A Lot Of Good, A Lot Of Bad In Commanders Week 1 Loss To Eagles - Daily Slop

The Daily Slop – 15 September 2026

Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles 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, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!

Commanders links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders’ loss to Eagles revealed a new-look defense with an edge

Facing Philadelphia’s vaunted offensive line and its multiple playmakers, Washington held the Eagles to only 10 first downs, half as many as the Commanders’ offense. That was the lowest total in the league through the first 15 games of Week 1.

The physicality coach Dan Quinn has preached since he arrived in Washington two seasons ago was evident throughout, with 13 total “havoc” plays — takeaways, tackles for loss, sacks and pass breakups — the Commanders’ fourth-most in a game since the start of the ’24 season.

Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, who wore the green dot in the second half when Frankie Luvu was sidelined with a groin injury, showed his mettle in the third quarter when he trucked Eagles running back Saquon Barkley on the way to his first career sack. On the next drive, he stuffed Barkley for a three-yard loss on a run.

Just as promising as the production was much of Washington’s process: It sent five-man pressures on 12 of the Eagles’ 33 dropbacks and generated pressure on two-thirds of them.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

The Athletic (paywall)

Eagles outlast Commanders, but lots of issues for both teams’ new-look offenses

Washington, in its first game with 31-year-old David Blough as offensive coordinator, struggled to generate consistent offense until its final two possessions. Meanwhile, Philadelphia had issues of its own sustaining drives in the second half under 34-year-old first-time coordinator Sean Mannion. Leading 14-9 at halftime, Philadelphia went three-and-out on each of its first three drives in the second half — setting the stage for Washington’s near comeback.

Eagles fans will not be happy after having to sit through yet another system going mostly stale in the second half.

Mannion’s offense stagnated after entering the second half with a 14-9 lead. The Eagles went three-and-out on their first three drives. They opened each drive under center while fielding two tight ends. Barkley was stuffed on the first run for a 1-yard loss. On the third drive, the Eagles fielded the same look on second-and-7, and Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles shot through a gap on a blitz to bring Barkley down for a 3-yard loss. Hurts was sacked on the subsequent third-and-10, and the Eagles punted again.

The style of play mirrored that of the 2025 season. Former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo oversaw an offense that too often leaned on the strength of the Eagles’ defense. The 2025 Eagles had a minus-30 point differential while playing with a lead in the second half. They had a minus-3 point differential in the second half against the Commanders.

Commanders fans should put their heads on their pillows believing their defense isn’t going to be the utter disaster it has been for two seasons. Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles recorded the first sack of his career and absolutely blew up Barkley in the process. Safety Nick Cross, linebacker Frankie Luvu, cornerback Rasul Douglas and others delivered heavy hits. And the Commanders sacked Hurts three times — from Styles, Luvu and new $100-million man Odafe Oweh.

But even with the flashes, there is plenty to clean up — most notably, the absolute gash plays that killed the Commanders all day. At halftime, the Eagles had 182 yards of offense — 64 on a Hurts-to-Wicks completion and 42 on a Barkley run. That’s 58 percent of their output on two plays, and that doesn’t count the 17-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal to Goedert.

That continued in the second half. On third-and-18, Hurts was allowed to scamper for 22 yards. And the play that ended up being the difference in the game: Goedert’s 43-yard touchdown — on which he got wide open.

That’s 171 of the Eagles’ 318 total yards on just four plays.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Last Man Standig (paywall)

If only the Commanders had another shot at two

Jayden Daniels, hemmed in much of the game by one of the league’s top defenses and hampered by pre-snap penalties, threw touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams. On Washington’s final 12-play, 63-yard drive, Williams snatched Daniels’ throw a nanosecond before it hit the ground for a 1-yard touchdown with one minute remaining.

Momentum, Washington. Now came the chance to tie the game.

The two-point play call from first-time offensive coordinator David Blough had Daniels attempting a shovel pass to tight end John Bates. Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn liked the call from the Eagles’ 2-yard line.

