bill-in-bangkokWed, November 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM UTC·19 min readCommanders links
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Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders need Jayden Daniels to be the answer again, not a question
Once he’s healthy, why play the second-year quarterback in a lost season? Because Washington needs to continue to build its future.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere’s what is important about the last six games of a Commanders season gone awry: that Daniels not only reappears but re-establishes himself. For now, he is out because of a dislocated elbow. He has played just once in the past month. When he misses Sunday night’s game against Denver — as Coach Dan Quinn said he’s expected to — he will have sat out as many times as he has suited up.
That’s no way to build on a meteoric rookie season. It’s a way to stagnate. In 2025, Daniels has not yet played in and completed three straight games. All that makes it imperative, when he’s finally healthy, that he play as much as possible.
Get him out there. Get him more reps. Get him in a rhythm. Send him into an important offseason with the full confidence of his fan base behind him.
“I got to go out there and play football,” Daniels told reporters at a team charity event Tuesday. “If I’m back out there, I’m healthy and I’m ready to go, I want to be out there.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGreat. We’re all on the same page.
The Athletic (paywall)
Will Quinn continue to call plays on defense?
Quinn knows how he wants his defense to look, and he made his vision come to life in Madrid, where the Commanders held the Miami Dolphins to 16 points in an overtime loss. Washington’s defense somehow snapped back into being a detailed, efficient group, capable of producing two goal-line stands while limiting Miami’s explosive plays.
But when he was introduced as the Commanders’ coach in 2024, Quinn said he learned from his time as the Atlanta Falcons’ coach that he needed to delegate more. It’s why he chose not to call plays when he signed with Washington.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“The essence of a head coach is to put it all together,” he said in February 2024. “It’s not to be an offensive coach or a defensive coach or a special teams coach. Like, it’s everything. … It’s the chemistry, it’s the messaging, it’s the play style, it’s the attitude, it’s the swagger. That’s my No. 1 job, to make sure all of this comes together.”
Since taking over as defensive coordinator two weeks ago, Quinn has changed parts of his routine and relied more on some of his assistants to help keep him in the loop with all three phases. Assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson and special teams coordinator Larry Izzo regularly keep Quinn abreast of what’s going on with the offense and special teams, and senior vice president of football initiatives Dave Gardi has been instrumental in helping Quinn on game days.
It would seem unlikely that he would relinquish play calling back to Joe Whitt this season. Whitt is involved on game days from the coaches’ booth and has been working more with the secondary, the position he coached in Dallas when Quinn was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. But Washington already has Jason Simmons as its defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach and Tommy Donatell as its defensive backs coach.
It wouldn’t surprise if Quinn searches for another coordinator in the offseason. But he said Monday he used the bye week to consider any additional adjustments he’d make to his routine and that of others on staff. Whether he views it as a long-term solution or just a fix in the interim could be determined by these next six games.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders could implement a defensive coaching makeover in 2026
The Commanders currently employ 10 coaches, whose primary responsibilities fall on the defensive side of the ball. Whitt presides over the unit as coordinator. Jason Simmons serves as the pass game coordinator.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere are three position coaches. Darryl Tapp handles the line, Ken Norton Jr. the linebackers, and Tommy Donatell the defensive backs.
Each has an assistant. Sharrif Floyd helps out with the line, while Ryan Kerrigan assists Norton with the linebackers. He also serves as a pass rush specialist. William Gay is the assistant defensive back coach.
Two other general assistants are on the staff. Long-time coach John Pagano is a senior assistant, and George Banko handles quality control.
It is hard to single out any one unit as performing well. The defense was never seen as the team’s strength, but it was at least competent in 2024. It started that way in 2025. Through the first six weeks, they allowed just one opponent to top the 30-point mark.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThen came a four-game stretch in which the Commanders surrendered an average of 38.5 points per game. They lost each by at least two touchdowns. That is what prompted Quinn to assume play-calling duties.
Injuries have played a significant role. Five opening day starters are out. That may figure into any assessment of Tapp and Floyd most of all. They have lost their top three defensive ends. It was not a particular strength even before the health issues.
