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Daily Slop – 13 May 25 – Commanders play in Spain vs Dolphins and Wk 16 at home vs Philly – more schedule news on the way

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff

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Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders to face Dolphins in Madrid, NFL’s first game in Spain

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Washington Commanders are going international. The NFL announced on Tuesday that the Miami Dolphins will host the Commanders on Nov. 16 at Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to Real Madrid.

It will be the NFL’s first regular season game in Spain and one of seven international games this year.

Washington’s trip to Spain will be the franchise’s first overseas since October 2016, when it tied the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-27, at Wembley Stadium. That remains the only international series game to end in a tie. Washington also played in Toronto in 2011 as part of the Bills’ series at Rogers Centre. It was shut out by the Bills, 23-0.

The Commanders’ return to the international lineup is another nod to their remarkable turnaround under owner Josh Harris. 21 months after Harris and his partners purchased the team for $6.05 billion, the Commanders are on a steady climb back to prominence. Following their NFC championship game appearance with the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year, Jayden Daniels, the Commanders recently announced a $3.7 billion deal with D.C. for a new stadium project on the site of the decrepit RFK Stadium. Harris also joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to announce the 2027 NFL draft would be held in the District.

Pro Football Focus

Most improved NFL offensive lines this offseason

Washington Commanders

After an incredible rookie season from Jayden Daniels, the Commanders are hoping they’ve locked down their offensive tackle spots for years to come following the trade acquisition of Laremy Tunsil and the selection of Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft’s first round.

Even though the Texans’ offensive line struggled last year, Tunsil still managed to earn an 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, marking his fifth season with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 84.9 or better. While Tunsil did struggle with penalties in 2024, he should bring some much-needed stability to the Commanders’ offensive line for at least the next two seasons.

Washington is betting that Josh Conerly Jr. can hold up at tackle in the NFL, but he may project better as a guard. Either way, the Commanders are getting a good athlete who earned a 78.1 PFF grade on true pass sets last season. Washington also made a couple of low-cost signings along the offensive line to add some depth as the team looks to make another deep postseason run.

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

How the Commanders can manufacture a pass rush

Breaking down how the Commanders can get after quarterbacks while lacking a top defensive end

I think we’ll see head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. dial up a lot more blitzes to help manufacture a pass rush.

If we look back at last season, we can see examples of this, but they failed to sustain it due to the coverage issues. In the opening game of last season, the Commanders generated a ton of pressure against the Bucs, but the coverage failed to hold up behind it consistently. We saw Quinn and Whitt come out with quite an aggressive game plan, blitzing regularly to generate consistent pressure. When the coverage held up, it worked well.

This is what blitzes can do. Even if the majority of rushers don’t win their matchups, adding more rushers stresses the protection and increases the chances that at least someone will win a matchup, which can be all that is needed to create pressure and disrupt the quarterback. However, that strategy is risky as it can only work if the coverage can hold up on the back end. On that particular play, the coverage did hold up well. But that was a rare occurrence in that game.

This time, the Commanders look to rush five, blitzing Mike Sainristil off the slot. They have a couple issues with this blitz. The first is that Sainristil was playing his first game and so he understandably was a bit too eager to get into his blitz. The Bucs used a fake exit motion to bait any blitz looks from the defense to show, and Sainristil took the bait. The Bucs were then able to adjust their protection and slide the line to the right in order to get the right tackle working outside to pick up Sainristil off the slot.

But while that negated the blitz on that occasion, it’s also important to look at the coverage. The idea of this blitz is that Sainristil blitzes off the slot and safety Quan Martin rotates down to replace him. However, as Martin rotates down, he and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste have a miscommunication error. Both end up trying to cover the receiver running up the seam, leaving the outside receiver wide open in the flat. So even if Sainristil’s blitz hadn’t been so easily picked up by the line slide, he was unlikely to have gotten to the quarterback before that throw would have come out anyway.

Sports Illustrated

Commanders rookie wide receiver could compete for starter snaps

Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane may not have been the strongest prospect in this year’s class, but the Commanders could have a gem in the No. 128 overall pick.

ESPN insider Field Yates named Lane as a player to watch ahead of the season for the Commanders.

“While Lane will have a chance to earn receiver snaps for Washington, what most excites me about his early impact is in the kicking game,” Yates wrote.

“Lane is arguably the best punt returner in the draft class. Back in 2021, he averaged 15.5 yards per return, second best in FBS. He’s shifty and instinctive, and he can flat-out fly. Olamide Zaccheaus handled the highest number of punt returns for the Commanders in 2024 but signed with the Bears this offseason. Lane should help pile up hidden yards.”

