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Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels will miss Monday night matchup vs. Chiefs
It will be the third missed start of the season for Daniels, who is dealing with a low-grade hamstring strain that knocked him out of Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
Daniels, 24, missed two games in September with a left knee sprain he suffered in a Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He returned with a knee brace Oct. 5 at the Los Angeles Chargers.
He exited Sunday’s 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys early in the third quarter after fumbling the ball and being twisted to the ground. Though he flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd after leaving the blue medical tent, Daniels was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Coach Dan Quinn said Monday that Daniels underwent an MRI exam, which revealed “good news” about the severity of the injury. Quinn said the hamstring injury is “not significant or long term,” but he did not specify whether the quarterback would play against the Chiefs.
Marcus Mariota : On track for MNF start
Mariota is in line to start Monday night’s game against the Chiefs, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Per Jhabvala, Jayden Daniels is dealing with a low-grade hamstring strain and is not on track to get the start versus Kansas City. Mariota thus represents a Week 8 fantasy lineup option for those who roster Daniels or who are otherwise in need of QB help, with six teams on bye this week.
Jay Gruden talks about impact of injuries on Commanders competitiveness
“I just never, if you would have told me that we’re gonna go play the Dallas Cowboys at Dallas and Robbie Chosen would be the leading receiver, have four receptions, and lead the team in receptions, I’d say you have no chance to win. Nothing against Robbie, but I mean, that’s the weapons we’re going to come out with against Dallas? Jaylin Lane and Robbie Chosen and Chris Moore? They got to get their guys back.”
“They need Deebo, they need Terry, obviously, Noah Brown,” Gruden added. “These are big injuries for this football team. A lot of teams have had them, but when you lose your top three receivers, somebody’s got to step up. But who’s it going to be? And I can go to every roster if you lose Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and their slot receiver, who are they playing with?
“We don’t know either. So they got to get these guys healthy. It’s just been horrific to watch the injuries happen to the same receiving room like the Commanders have had happen because he doesn’t have anybody to throw to. You’re working man to man against Zach Ertz, who’s 30 something years old against a young safety. It’s not a lot of separation for Jayden to feel good about letting the ball rip like he did last year.”
Commanders.com
Commanders vs. Chiefs preview | Battling against an AFC contender
Washington Post (paywall)
Dan Quinn talks about the hard stuff. Now he’s getting to live it.
The coach concedes his Commanders are “off course.” It’s his job to right them.
This is a new stage for Dan Quinn in Washington, and it ain’t very comfortable. The coach’s Commanders are sliding. His quarterback is dinged up. His best pass rusher is out for the season. His best wide receiver hasn’t played in a month. The Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium are next. Quinn prefers “hard s--- with good people”? Well, he’s in luck. This is hard. Hope he has good people.
It’s pretty easy to see a path for the 3-4 Commanders to slip to 3-7 and be on a five-game losing streak. Quinn’s job is to ignore the difficulties ahead and dig in to the immediate future just as he’s being questioned for the first time in his season-and-change as Washington’s coach.
To this point — with a renaissance season and a run to the NFC championship game as his debut — Quinn’s Commanders tenure has been nothing but charmed. At this point — blown out by Dallas with a gantlet of a schedule ahead and seemingly as many players injured as practicing — it’s tough.
Those next four games: at the aforementioned 4-3 Chiefs, winners of four of five to right themselves after a shaky start; home against the 5-2 Seattle Seahawks, whose defense ranks fourth in yards per play; home against the 5-2 Detroit Lions, who just plastered Tampa Bay on Monday night; and vs. the 1-6 Miami Dolphins in Madrid, which has never hosted an NFL game.
Other than Daniels, who among the 2024 draft class either has made a real impact or has shown true promise? Last year, cornerback Mike Sainristil would have seemed the easy answer. This year, he has struggled along with a secondary that hasn’t helped him.
The other choices: wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, with 26 career catches; offensive lineman Brandon Coleman, benched for five straight games; defensive lineman Johnny Newton, in on 14 tackles over these seven games; or tight end Ben Sinnott, targeted on one throw this season.
That’s … not a great haul. Throw in a midseason trade for cornerback Marshon Lattimore that looks downright disastrous, and Peters is drawing sideways glances for the first time since he was hired, too. It all leads to some commiseration between the man responsible for coaching the players and his boss who constructed the roster.
