bill-in-bangkokSat, November 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM UTC·14 min readCommanders links
Articles
Washington Post (paywall)
Adam Peters could do no wrong. Now the GM can show how he handles adversity.
The Commanders general manager’s previous stops — including in the Denver Broncos’ front office for eight years — could help him as he faces a new challenge.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen John Elway replaced Xanders as GM in 2011, a meeting was held that included coach John Fox, Peters and other scouts. Elway had been a Hall of Fame player, but running a front office was new. In getting him up to speed, they went through the roster and mapped out a plan to turn things around.
Peters helped bring that plan to fruition. Denver made the playoffs five seasons in a row starting in 2011 and won Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season. Going through that process taught Peters how to overcome adversity and find success.
“His respect and standing in the company really never wavered,” former Broncos executive Mark Thewes said. “[Elway] respected his views, and it just blossomed from there. You could see it early: He was destined to be at a higher level.”
Peters is trying to replicate that success with the Commanders, who will host the Broncos (9-2) on “Sunday Night Football.” Things went better than imagined in his first year on the job, with Washington going 12-5 and reaching the NFC championship game. But in Year 2, Washington (3-8) is struggling mightily. The Commanders’ belief that Peters can turn things around stems from his track record of doing just that.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNaturally, the Commanders’ struggles this year have led to a more careful examination of his roster-building. Outside of Daniels, there’s not another clear hit from the nine draft picks — including six in the first three rounds — he made in 2024.
In his previous stops, Peters was part of staffs that navigated those types of situations well. He proved adaptable and learned from his mistakes.
Peters undergoes an evaluation process every offseason. That includes assessing his staff and himself with a critical lens. While he notes the positives, he tends to learn more from breaking down what went wrong.
He will analyze how the front office and coaching staff work together, what they value in the scouting process and the way they approach free agency, contract negotiations and the draft.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“He’s smart enough to take the good, eliminate the bad and kind of develop what he wants to do in Washington,” said Russell, now an executive with the Philadelphia Eagles. “He’s got the confidence to do that as opposed to [saying], ‘I’m going to do it this way.’”
The Athletic (paywall)
Von Miller picked the Commanders because he wanted to win. Now what?
Miller thought his next stop would be a continuation of the others — joining another star quarterback for another year of winning.
“You just can’t leave Josh Allen and go anywhere, man,” Miller said after arriving in Washington this past summer. “And whenever you get older too, losses, they pile up. It seems like they just hit way harder than what they used to when you were young. And this team is all about winning.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow quickly things can change in the NFL.
The Broncos are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Super Bowl 50 win this season. Miller, the Super Bowl MVP that year, is featured on the cover of their media guide.
what didn’t fit the Broncos [in 2025] seemed to perfectly suit the Commanders, who lacked a marquee pass rusher coming into the season and now need pass-rushing help more than ever. Injuries have decimated Washington’s roster, especially on the defensive line, where it’s lost three defensive ends — Deatrich Wise Jr. (quad), Dorance Armstrong (ACL) and Javontae Jean-Baptiste (pectoral) — for the season.
Miller…has filled the role Washington laid out for him on the field: a limited pass rusher who can get home on critical downs. Nearly 62 percent of his QB pressures and three of his five sacks have been on third downs.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMiller’s 110.5 sacks as a Bronco set a franchise record, but his sights are set higher. He wants to leave the game ranked well into the NFL’s top 10 in career sacks, a stat that became official in 1982.
At 134.5 sacks, Miller needs 3.5 more to pass Richard Dent and John Randle for 10th on the all-time list, just below former teammate and mentor DeMarcus Ware (138.5).
“He’ll probably say, ‘What took you so long?’” Miller joked about Ware, who reached the top 10 in 12 years in the NFL. “I can’t just be 10. I gotta be like No. 6 to stay in there because you got guys getting five, six sacks a game.”
The Athletic (paywall)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStanford names Washington Commanders assistant Tavita Pritchard as head coach
Washington Commanders quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard was named the 37th head coach in Stanford football history. Pritchard, 38, will be introduced in a news conference Tuesday in the Bay Area and will coach in his last game with the Commanders on Sunday night when Washington hosts the Denver Broncos.
The Cardinal (4-7, 3-5 in ACC play) close their 2025 season under interim head coach Frank Reich Saturday in Palo Alto against No. 9 Notre Dame. Luck hired Reich in April to lead Stanford this year after Luck fired former head coach Troy Taylor following allegations of bullying and hostile behavior against colleagues. Stanford just thumped rival Cal, 31-10, last weekend, snapping a three-game losing streak in the historic rivalry game.
Pritchard is not only a former teammate of Luck’s, but the two were once mired in a quarterback battle in Luck’s second year in the program in 2009. Luck won the job. Prior to that, Pritchard made 20 starts and 31 overall appearances for the Cardinal from 2006 to 2009. After graduating, Pritchard stayed in Palo Alto working his way up the coaching staff ranks at his alma mater from a graduate assistant in 2010 to offensive coordinator in 2018, where he served in that role from 2018 to 2022.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter 18 years of playing and coaching at Stanford, Pritchard was hired to be Washington’s quarterbacks coach in 2023, when Ron Rivera was the Commanders’ head coach and Eric Bieniemy ran the offense. Pritchard was instrumental in helping Washington and its young quarterback at the time, Sam Howell, transition to the West Coast offense and its lengthy play calls.