But as the play began, Quinn’s eyes told him danger lurked.

For more from Ben Standig, click here

ESPN

NFL Week 1: Takeaways, questions, fantasy spin for Sunday games

Commanders

Did quarterback Jayden Daniels show enough to inspire a bounce-back season? Daniels looked sharp this summer in new coordinator David Blough’s offense. But for most of Sunday’s game — his first since Week 14 last season — the offense struggled against one of the NFL’s best defenses. Daniels hesitated too many times because he didn’t have an open target or wasn’t confident in what he saw. That’s concerning, as one of his best traits is being decisive. In the first half, he completed 6 of 16 passes for 43 yards. Daniels still finished strong, leading two scoring drives to nearly tie the score. But if Washington is going to avoid a bad start, Blough and Daniels need to find a better rhythm early.

Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not catch a pass until less than five minutes remained in the contest. He finished with just two catches and four targets. It’s not what Blough had in mind when he took over, saying he wanted to get McLaurin 10 targets per game. But the Eagles often doubled him, rolled coverage his way or simply blanketed him.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

The Athletic (paywall)

Mistakes doomed the Commanders — but Jayden Daniels finished standing upright

For most of the first three quarters, the Commanders offense, and Blough, its first-year offensive coordinator, got very little done, wasting multiple opportunities given to it by Washington’s defense, which stacked three-and-outs much of the night and forced seven Eagles punts. (To be sure: The defense gave up a handful of killer big plays, too.) Washington’s offense produced a field goal on its first possession, then didn’t move the ball again until its next-to-last possession of the first half. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun was just … everywhere.

They have to be better.

But.

Sunday marked the first time Daniels started and finished a game for Washington since Oct. 13, against the Chicago Bears. Think of that: It’s almost been a year since Jayden Daniels actually played four full quarters for the Commanders. That is a significant hurdle for him to overcome, after his disastrous 2025, which included separate hamstring, knee and elbow injuries that limited him to seven games. He is the North Star for owner Josh Harris’ team, capable of doing great things when on the field. With Daniels, Washington has a chance.

Daniels, in his third season, looked like a quarterback who understood his importance. He didn’t take off at the first sign of pressure. He tried to climb the pocket and throw downfield, and when that wasn’t available, he threw the ball away. He ran Blough’s plays well, and spread the ball around. The Eagles played cloud coverage with safety help on Terry McLaurin most of the day, so Daniels went to Williams, Diggs and Chig Okonkwo. Washington wants to get McLaurin 10 targets a game. He had four Sunday.

It took Daniels and the offense a while to get going, but the Commanders scored touchdowns on both of their fourth-quarter possessions.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Sports Illustrated

Sonny Styles Didn’t Need Long to Show Why Washington Was Ready to ‘Unleash’ Him

After weeks of talking about how quickly he was progressing, when Frankie Luvu left the game with a groin injury, Styles was on the field every play and had his first NFL sack within minutes. A play where he absolutely destroyed running back Saquon Barkley’s attempt at protection, and then, after barrel-rolling him, brought down Hurts for a six-yard loss just as fellow rookie Joshua Josephs was coming off the edge. They were literally seconds away from meeting in the backfield at the same time. At around the six-minute mark, Styles tackled Barkley for a loss in the backfield, and then around the 2:30 mark, he stopped Jalen Hurts at the line of scrimmage.

If Sunday was the first look at what an unleashed Sonny Styles looks like, Washington has plenty of reasons to keep letting him go.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Commanders Roundtable

Four biggest takeaways from Washington’s Week 1 loss to Philly

Mike Sainristil Coverage Struggles Are Cause for Concern

Late in the first quarter, Sainristil was beaten on a deep pass to Dontayvion Wicks that went for 64 yards, setting Philadelphia up inside Washington’s 10-yard line. The Eagles turned the big play into their first touchdown of the afternoon. Wicks later beat Sainristil again in the second quarter, hauling in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts.