The brutal honesty: The Commanders are teetering in a way they haven’t on Dan Quinn’s watch. Hard s--- lies ahead. It’s the coach’s job to forge a path through it.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders should not have buyer’s remorse despite ex-players impressing
I am reminded of that conversation all the time. It happened this past Monday, when I watched Nick Whiteside come up big for the Detroit Lions.
Whiteside was pressed into service due to multiple Lions’ injuries. He is only on Detroit’s roster because of health issues with several other cornerbacks, and he was only playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of even newer complications.
Playing against NFL MVP candidate Baker Mayfield, Whiteside was credited with three pass break-ups, the most on his team. I paid particular attention to this because in the dying days of Ron Rivera’s final season, I had written that he was a player to watch. He’d never be a star, but he could develop into a quality backup.
The cornerback position is particularly ripe for this kind of thinking. Washington’s three primary corners — Marshon Lattimore, Trey Amos, and Mike Sainristil — were touted as being a strength of the defense. Their play thus far in 2025 has fallen short of expectations.
Meanwhile, a couple of draft busts who were run out of town — Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Benjamin St-Juste — are playing pretty well for the two Los Angeles teams – the Rams and Chargers, respectively. Another former backup, Kyu Blu Kelly, has played more snaps at corner than anyone else on the Las Vegas Raiders.
If you place any stock in Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades, the former Commanders are outplaying the current ones. St-Juste’s ranking is much higher than that of Amos. Forbes’ grade beats Sainristil’s. Kelly has a loftier mark than Lattimore.
But just as Alexander was not better than Kerrigan and Smith, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Washington’s cornerbacks are better than those PFF grades suggest.
For one thing, they play more. A lot more.
St-Juste is having a very nice resurgence with the Chargers, but he is a spot player. He is only on the field for about one-third of their defensive snaps. The same is mostly true for Forbes with the Rams. Washington’s three primary cornerbacks are almost always on the field.
In the most critical metrics, Washington’s defenders are significantly better. They give up fewer completions. None of them is surrendering an opposing passer rating over 100. Both Forbes and Kelly are well above that mark. That means that opposing quarterbacks have much more success throwing against those players.
Maybe the single best indicator of cornerback play — yards per target —also heavily favors the Commanders’ trio. They are doing this without the benefit of a quality pass rush, which both Forbes and St-Juste enjoy.
The Commanders’ corners are struggling in one central area. Penalties. Lattimore has primarily been a victim of pass interference and holding calls. Amos and Sainristil have not been immune either.
Meanwhile, in a stunning development for any Commander fan, Forbes has not been flagged a single time this season. St-Juste, who always seemed to get at least one DPI per game in Washington, has only been penalized for special teams plays.
Washington’s secondary — along with the rest of the defense — clearly must improve. Communication has to be better. Tackling has to be better. The pass rush has to be … you get the point. And those penalties have to stop.
But there is no reason as of now to assume that young players like Amos and Sainristil will not improve with experience. And even if Lattimore is never going to regain his once-elite status, his play has actually been improving in recent weeks.
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 5 things to know for Week 8
Marcus Mariota has enjoyed success vs. Chiefs
Marcus Mariota has two career starts against Kansas City. He’s 2-0, with both wins coming at Arrowhead Stadium, including a playoff win. That playoff win came on January 6, 2018, when Mariota led the Titans to a shocking 22-21 victory over Kansas City in the AFC Wild Card round. The Chiefs were in control, leading 21-3, when Mariota led three second-half touchdown drives, including throwing a touchdown to himself. That game is significant for Washington because it was Alex Smith’s last start for the Chiefs before he was traded to Washington that offseason.
Von Miller’s success against the Chiefs
Von Miller spent the first 10 1/2 seasons of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos. He’s seen plenty of the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid over the years. The future Hall of Famer is 11-10 against Kansas City from his time with the Broncos and Buffalo Bills, with 16 career sacks vs. the Chiefs. Miller has four sacks this season for the Commanders in a part-time role.