But the Commanders staff and roster were overhauled in 2024, a year after owner Josh Harris purchased the team for $6.05 billion. Dan Quinn was tabbed as head coach and brought on many familiar assistants from his previous NFL stops. Pritchard decided to stay — he had offers elsewhere, according to a team source — as one of the few holdovers from 2023.
His role became even more magnified when the Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels second overall in 2024. Pritchard has been a primary voice in Daniels’s ear on game days, and a steady influence amid a historic rookie season, followed by an injury-riddled second season.
Commanders.com
Game status | Terry McLaurin active vs. Broncos
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin will be active during the Washington Commanders’ primetime matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed during his Friday press conference.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt will be McLaurin’s first game at Northwest Stadium since first injuring his quad in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
McLaurin’s return means the Commanders’ offense will regain traits that the unit has been missing in the wide receiver’s absence. Quinn highlights McLaurin’s ability to catch explosive passes downfield — he called it McLaurin’s “superpower” — but also mentioned McLaurin’s effectiveness in screen passes and running intermediate routes.
McLaurin has played in just one game since Week 3 — the 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — and only recently returned to practice after the bye week. McLaurin had three catches for 54 yards against the Chiefs and scored the team’s only touchdown.
[WR Noah] Brown, who had his 21-day window open earlier in the week, is set to miss his 10th game of the season with groin and knee injuries. Quinn said that Brown is close to being ready to go.
Heavy.com
Will Harris : Questionable for Week 13
Harris (ankle) is questionable for Sunday night’s game against the Broncos, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Harris remains on injured reserve after his 21-day practice window was opened 16 days ago, but it appears as if Harris has a good chance to suit up for Week 13 after he was a full participant in practice all week.
Podcasts & videos
“We have a lot left to play for” Jonathan Jones + Niles Paul the pride of Omaha | Next Man Up | NFLStadium notes
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles crushed by Bears on Black Friday Football: Offense once again looks abysmal in loss to Chicago
This one wasn’t even as close as the nine-point difference makes it seem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bears dominated the Eagles:
First downs: Bears 28, Eagles 14
Total plays: Bears 85, Eagles 51
Rushing yards: Bears 281, Eagles 87
Total yards: Bears 425, Eagles 317
And that’s with Philly gaining 116 yards of garbage time offense on their final two possessions.
Once again, the Eagles’ offense — the most expensive offense in the NFL by a significant margin™ — was absolutely abysmal when it mattered. They scored one touchdown on their first nine drives. This despite going up a Bears defense that just hasn’t been very good this season.
The offense is beyond broken and clearly must change something. The team can’t hide behind winning in spite of the offense anymore. Maybe it’s Kevin Patullo getting the boot, though the offensive coordinator was hardly the only issue on Friday. Jalen Hurts missed throws. Players dropped passes. The offensive line didn’t block well. Penalties continued to be an issue.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVic Fangio’s defense clearly had a bad game against the Bears’ rushing attack but his unit at least came up with some stops and a takeaway that would’ve led to an Eagles lead prior to a Hurts fumble in the red zone.
The Eagles didn’t need to let their collapse against the Dallas Cowboys be more than just one bad loss. But losing at home as seven-point favorites to a Bears team that isn’t even as good as their record suggest prompts one to wonder if another 2023-like collapse is coming.
Just like it was back then, it’s hard to feel like the head coach has answers right now. What is Nick Sirianni bringing to the table?
Next up: the Eagles are off until a Monday Night Football road game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14.
ESPN
Philadelphia Eagles won’t change playcallers after home loss
Coach Nick Sirianni stood by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo on Friday, saying he will not change playcallers after another disappointing performance for the group that factored into the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-15 home loss to the Chicago Bears.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“We’re not changing the playcaller. But we will evaluate everything,” Sirianni said. “It’s never just about one person. You win as a team, you lose as a team and you try to evaluate everything, win, lose or draw, and get better from it.
“I have confidence in the entire group. I know it will keep coming back to Kevin. If I thought it was one thing, I’d make those changes. Obviously, it’s a lot of different things. I don’t think it’s Kevin.”
Philadelphia has the highest-salaried offense in the NFL, featuring stars such as Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts. Yet, it entered the game ranked 24th in yards per game (303.6), 23rd in passing (193.2), 21st in rushing (110.5) and 18th in points (23.2). It has been particularly tough of late, with the Eagles averaging 15.5 points over their past four games, which includes consecutive losses that has dropped their record to 8-4.
Patullo was elevated from pass game coordinator and associate head coach to offensive coordinator this offseason to replace Kellen Moore, now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Friday, the Eagles ran only 51 total plays to 85 by the Bears, and sputtered on third down (4-of-12) against a Chicago defense that ranked 27th entering Week 13.