Early in the season, the defense’s most productive play came from its interior linemen. That has fallen off in recent weeks, but from an outsider’s perspective, Tapp and Floyd have probably been the defense’s most effective coaches this season.
The lack of development of individual players — especially young, high draft picks who should be cornerstones — may fall on those position coaches. Again, outsiders can’t assess what the coaches are doing. But it is easy to see that something is going very wrong.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe defensive failures in 2025 are the organization’s responsibility. Adam Peters will get his share of the blame, as will the players. But the defensive coaches will get a lot of extra scrutiny.
Whitt’s demotion may be the first step in a revamping of the defensive coaching staff this offseason.
Commanders.com
Daniels: ‘I want to be out there’ if healthy
While getting Daniels back on the field and fully healthy would help provide the Commanders with the best chance to win, the team also wants Daniels to play at some point this season so he can continue to grow in the position.
“It’s important that Jayden’s getting going, learning to play this position at the highest level competitively,” Quinn said. “Also doing it safely. Those are reps that you develop as well. It’s a skill just like throwing and processing. All those things are important.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Commanders remain cautious with Daniels as he returns to practice, but they also believe it is important for him to get as many snaps as possible in a game scenario, assuming he is cleared to play.
“You’ve just got to try to do what’s best for the player,” Quinn said. “We know what we’re looking to do and how we want to do it, but by no means are we careless about that. It’s important not just for Jayden, but important for our entire team.”
Heavy.com
Will Harris : Optimism for Week 13
Coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday that he’s optimistic Harris (ankle) will be able to play Sunday against the Broncos, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Harris remains on injured reserve but was designated for return 13 days ago, opening his 21-day practice window. Harris has been sidelined since he was injured in Week 3 against the Raiders. Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves and Darnell Savage have been handling safety duties for the Commanders.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders should have Will Harris back in Week 13 against the Broncos
Quinn revealed that things are trending positively for Will Harris after an extended spell on the sidelines. The safety returned to practice in Madrid, and with some extra time to recover, it seems as if the free-agent signing will be back in the mix this weekend against the Denver Broncos.
“He was chomping at the bit even before we started. He worked really hard to get himself back to it, and then it was really about the movements, the conditioning into those things. And so had the week, out in Spain as well, full on practice to go and then more conditioning, more movements this past week and then, so yeah, we’re very optimistic heading into this week for him and all that he’s done to get himself ready to go.”Dan Quinn via Commanders.com
Harris’s absence has been an underrated factor behind the secondary’s complete collapse this season. His tone-setting demeanor, ability to be around the football, and proven experience were expected to fill the void left by Jeremy Chinn, so getting hurt versus the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 was a body blow.
Commanders Wire
RFK Stadium is torn down: Best memories from Washington’s former home
A big part of Washington’s NFL history is gone.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWell, little by little, section by section, that is. RFK Stadium, the former home of the three-time Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins, is slowly being torn down. A massive demolition/destruction was frowned upon, citing environmental concerns. So instead of a giant wrecking ball being used on RFK, the city is concerned about dust and the environmental health of residents.
RFK is very slowly going down. It will supposedly be well into 2026 before the Commanders can begin breaking ground on the new stadium. But the one thing that can’t be taken from many of us is the stirring, enduring memories we still have of the Redskins and RFK.
Podcasts & videos
Sunday Night Football Broncos Preview & Around the NFL | Get Loud | Washington CommandersNFC East links
NBC Sports
After latest collapse, Eagles have no choice but to replace Kevin Patullo
[T]he Eagles’ offense has regressed under Kevin Patullo, and that’s alarming. Early in the season, we were all more concerned with the defense than anything. Four games in, the Eagles were middle of the pack at 23.5 offensive points per game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn seven games since? They’re down to 19.8 points per game, and that includes games with 10, 16, 17, 17, 21 and 21 points. The only time since Week 4 they’ve managed to score more than 21 points is at home against a Giants team that fired its head coach a few weeks later.
