A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general
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Commanders.com
Practice notes | Jordan Magee eager to make NFL debut
Magee’s training camp was cut short because of a knee injury suffered in the team’s first preseason game against the New York Jets. Quinn confirmed on Aug. 19 that Magee had a procedure to repair a meniscus injury earlier that week, which led to him being placed on Injured Reserve. The injury was not considered season-ending, and while Quinn said Magee would be back at some point during the season, he didn’t want to put a timeline on his return.
Six weeks later, Magee is back on the practice field, and he’s focused on getting “back into the swing of things.”
“Homing in on skills and things that I’ve been out of for…close to two months, so just trying to get back to 100%,” Magee said.
The past four weeks have been difficult for Magee as he’s had to watch from the sideline as the Commanders have become one of league’s hottest teams with a 3-1 start. It has been a different sensation for Magee, who was part of a Temple program that hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2019.
Magee tried to stay engaged by learning as much as possible and peppering his teammates with questions. He asked veterans like Wagner and Frankie Luvu about the different looks they saw on the field and their different blitzing styles. He’s also gotten advice from Mykal Walker, who has spent most of the season on special teams — a unit that Magee will likely be part of when he returns.
ESPN
NFL MVP, awards picks through four games: Ranking candidates
Coach of the Year
3. Dan Quinn, Commanders
Something I try to weigh as I make these selections is what the coach typically specializes in teaching and how that has impacted his team’s success. The head coach technically oversees everything, but it seems naive to give them full credit for the side of the football they typically hand off to a coordinator. With the 2023 Browns, for example, their success was driven by a massive improvement on defense. Should Kevin Stefanski, an offensive coach during his time as an assistant for the Vikings, get credit for that when the Cleveland offense struggled for most of the season? Some, I believe, but not all.
With Quinn and the Commanders, a historically impressive offense has driven their 3-1 start. Quinn did great work in Dallas on the defensive side, but his Commanders defense ranks 31st in expected points added (EPA) per play and 32nd in points allowed per drive. If the Commanders’ strengths were flipped and they were leading the NFC East with a defense that was being compared to the best defenses of the past three decades, he would be an easy choice to top this list. As it stands, he settles in at No. 3.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders
Daniels is going to come up later in this column, so I want to save most of my analysis for then. Just to keep things simple, though, he ranks fourth in the league in QBR and has been the driving force for the best offense in football. That seems simple enough to me. Nabers might be one of the three best wide receivers in football so far, but Daniels has been equally effective at the most valuable position in sports.
Most Valuable Player
1. Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders
Daniels ranks second in first down rate, with 42.5% of his throws turning into first downs, trailing only Purdy. He comfortably leads all quarterbacks in success rate as a passer, with his 57.4 mark more than 5 percentage points ahead. The three quarterbacks tied for second at 52% are closer to 12th than they are to first. Daniels is tops in EPA per dropback, with nobody besides Allen close. No passer has been better at picking up steady yardage.
Oh, and there’s what he offers as a runner. Daniels ranks second in rushing yards among quarterbacks, trailing only Jackson. He leads all signal-callers with four rushing scores, 18 first downs on the ground and 18.1 rushing EPA. He has been a more productive passer than Allen and a more productive runner than Jackson.
Daniels’ play has directly impacted games. He led a two-minute drill to beat the Giants in Week 2, then helped fend off the Bengals with that spectacular touchdown pass to McLaurin to beat the blitz late in Week 3. His defense is one of the worst by virtually any metric. This team needs an elite version of Daniels to win games, and he has been more than up to the task.
When I looked at offenses as dominant as Washington’s and what each did over the first four games of the season, the comparables here were the best seasons by the greatest quarterbacks of the past few generations, including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. In terms of the first month of the 2024 season? The best player in football has been Jayden Daniels.
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders quarterly report: Standouts, disappointments, pressing questions
At 3-1, the arrow is pointing up. There is plenty to praise from Washington’s first four games, even beyond rookie sensation Jayden Daniels.
The Austins: Austin Ekeler (running back) and Austin Seibert (kicker) have been key role players. Before his concussion in Week 3, Ekeler was proving that, even at 29, he was still an effective runner and receiver with a knack for generating yards after the catch.
Seibert rescued the team from its lengthy kicker carousel. His seven field goals in his Week 2 debut set a franchise record, and he hasn’t missed yet.
The draft class: Washington is playing its rookies at one of the league’s highest rates — and not only is Daniels impressing, several others are as well, including wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and left tackle Brandon Coleman, who is rotating with veteran Cornelius Lucas. Cornerback Mike Sainristil has had an up-and-down start but is a significant contributor, too.