The Hog Sty Network

Summary of stadium development term sheet

To the extent that the Team Development includes residential housing, such development must include affordable housing. The term “affordable housing” means single-family and multifamily housing that is priced at lower levels in accordance with percentages of something called “Area Median Income”. This is a common, stated goal of the federal government, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), and every major city in the country. It’s likely that the Harris Group will be eligible for affordable housing construction grants for at least some portion of the housing component, either directly from HUD or indirectly from HUD through the District. There will almost certainly be both commercial and residential developments in that portion of the property.

The District will be obligated to design and complete a sufficient amount of the horizontal infrastructure for the Stadium to permit the Stadium and Parkng to be developed and used by December 31, 2029.

The District’s financing will consist of a maximum of $500M, to be paid between 2026 and 2029. Of this $500M, only $175M can be done through issuance of public bonds, meaning that the remaining $325M will need to be funded through other means. What, exactly this “other means” entails is a bit of a mystery. The City could theoretically enter into standard construction loans, but the plan is unclear in the term sheet. I will try to do some more research into this issue. The money will be distributed by the District to the Harris Group, which will be responsible for all construction.

The parties have agreed that the Harris Group will be able to sell Personal Seat Licenses (each, a “PSL”), so get ready, season ticket holders. PSLs typically range from a couple of thousand dollars per seat to much, much higher. Sometimes, teams don’t impose PSLs on every single seat in the stadium. We’ll just have to wait for the team’s plan to see how expensive it gets.

The Harris Group will be contractually prohibited from relocating the team during the term of the lease.

Commanders Wire

NFL could have very good reason for Commanders vs. Eagles in Week 16

Commanders fans, beware. The NFL will schedule the Commanders for more prime-time games this season. This will mean late nights for fans and media, who will have to turn around and work the next morning as well.

[O]f more significance is the fact that December 20 is a Saturday, not Sunday. Don’t overlook this at all. Even more, I believe it to be the most significant factor in this game being scheduled as it is by the NFL.

Why?

Well, we can be altogether certain that the NFL will want to schedule good games on Christmas day, as the NFL has already pre-determined that there will be three games played on Christmas this 2025 season.

Thirdly, scheduling the Commanders and Eagles on Saturday provides the NFL with one more day. They can (and probably will) schedule one or both teams again to play on Christmas Day, the 25th, which this year falls on a Thursday. I can hear the league office justifying scheduling either or both teams on Christmas: “Well, we gave them an extra day, having them play on Saturday the 20th,” they will tell us.

Riggo’s Rag

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels reaches summit of CBS Sports’ post-draft rankings

Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports bestowed the highest honor for Daniels in his post-draft quarterback power rankings, placing the Heisman Trophy winner ahead of Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen at No. 1. The analyst didn’t completely dismiss a sophomore slump, but he was far more confident about the LSU graduate taking his game to new heights thanks to his flawless demeanor.

“Recency bias? Sure. But you’d be hard-pressed to find an NFL team that wouldn’t hurry to claim him as its quarterback of the present and future, contenders included. He was simply unflappable for much of his dynamic debut, which ended on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. A second-year dip is possible, but who says [Jayden] Daniels won’t keep climbing with some added veteran help in D.C.?”

Cody Benjamin

While this is something of a stretch right now, Daniels will have the top dog title in his sights. He’s highly driven, enormously ambitious, and takes nothing for granted. It’ll be more difficult next season with a bigger target on his back, but the player’s exceptional performance levels within some pressurized settings in Year 1 represent the best possible foundation from which to build.

Daniels knows what he achieved last season means nothing now. He’s all about looking forward to the future and the next challenge. That centers on evolving as a leader, relying more on his pocket passing, and helping the Commanders prove their 2024 accomplishments weren’t just a flash in the pan.

Peters believes the Commanders have a superstar on their hands. Fans think it too, and the locker room is fully on board. Daniels has the world at his feet. Another leap forward could see him become the face of the entire league when it’s all said and done.

Podcasts & videos

Greg Olsen’s Rookie TE Class Breakdown!

Photos

NFC East links

Pro Football Talk

Stephen Jones: Cowboys don’t see George Pickens as a No. 2 receiver

During an inverview with Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio, Jones said that the Cowboys think of Pickens “as more than a two” and he elaborated on that point to Albert Breer of SI.com.

“He’s just a dynamic receiver,” Jones said. “Everybody says we’re looking for a two. I mean, George can be a one. He’s got that type of talent. He’s got unbelievable ball-tracking ability. He’s got plenty of juice and he’s a fiery competitor. And we love that, he plays with an edge, and we think he’d be a good fit for our team.”

Pickens said that he’s not looking for a contract extension right now and playing like a No. 1 wideout would only make his eventual deal in Dallas or elsewhere a bigger one.

Front Office Sports

NFL Taps Cowboys-Eagles Rivalry to Launch 2025 Season

The NFL is looking to start the 2025 season with a bang, and a primetime matchup between the defending champion Eagles and the Cowboys is the first part of that strategy.

