this offseason. They also need more draft capital, with only six picks and none in the second or fourth rounds. At this point in the season, Peters needs to focus on who is actually part of the future and who isn’t, and trade whoever he can for more draft picks.

Looking at players like Daron Payne, who could likely be traded for a third-round pick or so, might be the move if you don’t plan on extending him beyond the 2026 season. This upcoming free agency needs to be approached differently as well, and Peters needs to spend money on younger players who can make an impact.

They also need to play more of their younger players this season to actually see what they have on the roster right now, including Ben Sinnott, Jordan Magee, and Kain Medrano.

The offseason is months away, obviously, but the rest of the season needs to be a real evaluation period for the roster and coaching staff to determine who can be part of the future.

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The #Commanders made a point of getting second-year defenders Jordan Magee and Tyler Owens on the field against the Chiefs to improve the team speed. So how did the young pair perform? I took a closer look: https://t.co/QdeeOlL2ZL pic.twitter.com/HLDU1AGvww

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 29, 2025

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ESPN

NFL Week 9 uniforms: Packers, Commanders debut throwbacks​

Been waiting for these @SeatGeek | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/MkPHYj8yH0

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 30, 2025

The Commanders will rock their “Super Bowl era” alternate throwbacks against the Seattle Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football.” The design is a blend of Washington’s new name and logo with the threads the franchise wore during its Super Bowl era in the 1980s and 1990s. The lid includes white and gold stripes, and the white jersey has burgundy numbers with gold sleeve stripes and gold outlines. Gold and white stripes similarly appear down the burgundy pants. Seattle will counter with its royal blue and silver throwbacks.

The Packers chose 1923 as their new alternate/throwback jersey because that was the first year they became a publicly owned team.

Team historian Cliff Christl said it could be argued that was the most important year because selling stock saved the team. pic.twitter.com/qicfXkJDSo

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 24, 2025

And an up close look at the helmets, which were hand-painted. pic.twitter.com/3Hnv61SiXg

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 24, 2025

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Podcasts & videos​

https://t.co/xjSlT3JwCe

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 29, 2025

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View Link

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‘This is their season right here’: Commanders in must-win mode vs. Seahawks​

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Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Commanders | Week 9 Game Preview​

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NFC East links​

Blogging the Boys

Hot Schotts: Brian Schottenheimer is letting the Cowboys down in one major way​

The defense hasn’t been as good, to say the least, but they’ve seen improvements. Over the last four weeks, they’re actually up to 20th in EPA/play and 15th in EPA/dropback, both of which are legitimate jumps in efficiency. Matt Eberflus has drastically shifted his scheme the last two weeks, increasing press coverage by over 20%, blitz rate by 24%, and tripling his rates of both Cover 1 and Cover 0.

Schottenheimer undoubtedly played a part, small or large, in making those schematic adjustments to better fit the players Eberflus is working with. He’s also remained steady in the precise, methodical way he calls this offense, routinely setting his players up for success despite not having CeeDee Lamb for a chunk of those games.

Yet, there is still one glaring area where Schottenheimer is failing the Cowboys: aggression.

That might seem odd to say, given the way Schottenheimer’s offense frequently attacks down the field, but I’m talking about his approach to fourth downs. Schottenheimer’s predecessor, Mike McCarthy, was one of the more aggressive head coaches in the league when it came to fourth-down decision-making. Thus far, Schottenheimer has not followed suit.

So far this season, the Cowboys have gone for it on fourth down just nine times. Only nine teams have fewer fourth-down attempts, but it isn’t just a lack of attempts. Schottenheimer hasn’t been going for it when he should go for it.

According to rbsdm.com, which uses a fourth-down model similar to what many NFL teams use, Dallas has gone for it on roughly 25% of the fourth downs they should be going for it. Specifically, this model accounts for plays where a successful conversion would yield at least a 1% win probability increase; for context, the average first down carries about a 0.4% win probability increase.

Schottenheimer’s ~25% optimal go rate is one of the lowest in the league, with only the Steelers and Titans having a lower rate. The Lions and Eagles, both of whom are doing pretty well so far this season, lead the league with an 86% optimal go rate. Almost two thirds of the league is over 50%, too, hammering home just how far behind the rest of the NFL Schottenheimer has been.