Good luck trying to find a game where the offense operated efficiently throughout. Good luck trying to find a game where the Eagles enjoyed sustained success in both halves. Good luck trying to find a game where they looked half as good as last year, when an almost identical lineup averaged 29 points and 366 yards per game.
They can’t run the ball. They can’t consistently get the ball to their elite receivers. They’re among the worst in the league on third down, first downs per game, yards per play, sacks per pass play.
You name the category, they’re near the bottom.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPatullo’s play calling lacks creativity and innovation. We’re 11 games in and we haven’t seen an ability to use plays to set up other plays, to sustain early success late in games, to keep defenses off balance, to mix the run game with the pass game to the point where they’re doing both effectively.
At times, it looks like plays are run randomly with no regard to the play before or the play after. If you told me Patullo was pulling plays out of a hat, I’d believe it.
Patullo has had enough chances. It’s time to let somebody else give play calling a shot before it’s too late.
NJ.com
Eagles’ legend (and others) blast team’s play calling, so is it time for a change at OC?
Brian Johnson [was] the offensive coordinator who was fired following the great collapse of 2023 after just one season in the role. The Eagles finished seventh in points and eighth in yards that season. They averaged 25.5 points and 350 yards per game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJohnson’s offense actually compared quite favorably to last year’s offense, which also finished seventh in points and eighth in yards under first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. That was good enough to get Moore a head-coaching job in New Orleans.
The Eagles under Patullo right now are 17th in points per game and 24th in yards per game. The points rank is deceptive because the Eagles have a special teams and a defensive touchdown this season. When only offensive scores and field goals are taken into consideration, the Eagles are tied for 20th with the Giants at 22 points per game and we know how things are going this season up in East Rutherford.
allphilly.com (paywall)
Bowen: In Eagles coach Nick Sirianni’s world, no one is to blame and nothing gets fixed
[T]his window will close. It does for everyone. It’s closing for the Chiefs, right now, right before our eyes. If you have the talent to win this year – and I believe the Eagles do – it’s an absolute sin to keep shuffling along, not rising to the occasion, telling critics “well, sometimes it’s this and sometimes it’s that and blah blah blah.” Roseman or Jeffrey Lurie needs to rattle some cages here. Stop obfuscating. Figure it out.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys playoff picture: Dallas needs help in addition to wins
The Dallas Cowboys have won two games in a row and as a result have re-entered the playoff conversation. Maybe a better way to put this is to say that the playoff conversation doesn’t sound as silly around them as it did when they were 3-5-1. Winning cures all, as they say.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe have reached a point where the Cowboys are 5-5-1, and while they just won consecutive games for the first time this season, they have yet to be north of .500 at any point in 2025. In fact, the Cowboys have not been north of .500 since Week 5 of last season when they were 3-2.
It goes without saying that a win on Thanksgiving Day against the Kansas City Chiefs would continue to cure the sickness that surrounded the team, and it would really boost their playoff odds.
We have talked about how the Cowboys might have to get to 9-7-1 (which would involve losing only two of the six games remaining), but even that might not be enough. Time will tell what record gets teams in, but any conversations of this ilk will feel all the more real if the Cowboys beat the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day.
Big Blue View
Eli Manning a Hall of Fame semifinalist, but won’t be a Hall of Famer
Whether Giants fans think it should happen or not, Manning isn’t getting into the Hall of Fame this time around.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet’s be honest, though. Manning is not going to be part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Nor is he likely to be part of any Hall of Fame class in the near future.
That is because Pro Football Hall of Fame bylaws limit the selection to between four and eight new members each year. The competition for that limited number of gold jackets is even tougher than it was a year ago when Manning did not make it past the round of 15 semifinalists.
That is largely because two first-time eligible quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, are likely to garner more support from Hall of Fame voters than Manning. Ben Roethlisberger is eligible for the first time in 2027. Tom Brady in 2028. Both of those quarterbacks will also get in before Manning.