NBC Sports announced its coverage plans Monday morning for the league’s Sept. 4 kickoff game from Lincoln Financial Field featuring a Cowboys-Eagles clash. As has been the league’s custom for more than two decades, the defending Super Bowl champion opens the NFL’s season with a primetime showcase at home, and the game in Philadelphia will feature a matchup involving one of the league’s top rivalries.

Speculation on which of the Eagles’ eight 2025 home opponents would be in the kickoff game, among both fans and the league’s media partners, began immediately after the team’s overwhelming victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

Though the Eagles’ 2025 home schedule features other major opponents and 2024 playoff teams such as the Broncos, Commanders, Lions, and Rams, the selection of the Cowboys to start the season leans in to decades of history between Philadelphia and Dallas. Though recently supplanted by the Chiefs as the league’s top viewership draw, the Cowboys still are a major attraction nationally.

Bleeding Green Nation

NFL Schedule 2025: Eagles to play Commanders in Week 16 Saturday game

If the Eagles and Commanders have similar success as they did in 2024, this late-December matchup could have playoff implications for both teams. Since the Bears-Packers game will be the later matchup, the Eagles game should be mid-afternoon.

This is the second NFC East game for the Eagles now on the books, having learned earlier on Monday that Philly is set to host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field for the NFL’s Week 1 season opener on Thursday, September 4. Dak Prescott and company will be on hand to watch the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX banner raised and celebrated to start the 2025 season.

Big Blue View

New York Giants facing toughest schedule in NFL

The Giants look better on paper, but proving it on the field won’t be easy

The combined 2024 win percentage of the Giants’ opponents is a league-high .574. That is not always the best measure of schedule strength as teams change from year to year, but it is an indication that showing major improvement record-wise from last year’s disappointing 3-14 won’t be an easy lift.

The Giants face the added complication of having only eight home games this season due to the unbalanced nature of a 17-game season. Of those eight home games, the Giants will face six teams at MetLife Stadium who made the playoffs last season (Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers). The other two home games are against the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, playoff teams two years ago who are both expected to contend for returns to the postseason this time around.

It might be some comfort to Giants fans that their NFC East foes also face difficult schedules. The Eagles (.561 opponent win percentage) have the fourth-toughest schedule, the Cowboys (.557 win percentage) the fifth-toughest, and the Commanders (.550 win percentage) the seventh-toughest.

NFL league links

Articles

Pro Football Talk

Aaron Rodgers may have chosen the lesser of two distractions

Yes, it’s a distraction to have Rodgers linked to the Steelers without signing a contract. If, however, he had signed but stayed away from the first two phases of the offseason program Rodgers, it would have led to more questions and scrutiny.

Rodgers has always been opposed to the first two phases of the offseason program. By not agreeing to terms until the third phase looms, he avoids the offseason program until the offseason program becomes, from Rodgers’s perspective, highly relevant.

It’s a simple solution. Rodgers informally tells the Steelers he’ll be signing, eventually. He gets the playbook and other information he’ll need to prepare for OTAs, and he shows up for the six days of 2025 OTAs and (unless he’ll be going to Egypt, again) the mandatory minicamp that caps the offseason program.

However it plays out, we’re getting closer and closer to an answer as to Rodgers’s status. And all signs point to Rodgers becoming a Steeler.

ESPN

Titans working to make No. 1 pick Cam Ward comfortable

Titans coach Brian Callahan has already started marrying some of the passing concepts Ward executed at Miami to their offense to make the quarterback comfortable early in the process. Callahan said he and the offensive staff have watched a lot of tape to get a firm grasp of what worked for Ward at Miami.

The Titans hope to replicate the early success of recent rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud. Tennessee is looking to follow the paths that the Houston Texans took with Stroud as a rookie in 2023 and the Washington Commanders did with Daniels last season. Both resulted in being named Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading their teams to the playoffs.

Front Office Sports

NFL’s World Takeover: League Unveils 7 Matchups Across 5 Countries in 2025

The league’s burgeoning international business strategy is taking further shape as game plans are finalized for this fall.

The league has created a seven-game global slate that will include five different countries across two continents. Leading the schedule is the Sept. 5 Brazil game in São Paulo, a Chiefs-Chargers matchup that Front Office Sports first detailed last week and brings in Kansas City, the league’s most-watched team.

That game, set for a separate announcement Wednesday, will be shown on YouTube for free as the league eyes a new streaming record. The presence of the Chiefs, the league’s top viewership draw, helped to solidify the deal between the Google-owned outlet and the NFL. The game also takes advantage of a loophole in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, aimed in part at protecting high school and college football, to allow for a rare Friday NFL game.

In each of these instances, the AFC team is the home team as the international games are pulled from the ninth home game in their schedule. Each team in that conference has an “extra” home game in the 17-game slate, and that scenario will revert to NFC teams in 2026.

The seven international games in 2025 are also a foundation of the league’s quickly expanding global strategy. The contests in Ireland and Spain are the NFL’s first there during the regular season.

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