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Big Blue View

Giants’ Dexter Lawrence shoots back at ‘delusional’ Carl Banks​

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on Wednesday called former Giants great Carl Banks “delusional” for saying on a recent Bleav in Giants podcast that “nobody respect you [Lawrence] anymore.”

“Those were strong words,” Lawrence said. “If that’s how he feels, f—- it.”

Lawrence had more to say.

“I don’t really know what he’s watching. He can say what he wants. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, trying to help us get a win,” Lawrence said. “I hope people start trying to disrespect me.”

Here is some of what Banks said:

“Dexter Lawrence, nobody respects you anymore. Nobody. Your opponents do not. The pre-injury Dexter is not there, in their heads. They don’t respect you.”

What I said @BleavNetwork pic.twitter.com/XJU6wr5rRN

— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) October 27, 2025

Through nine games, Lawrence has only half a sack, one tackle-for-loss, four quarterback hits and 20 total tackles. Lawrence had 21 sacks and 65 quarterback hits while making the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons and being named All-Pro in 2022 and 2023.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles-Jets trade: Philadelphia acquires Michael Carter II​

Carter (not to be confused with the former Jets and current Arizona Cardinals running back of the same name) played college football at Duke before being selected by former Jets general manager and current Eagles executive Joe Douglas with a fifth-round pick (No. 154 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Since then, he’s logged 25 starts in 65 career games played. The 26-year-old cornerback has two interceptions to go with his 26 passes defensed. MC2 has a 83.4 passer rating when targeted, which is good. But it’s been 109.7 in five this games this season, which isn’t so good.

Carter has experience playing both inside and outside … but he’s mostly been a nickel cornerback in the NFL.

One would think the Eagles could experiment with starting MC2 in the slot to free up Cooper DeJean to play on the outside. CB2 has been a weakness for the Eagles all season long with neither Adoree’ Jackson, nor Jakorian Bennett, nor Kelee Ringo stepping up to really lock down that starting job.

Here's how badly Michael Carter II wanted to join the champs: Sources say he agreed to delete the $5M guaranteed for injury in his 2026 contract year to complete the trade to the #Eagles. https://t.co/7C7qbpz3UW

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 29, 2025

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Upcoming opponent​

Field Gulls

Julian Love may be placed on injured reserve following latest setback​

Love has not appeared in a game for the Seahawks since Week 4.

On Wednesday, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced that the team was considering placing free safety Julian Love on injured reserve. Love has been inactive for the last several weeks due to a hamstring injury, having last appeared in the Seahawks’ 23-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals back in Week 4.

The 27-year-old suffered a setback with his hamstring and was unable to appear in Wednesday’s practice as a result. Macdonald has said that Seattle may be moving Love to IR ahead of the team’s Sunday Night Football matchup vs. the Washington Commanders in Week 9.

[This] will likely mean Ty Okada gets more playing time, having come off his best game of the season against the Houston Texans. Okada has started in every game Love has missed. In addition, wide receiver and kick returner Dareke Young may also be heading to IR, as reported by Curtis Crabtree of FOX 13 Seattle.

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NFL league links​

Articles​

New "NFL" post on ESPN News: 'No, no, it was an optical illusion': How the NFL shut down a field goal controversy https://t.co/s0L3dSOt2B

— Paulo NEWS (@paul_dinky) October 29, 2025

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NFL.com

2025 NFL trade deadline: 11 player-team fits that make sense​

Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota is the only fit for Cousins at this stage. The 37-year-old quarterback did his trade value no favors with Sunday’s outing against Miami. The Falcons haven’t shown much interest in dealing the QB, but as the season spirals, perhaps they’d change gears, especially with only five draft picks in 2026 at the moment. The Vikings aren’t exactly flush with assets to ship for an aging quarterback, but with Carson Wentz’s injury and J.J. McCarthy struggling to stay on the field, would they really risk flushing the season? Cousins played some of his best football under Kevin O’Connell, and perhaps the QB-friendly offense could bring him back to life. If McCarthy can’t stay healthy, the options are grim in Minnesota.