Two others have flashed — tight end Ben Sinnott and edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste — but Coleman could be the steal of the group. The No. 67 overall pick has improved each week, and his teammates are high on his future.
Can the offense keep this up? The second quarter of the season begins against two talented defenses in Cleveland and Baltimore. Sustaining this excellence will be key for Kingsbury, whose groups faded down the stretch at Texas Tech and with the Cardinals.
Can the defense shore up the leaks? Washington could be a more legitimate threat if the defense just got into the top 20. But it seems possible the team simply doesn’t have the talent, especially at corner.
“We haven’t found the group,” Whitt said of the corners last week. “I’m still waiting on a couple of guys to say, ‘Hey, I am the guy that is going to do this each weekend.’ And I don’t care who it is.”
Upcoming opponent
Dawgs by Nature
Browns lose defender to season-ending injury
Cleveland placed DE Alex Wright on the injured reserve list Thursday with a triceps injury.
The Cleveland Browns placed defensive end Alex Wright on the season-ending injured reserve list on Thursday.
Wright broke the news on Instagram that he has been dealing with a triceps injury since the joint practices against the Minnesota Vikings in August. The injury got progressively worse and Wright underwent surgery on Thursday in Dallas, which brought his 2024 season to a close.
Wright was a third-round selection by the Browns in the 2022 NFL Draft. A rotational player at defensive end, he has played in 37 career games, making six starts, and posted 61 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and six sacks.
Can the Browns defense cool off Commanders Jayden Daniels?
Last year’s Heisman winner has had an incredible start in the pros.
Despite Cleveland’s early defensive struggles, they are still the most talented unit [Jayden Daniels] will [have] face[d] to date. In addition, Schwartz has the benefit of having a full four games of tape to watch.
The Browns will want to overwhelm him with pressure to get him off rhythm while trying to confuse him just enough in coverage. The biggest key will be to not lose contain on the edges and allow him to scramble for big gains.
The opportunity is there for the Cleveland defense to return to form from last year and help the team get a win that they desperately need. It’s exactly the kind of situation that Schwartz was hired to begin with, and the entire league will be keeping an eye on this Sunday.
Podcasts & videos
️PULSE CHECK⚡️ Jayden Daniels Stacking Dubs in DC | Command Center | Washington Commanders | NFL
Why is this #commanders offense rolling? A few really interesting points from @SteveSmithSr89 as to why, and he thinks “Scary Terry hasn’t even gotten started yet.”
Also my inside scoop on Jayden Daniels.
Conversation starts: 8:20https://t.co/1xj65lWNVq via @YouTube— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 3, 2024
Previewing Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels vs. DE Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns
Today’s @CraigHoffman‘s Pick 6 at 6 looks at the best nuggets from Joe Whitt Jr. and Kliff Kingsbury’s Press Conferences: https://t.co/TViBW5hzFG
— The Team 980 (@team980) October 3, 2024
NFC East links
The Athletic (paywall)
Biggest surprises and a rookie MVP: NFC East writers break down division through 4 games
What is the biggest surprise — good or bad — you’ve seen from the team you cover through the first four weeks?
Brooks Kubena (Eagles): I’m most surprised by how poorly Jalen Hurts has protected the football. He’s thrown four interceptions and lost three fumbles — more turnovers than any QB not named Will Levis (8). This was an offensive system Hurts was eager to command. He spent his first four seasons playing under four different play callers who’d given former center Jason Kelce most of the pre-snap responsibilities. Hurts earned some agency over the offense after producing back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. But he’s becoming untrustworthy in critical scenarios. He’s thrown two interceptions in the end zone, another that prohibited a shot at a game-winning field goal against the Falcons, and, in a two-score game against the Buccaneers on Sunday, he held the ball too long on a sack-fumble in the red zone. That’s not the poise his polished preseason suggested.
Ben Standig (Commanders): Winning. Washington, often projected to finish near the NFC basement, is 3-1 for the first time since 2011. Reminder: The Commanders finished with four wins last season. Beyond the victories — and the preposterously excellent start by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels — is the upward trend with each game. The latest occurred with domination in all three phases at the Cardinals, which was unexpected because the defense was not close to being a viable partner for the highly efficient offense. Speaking of the offense, the historical stats are bonkers and, therefore, likely unsustainable unless, for example, you think Washington will finish the season with more possessions rather than incomplete passes. Of course, doubt Daniels (and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury) at your own risk.
You have to pick a division MVP. Who is your pick and runner-up?