Many Giants fans, of course, won’t want to hear that. It is, though, the truth. Manning likely doesn’t get real consideration until that logjam of quarterbacks breaks.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAmong the 49 members of the selection committee, there are many who don’t believe Manning is a Hall of Famer at all.
I have posted these quotes from Mike Tanier’s ‘Too Deep Zone’ Substack before, but they need to be repeated:
“Get back to me in five years,” one selector told me flatly. “Seriously, we got a lot of guys to get into the Hall of Fame. And he can wait.”
“Somebody’s gonna have to convince me that he belongs in the Hall of Fame at all,” another selector said.
“[D]on’t try to tell me that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation.”
Upcoming opponent
Mile High Report
LB Alex Singleton is expected back on the practice field tomorrow and hopes to play Sunday Night vs. Commanders
Alex Singleton is expected back on the practice field tomorrow, and the hope is that he will be able to play Sunday Night vs. the Commanders. While his status remains TBD at this point and time, this is encouraging news after he revealed a cancer diagnosis after the Broncos’ Thursday Night victory over the Raiders.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSingleton also appeared on Good Morning America this morning and revealed that his pathology results came back cancer-free and that he is expected back at practice this week.
Singleton played through that Thursday Night contest, knowing about the cancer diagnosis and that he needed to have surgery in the coming days. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and he is now cancer-free and able to return to the team and practice after missing just one game.
Great news all around for Singleton and his family.
This Broncos defense has played at an elite level while being without key members like PS2, Dre Greenlaw, and Alex Singleton. Now, the Broncos may have all 3 back coming out of a week off, where they were able to get healthy and fresh for a deep postseason run.
NFL league links
Articles
Pro Football Talk
NFL will again celebrate the John Madden legacy on Thanksgiving
Players on all six teams will wear patches honoring Madden’s legacy on their jerseys, and the coin toss for all three games will feature a silhouette of Madden as heads and a six-legged turducken as tails.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe MVP of each of the three games will receive a Madden trophy and will choose a high school or youth football program that will receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation. Items from the three games will also be auctioned with proceeds going to the John Madden Foundation for the youth of Oakland.
Madden was known to one generation of football fans as a Hall of Fame coach, to a second generation as the NFL’s most popular broadcaster, and to a third generation for the video game that bears his name. He died in December of 2021 at the age of 85. Since 2022, the NFL has honored him each year on Thanksgiving.
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Front Office Sports
Chiefs vs. Cowboys Could Draw Record 50M-Plus Viewers
Cowboys-Giants on Thanksgiving Day 2022 holds the record for most-watched regular-season game at 42.1 million viewers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe NFL will stage a Turkey Day tripleheader on Thursday. Fox will show Packers-Lions at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Chiefs-Cowboys on CBS at 4:30 p.m. ET and NBC’s primetime telecast of Bengals-Ravens at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Take the NFL’s two biggest TV draws. Add in the league’s red-hot viewership this season. Throw in a Tush Push from Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel, which is boosting ratings across sports. Put it all together and CBS’s telecast of Chiefs vs. Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day could be the first regular-season game in history to average 50 million viewers or more.
That’s the prediction from several industry experts about Thursday’s marquee matchup between Kansas City and Dallas at AT&T Stadium. Average viewership of 50 million or more would blow away the record 42.1 million viewers for Cowboys-Giants on Thanksgiving Day 2022. Before that, the longstanding record was 41.5 million for the 1990 Monday Night Football matchup between the Giants and 49ers. Fox’s February telecast of Super Bowl LIX is the most-watched TV event of all time at 127.7 million viewers.
“Chiefs-Cowboys is the perfect storm,” says one rival sports TV executive envious of CBS. “You’ve got Patrick Mahomes vs. Dak Prescott. You’ve got the old America’s Team vs. the new America’s Team. All of it at Jerry’s World.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Sunday’s results clearly make this matchup a much bigger deal than it looked like on paper. The Cowboys are energized, and the Chiefs are still living on the edge to remain in playoff contention,” Battaglio says. “Combine that element with overall strength of NFL ratings this season, and a record Super Bowl, I can see 55 million viewers.”