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aBit o’Twitter​

The Commanders tried out three pass rushers today: Malik Reed, DeMarcus Walker and Kingsley Jonathan.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 30, 2025

Bottom line from @kevinsheehanDC: Washington MUST beat Seattle on Sunday night, and the fans MUST make it a true home-field advantage. pic.twitter.com/r1ELOQnnvd

— The Team 980 (@team980) October 29, 2025

— WEEK 9 #NFL Playoff Leverage —

Here you can see how the playoff probability of each team changes depending on whether they win or lose the next game. pic.twitter.com/gBq2ewWugg

— Sebastian (@mrcaseb) October 29, 2025

Correlation: every one of these teams got losing records #RaiseHail https://t.co/rwNiWesRJ0

— Steeeb Hihtowa (@Marshyhope331) October 30, 2025

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Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/daily-slo...s-making-his-case-for-a-bigger-offensive-role

 

[Washington Commanders]

All aTwitter: 31-Oct-25 – Can Commanders run against Seahawks defense that leads NFL, allowing 3.3 yards per carry?

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a detailed or quirky look, through the unique lens of Twitter, at the Commanders, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

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Click here for Washington Commanders Beat Writers Twitter Feed​

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Click here for NFL News, Rumors & Reports Twitter Feed​

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Tip: If a tweet isn’t fully visible on your screen, clicking on the date at the bottom of the tweet will open it up individually in either the X app or your browser.​

2 straight DNPs for Newton. Yankoff trending wrong way. Gay and Tunsil trending right way https://t.co/YtKlaq6LIg

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

LT Laremy Tunsil (hamstring) is out here at the start of practice. DT Johnny Newton (ankle) working on the side field.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 30, 2025

Whitt is concerned about DT Johnny Newton and his availability for Sunday. Was a DNP yesterday with an ankle injury. IF he can't play, takes away one DT they have used on the edge with all the DE injuries. May see more snaps for Von Miller on early downs to help out.

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 30, 2025

Jayden Daniels back practicing pic.twitter.com/pAbDLKctPg

— All-Pro Reels (@allproreels) October 30, 2025

Via #Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong’s IG page; his surgery went well. pic.twitter.com/KPMKRubOSS

— CWallSports (@cwallse) October 31, 2025

Throwbacks under the lights.
Early 90’s vibes.#RaiseHail
Sunday Night Football in DC pic.twitter.com/acdO8yXh74

— Wizskins (@Itswizskins) October 30, 2025

The aesthetic of the game is top notch.

Looking forward to seeing it in person. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/ZiPs0G1Sm1

— George Carmi (@Gcarmi21) October 30, 2025

The Washington Commanders will be honoring their history on Sunday Night with their Super Bowl Era uniforms.

They players are fired up to wear them.

Bobby Wagner told me, "I remember the first time I saw a helmet like that was Sean Taylor." pic.twitter.com/olrbtYGLTY

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 30, 2025

Had a good conversation with Treylon Burks yesterday. Told him I loved his tape coming out of Arkansas, he said, "it's still in there." Broke his collarbone in 3 spots in August, says he's healthy now, has a metal plate and screws in there now.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

I'm not saying Burks is coming up anytime soon. Chosen would be the obvious next PS elevation. Just pointing out Burks is here and healthy and working hard. https://t.co/2uzOcH00pJ

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

Random assortmant of clips I had on Javon Kinlaw this year. Been very stout vs the run and disruptive when left 1-on-1. Quietly been a strong free agent signing for Washington pic.twitter.com/bBUe6cN7Cv

— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) October 30, 2025

Joe Whitt Jr talked about the speed and hit power Jordan Magee, Tyler Owens, and Jeremy Reaves brought to the defense:

“When you play well, you get more opportunities. It’s going to be hard to get Jordan off the field, so we have to make sure we can find roles for him. Same as… pic.twitter.com/jlupUwtIMY

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 30, 2025

Dan Quinn Wednesday to reporters on adding a veteran WR

"NO. We're comfortable where we're at."

On Terry: This is not something that's going to be a thing that going to knock him out for a long time, WE HOPE."

"We're very comfortable with where we're at."