Commanders.com
London Fletcher, Brian Mitchell advance in HOF consideration
In the next step of the process, each member of the Hall of Fame’s full 50-person Selection Committee will review the above list and cast a vote for the 25 nominees each believes should advance to the Semifinalist stage. The names of the 25 Semifinalists (plus ties, if any, for the 25th position) will be announced in about five weeks.
Because they reached the final list of seven Modern-Era Players under consideration for the Class of 2025 but were not elected, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance to the final 15 this election cycle.
Reduction votes also are occurring in the Seniors, Coach and Contributor categories. On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame released the list of 12 Coach candidates still under consideration. Later this week, progress in the Seniors and Contributor categories will be announced.
Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor. While there is no set number of enshrinees for any class, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected.
Pro Football Focus (premium content)
NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 8
9. Washington Commanders (Up 2)
Projected Week 8 starters:
Stud right guard Sam Cosmi returned to action for the first time since he tore his ACL in January. He gave up just one pressure — and no sacks or hits — in the Commanders’ loss to the Cowboys, leading to an 85.9 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked second among all guards this week.
On the other hand, first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. continued to struggle in pass protection at right tackle. The Oregon product gave up four pressures, including a sack, and has now allowed pressure at an 8.7% rate — 15th worst rate among 71 qualifying offensive tackles.
Best player: Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil’s 87.4 PFF pass-blocking grade this season ranks third among all offensive tackles.
If you’re looking for the source of the headline, read this article on the Commanders use of a 3-4 defense:
The fun part of using this front with Luvu playing as an edge defender is that it provides the Commanders with a lot of flexibility. Luvu’s natural position as a linebacker means he is very comfortable dropping off into coverage if the Commanders want to just rush four, but he can also join the rush if they want to blitz five. It also enables them to get creative with some blitz packages.
The first option that the Commanders have is to shift their defense from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 base and move linebacker Frankie Luvu to the edge. This isn’t a completely new thing for them, they have used a 3-4 look with Luvu on the edge quite a lot this season, especially to help against the run. But what it does is enables them to lean on their defensive line strength, which is the depth of the defensive tackle group, by getting three of them onto the field at the same time.
With Luvu on the edge, the Commanders only have to use one other edge defender, so they can rotate between the likes of Jacob Martin, Preston Smith and even Von Miller on the other side and limiting their exposure. It also presents a good way to get linebacker Jordan Magee onto the field more frequently. With Luvu on the edge, the linebacker spot next to Bobby Wagner becomes available and Magee is finally healthy enough to step up and play a more significant role.
This sounds great in theory, but how does it look in practice?
Podcasts & videos
Jayden Daniels OUT for Week 8 clash with Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs | Beltway Football
Get Right for Monday Night + Containing Patrick Mahomes | Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys activate Jonathan Mingo from IR making the WR room very full; is a trade on the horizon?
Jonathan Mingo was a former second-round pick (39th overall) by the Carolina Panthers back in 2023. He was acquired via trade by the Dallas Cowboys last year on November 5, 2024, costing them a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. He caught just 17 passes for 167 yards last year after arriving in Dallas and has so far spent the entire 2025 season on injured reserve with a PCL strain.
The decision by the Cowboys to add Mingo to the active 53-man roster shouldn’t shake things up much at all, if any as far as the WR depth chart is concerned. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and KaVontae Turpin all sit atop the depth chart still with Jalen Tolbert and Ryan Flournoy rounding out the group. Mingo is simply another body right now, or is he?
There have been some rumors the Cowboys could be active prior to the 2025 NFL trade deadline on November 4. Already we’ve seen them linked to Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, and there are sure to be other rumors between now and the deadline. And if they are truly looking to be active, Mingo’s recent addition could mean WR Jalen Tolbert now becomes a tradable piece to teams who need more WR help.
Tolbert is coming off a career year in 2024 where he hauled in 49 catches for 610 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown practices, eyes return vs. Raiders
On Wednesday, Overshown practiced for the first time in 317 days. He has an eye on returning for the Nov. 17 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
“Monday night primetime, zero will be making his debut,” said Overshown, who will become the first Cowboys player to wear No. 0 in a game. “I’m excited for it. It’s not going to be anything short of extraordinary. I’m ready to show truly how blessed I am.