Yousuf: How can it be anybody other than Daniels? His play isn’t just remarkable by the standards of a rookie quarterback. His ridiculous completion percentage through four games is the highest in NFL history — no caveats needed. He’s doing all of this without a star-studded cast and a team that is relying on him for its success. What’s impressed me the most about Daniels is how he’s done it in different ways. He’s helped the Commanders jump out to a big lead and blow out an opponent, on the road nonetheless, as he did last week in Arizona. He’s won a slog-fest over a division opponent. Perhaps his most impressive display was his clutch performance against the Bengals. No moment seems too big for Daniels, which is why the Commanders have surprisingly jumped into the driver’s seat of the division.
The injured player your team most needs back and why?
Carroll: Nabers. The rookie standout is in the “early stages” of concussion protocol, Daboll said Wednesday. Nabers has been the Giants offense through the first four games of his career, racking up a league-leading 35 receptions and a second-best 386 yards. Nabers has been targeted on 38.2 percent of the Giants’ passes — the highest rate in the league. Watching how the offense has operated around Nabers to start this season, it’s frightening to think what it could look like without him. Given Nabers’ day-to-day status, it’s possible we’ll see what that version of the offense looks like Sunday. On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants could use CB Dru Phillips, who was off to a strong start to his rookie season before suffering a calf injury. The Giants’ CB room has been in a constant state of flux, and he’d been looking sharp. He also did not practice Wednesday.
Commanders.com
NFC East roundup | Checking in on the division ahead of Week 5
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have been one of the more turbulent teams to start the season. After handing the Cleveland Browns a convincing 33-17 win in Week 1, they were on the other side of a blowout in a 44-19 defeat against the New Orleans Saints and couldn’t mount a comeback against the Baltimore Ravens. They’re coming off a 20-15 win over the New York Giants, making them the only other team in the NFC East besides Washington with a division win.
New York Giants
A team’s record is its identity in the NFL, and the Giants are currently 1-3 as well as last in the division. However, that doesn’t necessarily tell the full story, as they could easily be 3-1 with their last two losses coming by a combined eight points.
The Giants, whose previous opponents have a combined record of 10-6, will have another difficult test against the Seattle Seahawks, a team that is looking to bounce back after a loss to the Detroit Lions on the road. Geno Smith is playing better than he ever has in his career, as he leads the league with 1,182 passing yards with a 72.3 completion percentage. As a result, the Seahawks have one of the best offenses in football, ranking fifth in yards per game.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles continue to be a mystery in 2024. They squeaked out wins against some of the league’s best teams in the Green Bay Packers and Saints but dropped a matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and were thoroughly beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’re currently on a bye week, giving them some time to reset and see if they can get back to being more consistent.
Blogging the Boys
NFL Week 5 rooting guide for Cowboys fans
Here is what we are rooting for (besides the Cowboys) in Week 5.
Browns over Commanders
Washington is looking more and more believable as a contending team. A loss to Cleveland would not only help in the NFC East standings but also to bring down the positive vibes swirling around the Commanders. The more confidence QB Jayden Daniels gets, the more dangerous he’ll be. The rookie sensation feels like Washington’s reward for finally fixing their organization at the highest level.
Giants over Seahawks
Returning home after a tough loss to the Lions, Seattle is probably going to take out their frustrations on the hapless Giants. But if New York can figure out how to finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, they have the firepower in the passing game to pull off some upsets. If New York can hang some losses on other NFC teams throughout the year, it will potentially help Dallas down the road and worsen the Giants’ position in the 2025 Draft.
Buccaneers over Falcons
If you think Dallas is going to win the NFC East, you’d root against the other likely division winners so they have worse records. But if you think the Cowboys are more likely to be a Wild Card team, as we do, then you want their competition for those three spots to take losses. The Bucs look like the favorites in the NFC South right now, so we’ll root for them to keep on winning.
Big Blue View
Malik Nabers, Devin Singletary again miss practice for New York Giants
The Giants are missing their two biggest weapons
Star wide receiver Malik Nabers and starting running back Devin Singletary again missed practice for the New York Giants on Thursday. That strengthened the possibility that the Giants will be without two key offensive play-makers on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Nabers, who suffered a concussion last Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, has been targeted 52 times this season. That averages 13.0 targets per game, easily the most in the NFL. Nabers with 35 receptions for 386 yards, is on pace to shatter franchise records for receptions (107, Steve Smith) and yards receiving (1,536, Victor Cruz).
If Nabers can’t play, second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt will likely have to step into a prominent role. A third-round pick in 2023, Hyatt has been targeted just three times this season without a catch.