Unreal.

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) October 30, 2025

2024 trade deadline: Walk into casino w $200, turn it into $1500, throws a chip on roulette. Worth it.
2025 trade deadline: Walk into casino w $500, lose fast, down to $75. Dont take the cash advance on your credit card to chase the cash.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

Kliff Kingsbury on trying to find the vertical attack without Terry McLaurin.

"Terry's great at it, Noah Brown was great at it, you mentioned Dyami had some big ones. Don't have those guys so I think we're trying to figure out who that is, to really stretch the field and push… pic.twitter.com/xPCIBJ8z3A

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 30, 2025

Kliff Kingsbury on McLaurin absence: "It's hard to step in and fill those shoes…. Overall as a group we have to be more consistent. The margin for error gets smaller when Terry's not out there."

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 30, 2025

Discussed Paul's play with @robertmays yesterday. This is correct. Paul's play strength and physicality has been a real asset for this line in both the run and pass game https://t.co/qFmiTgelzs

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 30, 2025

The Washington Commanders have to find a way to get their running game going against the Seahawks.

Chris Rodriguez told me, "it's just the details…being consistent." pic.twitter.com/cnBbuRNpHB

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 30, 2025

If Washington's looking to get the run game going, Seattle is a tough team to do it against. Best rush D in the league, only giving up 3.3 yards-per-carry

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

Asked about the recent run game issues, #Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury pointed to a few factors — namely defenses stacking the box with WR injuries, and the team trailing and having to chase games. pic.twitter.com/u1aL1gK3uo

— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) October 30, 2025

The Washington Commanders are remaining optimistic.

Three straight losses with a huge game against Seattle coming up.

Von Miller said, "we say one week at a time, but it's just one big play…that could be the push to dig us out of this hole." pic.twitter.com/3xAb5nG3or

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 30, 2025

Commanders DE Jacob Martin has been a bright spot for this defense.

He had two sacks on Patrick Mahomes on Monday night.

Jacob told me, "being able to do that week in and week out builds confidence in your game." pic.twitter.com/B195RJ9JAh

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 30, 2025

05 season we made the playoffs after being 5-6

07 season when ST passed we made the playoffs after being 5-7

12 we were 3-6 and won 7 in a row to make the playoffs as well

15 we made the playoff after being 3-5

20 we made the playoffs after being 3-7#raisehail #commanders

— ahren (@ahren_xx) October 31, 2025

Talking w @RosenbergRadio about Washington/Seattle: "You cannot lose to Sam Darnold at home on national TV to drop 4 in a row. Respectfully….The level of urgency when 8pm comes Sunday night should be the highest it's been."

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

New Take Command just dropped. Previewing Seahawks and Commanders with @LoganPaulsenNFL.

Link below. pic.twitter.com/l0a0r1S7c8

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 30, 2025

Previewing the Seahawks w @MikeDugar: "Seattle does have its warts. They dont run the ball all that well and they havent been great on 3rd downs….But Seattle is a contender in the NFC for sure."

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 30, 2025

Ladies and gentlemen.. the 2025 Miami Dolphins pic.twitter.com/zlLsaG0NA6

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) October 31, 2025

Kyle Hamilton is everywhere at all times

BALvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SH2wusaXzm

— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2025

FOUR TD PASSES FOR LAMAR

He's all the way back!

BALvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oXBbh2ju0d

— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2025

Ahead of Halloween, Sam Hartman spent time reading and crafting with the families at the Ronald McDonald House in Northern Virginia pic.twitter.com/FDWRUE50U6

— Washington Commanders Community (@commandersCR) October 30, 2025

BREAKING: The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as manager, sources tell ESPN. Butera, 33, will be the youngest manager in MLB in more than 50 years. In four seasons as a minor league manager in the Rays organization, his teams had a 258-144 record.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 30, 2025

There hasn't been an organization in @MLB and perhaps all of sports for as long as I can remember, that has developed better talent out of less than the @RaysBaseball and the #Nats just hired a key figure in that development. That's my No. 1 takeaway. @team980 https://t.co/g2pjwb0w0M

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) October 30, 2025

Point just made on @team980 — many thought the @RamsNFL were nuts for hiring 29-year-old Sean McVay in 2017.