Recent tests showed the ligaments are healed and the knee is structurally sound. The Cowboys will have five more practices over the next two weeks before heading to their bye on Nov. 9. Overshown will continue to work with the medical staff during the break and, if all goes well, he’ll be added to the roster.
Given the state of the Cowboys’ defense -- 32nd in yards per game and 30th in points per game -- Overshown is needed.
Big Blue View
New York Giants roster moves: PK Jude McAtamney waived, CB Korie Black re-signed
The New York Giants have waived placekicker Jude McAtamney, who missed three extra points in the last two weeks, and re-signed cornerback Korie Black.
McAtamney kicked for four games in place of Graham Gano, who is on Injured Reserve with a groin injury.
The kicker against the Eagles this Sunday is likely to be either Gano, should he be ready to come off IR, or former Atlanta Falcons placekicker Younghoe Koo, who is on the Giants’ practice squad.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Injury Report: A.J. Brown misses practice due to hamstring
The Eagles listed five players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens, Adoree’ Jackson, Azeez Ojulari, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Brown unexpectedly missed practice due to a hamstring injury. That’s certainly not ideal. We’ll see how serious it is.
Upcoming opponent
Arrowhead Pride
AP Mailbag
WhoMe asks:
Everyone wants this or that defensive lineman, running back or maybe cornerback. But here’s the real question: how are the Chiefs going to handle the cap issues staring them in the face for next year? What can they realistically do to put themselves in a position to continue the success they’ve enjoyed?
Right now, the salary cap stands in the way of any roster upgrade. After moving Norman-Lott to injured reserve and signing cornerback Kevin Knowles, we now estimate the Chiefs have $3.5 million in cap space. The team’s best options for creating more room would be to restructure tackle Jawaan Taylor’s contract or add void years to Travis Kelce’s. Either move would push money into the 2026 salary cap. As it stands, Kansas City will begin next offseason roughly $30 million over the limit with only 35 players under contract.
Obviously, this means that some players with large non-guaranteed 2026 salaries will be released (or have their compensation significantly reduced).
The front office is likely already exploring ways to reduce Patrick Mahomes’ currently scheduled $78 million cap hit for 2026. Don’t be surprised if that’s accomplished through a complete contract restructure. Chris Jones’ 2026 cap number of nearly $45 million will also be a popular target for armchair GMs, but the team may be wise to let that contract ride through his age-33 season. Doing so maintains maximum flexibility with the two non-guaranteed years that follow in 2027 and 2028.
NFL league links
Front Office Sports
NFL Tries to Revive Pro Bowl Games by Moving It to Super Bowl Week
The NFL’s Pro Bowl Games have long struggled with declining viewership and on-field energy. A new plan seeks to address that.
The league will stage the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, its version of an all-star game, on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event will be held indoors during Super Bowl week, and on a custom-built field at the site of the league’s Super Bowl Experience, the primary fan-facing event during the week. Super Bowl LX will be held five days later at Levi’s Stadium.
The primary competition will remain a flag-football game featuring teams of top players from the American and National Football Conferences. That component continues to promote flag football, a vital league initiative ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where it will debut as a medal sport and will likely feature NFL players.
The new venue and timing, developed after consultation with players, are designed to inject further life into the event and also allow more star players to be a part of Super Bowl week.
ESPN will again air it, and the Manning brothers remain actively involved but will not coach the two squads.
The 2025 Pro Bowl Games averaged 4.7 million viewers, down 18% and the third straight annual decline. Given the NFL’s dominance over not only the rest of sports but all of U.S. television and culture, the continued viewership struggles of the Pro Bowl and then the Pro Bowl Games remain a significant outlier. That television audience in February was less than two-thirds of the comparable 7.2 million average for MLB’s 2025 All-Star Game in July.