Singletary, who has a groin injury, has not missed a game since 2019. That durability is one of the reasons he was signed to replace Saquon Barkley this offseason. How ironic would it be if Singletary misses time before Barkley, who had a long history of injuries with the Giants?
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Windy City Gridiron
NFL Toxic Differential Plus for Week 4
Tracking team health throughout the entire NFL by tracking the big plays!
Welcome to Week 4 of Toxic Differential Plus.
Click on the link above to get a more detailed explanation of the stat or roll with the equation below:
Explosive Play Differential + 2(Turnover Differential) + Sack Differential = Toxic Differential Plus
Moving into Week 5, teams that win TD+ in an individual game are 45-11. Teams that win the TD+ by at least 2 are a combined 38-5. It seems notable that two of those five losses belong to the Packers.
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL quarter-season superlatives: Darnold and Daniels hot; Jaguars not; Chiefs face a challenge
Defense is making a comeback
We’re often told the NFL is “a passing league,” but through four weeks, passing numbers are down across the NFL. Teams have averaged 202.8 passing yards a game compared to 217.9 per contest through four weeks last season. Passing numbers have declined every season since 2020, when teams averaged 249.8 per game. Rushing numbers have increased slightly, but as a whole offenses have found it more challenging to move the ball this season.
Why? Have the league’s defensive gurus cracked the code on these high-powered offenses despite rule changes that make it harder to cover wide receivers?
Yes and no, said three NFL coaches with offense expertise. It’s true that defensive coordinators are finding ways to take away explosive plays. They’re using more two-high safety looks in an attempt to guard against getting beat deep by wide receivers. That has in part forced quarterbacks to settle for shorter, underneath passes. But offensive coaches also report that as defenses opt to cover the pass with seven players, that has left them with more four-man fronts, which lends itself to more favorable run opportunities. Some of these offensive coaches also believe that deteriorating offensive line play has factored into the decline in passing yards. Even though quarterbacks are facing more four-man fronts, sacks have still gone up slightly. Decreased practice time and less full-contact action in training camp and the preseason are among the potential reasons for offensive line struggles.
Will this trend continue, or after limited work together in preseason games, did offensive starters simply spend the first month of the season honing their skills as they gear up for an explosion?
NFL.com
NFL QB Index, Week 5: Lamar Jackson rises to No. 1; Jayden Daniels, Geno Smith enter top 10
8. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (up 9 spots)
2024 stats: 4 games | 82.1 pct | 897 pass yds | 8.5 ypa | 3 pass TD | 1 INT | 218 rush yds | 4 rush TD | 3 fumbles
A rookie doesn’t just luck into the best completion percentage (82.1) by any NFL player in a four-game span since at least 1950. Daniels is the real deal, operating an offense that gives him easy, quick reads, affords him the freedom to improvise when necessary and supports him with a better-than-expected offensive line and a running game that seems to be getting stronger with each week. Daniels was once again in complete command of the offense in Arizona, rifling passes through the defense, picking up positive gains with his legs and dominating with his exciting blend of arm talent, composure and athletic ability. He’s made the Commanders a fun watch, and he’s only just getting started.
Discussion topics
The Athletic (paywall)
Why NFL’s Guardian Caps are getting a thumbs down from so many players: Poll
Most players who were against the Guardian Caps didn’t like the extra weight they add to their heads.
“Thumbs down,” one player said. “Because I think, to me, it adds unnecessary weight to be hauling around the whole game.”
Added another, “Thumbs down, for sure. It’s not the most comfortable thing. Plus if you’re on the interior, I feel like they’d come off or unclip very easily.”
And one player specifically said he’ll never wear a Guardian Caps because he hates the look.
“Thumbs down for me personally. I’m never gonna wear that,” he said, “and it’s literally just because of the fashion part. It does a good job of protecting your head, but I’m not wearing it.”
The NFL this season issued six new helmet models that are believed to provide improved protection from concussions. Some players have deemed them satisfactory and believe that Guardian Caps aren’t needed.
“I mean, I’m personally not wearing one,” one player said. “I didn’t wear one all during training camp. I got the new helmet. You know, it’s football. You’re gonna get your head hit. And that cushion helps a little bit and it’s up to everybody’s preference, but mine is I’m good without.”
“Thumbs up,” one said. “While they might not look the sleekest, at the end of the day you can’t really be too mad at guys for protecting themselves and their bodies, especially if they have families to come back to.”
“You’re ignorant if you say thumbs down,” another said. “It’s at each player’s discretion, and CTE is terrifying.”