The #Rams knew what many of us knew that had been around Sean.

Maybe the @Nationals got their version of McVay in Blake Butera?

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) October 30, 2025

Everything that the Nationals are doing in their baseball-operations overhaul – led by the hirings of Paul Toboni & Blake Butera – is about the team becoming better at drafting & player development off having been abysmal at those things for years. Great to see this. @Nats_Chat

— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) October 30, 2025

Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford can't believe this isn't a travel for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Mike Tirico explains the "gather" reasoning for why players can get away with it. #NBA pic.twitter.com/vwSfFFVWIH

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 29, 2025

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[Washington Commanders]

Dan Quinn: Jayden Daniels will start vs the Seahawks

Dan Quinn confirmed that Jayden Daniels is back after missing Monday night’s game against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. They pushed their second-year QB in practice and he looked like himself, practicing fully all week. This is Daniels’ second injury of the season, and last week was the third game he’s missed. He will also get to play with Deebo Samuel for the first time since Week 2. Quinn said Samuel also looked more like himself after dealing with a heel injury for the last month. Samuel was a full participant all week, and wasn’t listed on the injury report.

Quinn ruled out WR Terry McLaurin earlier in the week after he aggravated the quad injury that kept him out for four games. He also ruled out TE Colson Yankoff, which means he’ll be missing his second game in a row due to a hamstring injury. LT Laremy Tunsil(hamstring) and DT Johnny Newton(ankle) suffered injuries on Monday night, and their status for Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks won’t be known until closer to game time. Quinn said they were both at practice today.

LIVE: HC Dan Quinn speaks to the media after the final practice of the week https://t.co/Fq3s1t80yu

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 31, 2025

Team captains:​

Sunday night captains@NWFCU | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/zk2RJJTruF

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 31, 2025

Sunday's captains: TE Zach Ertz (offense), CB Marshon Lattimore (D) and Percy Butler (special teams).

— John Keim (@john_keim) October 31, 2025

Jayden Daniels starting vs Seahawks:​

5 is back

Jayden Daniels will start Sunday vs. the Seahawks pic.twitter.com/gOIbTKuwtS

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 31, 2025

QB Jayden Daniels (hamstring strain) will start for the #Commanders on Sunday night.

Not a major surprise given his participation at practice all week, but just confirmed by Coach Dan Quinn. A huge boost for Washington ahead of a critical game.

— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) October 31, 2025

Daniels looked like himself, Quinn said. The team pushed him a little more this week https://t.co/Cl8SgOeLYx

— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) October 31, 2025

“Jayden will be back and we’re pumped about that”

If there was any doubt, Dan Quinn says Daniels will play Sunday night #Commanders @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/18TsoEepOI

— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) October 31, 2025

Injury updates:​

#Commanders HC Dan Quinn said TE Colson Yankoff (hamstring) will miss his second straight game.

LT Laremy Tunsil (hamstring), DT Johnny Newton (ankle), K Matt Gay (back), DT Javon Kinlaw (shoulder) should be good to go despite missing practices this week.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) October 31, 2025

TBD on LT Laremy Tunsil and DT Johnny Newton for SNF. Both practiced today, per Dan Quinn.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 31, 2025

Deebo Samuel:​

Quinn said Deebo Samuel, who was dealing with a heel injury, looked like he was back to himself this week. No limitations on him in practice.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 31, 2025

Will Harris:​

#Commanders safety Will Harris (fractured fibula) has been back at the facility in recent weeks. Was working off to the side at practice this morning.

"It's been remarkable to see his healing, coming back (and) running," Dan Quinn said.

— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) October 31, 2025

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SuperBill​

SuperBill pic.twitter.com/2I23izNr31

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 31, 2025

The vets told the rookies they had to dress up for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/NA9JS2FWcZ

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 31, 2025

Bill, dressed for Halloween because the vets told the rookies that's the deal, on the return of Jayden Daniels. pic.twitter.com/V877C57Ete

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 31, 2025

Source: https://www.hogshaven.com/385985/dan-quinn-jayden-daniels-will-start-vs-the-seahawks