Discussion topics
2025 NFL trade deadline: Ranking top 25 players who could move
4. Riq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
The buzz: Multiple league execs have Woolen earmarked as a strong trade candidate leading into the deadline. “They’ve been wanting to move him for a while,” one executive said. “He doesn’t fit what [Mike Macdonald] wants to do.” Woolen would be best served going to a team that can use his man-coverage traits. One potential hurdle to a deal: Seattle’s other starting corner, Devon Witherspoon, has had a difficult time staying healthy this season. -- Fowler
The tape: A fourth-year pro with a 6-foot-4 frame and elite speed, Woolen has 11 interceptions and 30 pass breakups in his career. Inconsistent tackling and lapses in eye discipline have prevented him from reaching his ceiling, but Woolen has the physical traits to help a defense majoring in man coverage. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 50%
8. Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami Dolphins
The buzz: Phillips and teammate Bradley Chubb have circulated in trade rumors. Multiple teams I spoke with believe that Phillips would hold more value than Chubb due to upside. A string of injuries stalled his rising star status, but he’s working his way back. But there’s this: Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said last week that any Dolphins trade rumors are “baseless, currently.” -- Fowler
The tape: Injuries have reduced Phillips’ explosiveness and range. But he has the physical tools that teams look for on the edge. With his long 6-5 frame, Phillips can play as both an edge setter and a pocket disrupter. He has 25 sacks and 117 pressures over his five-year career. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 30%
10. Jermaine Johnson, Edge, New York Jets
The buzz: The Jets are not desperate to trade Johnson; good edge rushers are hard to find, and his $13.4 million salary for 2026 (a fifth-year option) is reasonable. But my sense after asking around is that New York would be more willing to part with Johnson than Will McDonald IV if it made any move at the position. Macdonald is in the third year of his rookie deal, whereas Johnson is in his fourth. And Johnson has garnered a bit of interest thus far. -- Fowler
The tape: An Achilles injury forced Johnson to miss 15 games in 2024, and he had to sit for three earlier this season with an ankle issue. But when healthy, he has the strength and the lower-body quickness to attack the pocket. Johnson had his best numbers in 2023 (pre-Achilles injury), when he totaled 7.5 sacks and 16 pressures. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 35%
11. Logan Wilson, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
The buzz: The Bengals are going younger at linebacker, relegating Wilson to a reserve role in favor of rookie Barrett Carter despite Wilson’s status as a team captain. Teams I’ve talked to believe Cincinnati is open to dealing Wilson, whose base salary is $5.4 million this season. Next year, Wilson has a base of $6 million. -- Fowler
The tape: Wilson is a three-down defender with the coverage instincts and range to impact the pass defense. He has 11 interceptions and 11 pass breakups over his career, plus he has averaged seven tackles per game during his five-plus seasons. Wilson would be an upgrade in the middle of the defense for multiple teams. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 60%
13. Arden Key, Edge, Tennessee Titans
The buzz: The Titans are open to trading players who are in the last year of a contract and are not in the franchise’s long-term plans. Key fits that mold. And if pass-rush-hunting teams strike out on big names, Key is a serviceable alternative. The Titans just lost rookie pass rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo for significant time due to a fractured leg, so they might need to keep Key to offset attrition. -- Fowler
The tape: With his length at 6-5 and short-area closing speed, Key can be set up on the edge or schemed out of loaded fronts. In five games played this season, Key has 1.5 sacks -- and he had a total of 12.5 over his previous two seasons with Tennessee. Key could be viewed as a situational pass rusher for a contending team. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 40%
15. Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
The buzz: Okonkwo, another 2026 Titans free agent, has been reliable with 23 catches and 218 yards through seven games. The Titans want to be careful not to strip rookie quarterback Cam Ward of too many playmakers. But Okonkwo is the type of stretch tight end who could garner interest. -- Fowler
The tape: Yeah, he’s a “move” tight end with the ability to stretch the seams and produce after the catch. Okonkwo caught more than 50 passes for the Titans in both 2023 and 2024. He has the alignment versatility to create pass-game matchups for a team that caters to his traits as a receiver. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 30%
18. Kingsley Enagbare, Edge, Green Bay Packers
The buzz: Enagbare started in 2024 but felt the squeeze of the Micah Parsons trade, getting relegated to a reserve role. While Green Bay typically likes to keep its draft-and-develop talent, Enagbare probably would welcome the chance to play more elsewhere in a contract year. -- Fowler
The tape: Enagbare lacks high-end play speed, but he has a quick first step off the ball and can win with power at the point of attack. He has seen his snap count reduced in Green Bay, but he could be viewed as a rotational edge defender. Enagbare had 4.5 sacks last season. -- Bowen
Predicted chance of getting traded: 25%
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