This is a concerning start for Sainristil, especially after he struggled in coverage throughout the 2025 season. According to Pro Football Reference, Sainristil allowed 733 receiving yards in coverage last season, the seventh-most among NFL cornerbacks, while his nine touchdowns allowed ranked second-most. 

Sainristil is a leader in Washington’s cornerback room and needs to step up. Instead of showing progress, he appears to be regressing, which could become a major concern for the Commanders.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Commanders.com

Instant analysis | Commanders fall to Eagles in season opener

It was a valiant effort from the Commanders, who unveiled new schemes on both sides of the ball, and pushed the NFC East champions of the last two seasons to the brink. There are no moral victories, though, and as the Commanders were reminded on a few crucial plays, the margin for error in the NFL is razor thin, particularly against a team like the Eagles.

“We shot ourselves in the foot too many times,” Daniels said. “It came back and haunted us at the end of the game.”

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Riggo’s Rag

4 winners (and 5 losers) from Commanders’ agonizing loss against the Eagles

Winner No. 1 – Tyler Owens – Commanders DB

I’ve been watching football for a long time. And I am struggling to think of a better special-teams play than the one Tyler Owens produced.

Owens was a menace in this critical area of the field all afternoon. His explosiveness, physicality, and relentless effort gave the Eagles nightmares, with the Texas Tech product trucking everything in his way to reach the ball carrier quickly.

This one play, in particular, was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

He did get banged up but managed to walk off the field without help. Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious, because Owens is generating significant momentum at the right time.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders vs. Eagles, Week 1

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field during their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles

NFC East links

Big Blue View

12 winners, 4 losers for NY Giants in impressive victory over Cowboys

Isaiah Likely — Likely caught eight passes in eight targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The numbers are impressive. His contribution was even more impressive. All summer, we saw Dart lean on Likely in “gotta have it” situations. That carried through on Sunday night.

Leading 28-20 and trying to close out the victory, Dart found Likely for first downs on third-and-9 and third-and-3 to allow the Giants an opportunity to run the clock out. Likely ended up catching four passes for first downs. In the red zone, Likely was the first option, catching two short TD passes.

Malik Nabers — God told Nabers to play against the Cowboys. He did. And, he played exceptionally well. Nabers ended up with six catches on nine targets for 69 yards

“No matter what the coverage is, no matter who they put on him, you have all the confidence in the world that he’s going to make a play,” quarterback Jaxson Dart said of Nabers.

How did Nabers know he would be able to take a hit on Sunday night after not playing since tearing his ACL in Week 4 of last season? Harbaugh apparently tried to tackle him, that’s how.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Upcoming opponent

The Ringer

The Winners and Losers of the NFL Week 1

Loser: Cowboys ‘new and improved’ defense

My dad once paid a stripper four racks in three hours because she gave him a hug when he walked in. OK, she eventually gave him more than a hug, but that initial embrace was all it took to pin him and his wallet down for the night. He told me he was in love and that he met my “new stepmom.” (That was before they took his fingerprints under iPhone flashlights to make sure he didn’t dodge the credit card bill, but he doesn’t remember that.) What I learned that night is how easy it is for a man to fall head-over-heels for Cherry (was her name Cherry?) or any other dancer in a strip club. 

This brings me to Sunday Night Football. This offseason, we all quickly fell in love with the new and improved Cowboys defense, coordinated by 34-year-old wunderkind Christian Parker. He had that Vic Fangio pedigree, and, best of all, he wasn’t Matt Eberflus! But after the Giants cut through Parker’s new Cowboys defense like a knife through whipped cream in a 28-20 season-opening win, it’s clear we all got taken—just like my dad did that night in Las Vegas. 

Sunday night marked the Cowboys’ worst defensive performance by EPA per drive since 2017, and, somehow, it felt even worse than that. Part of the argument to buy into the Cowboys going into the year was that the defense simply couldn’t get worse than what we saw in 2025. But it definitely doesn’t look any better! 

There were constant coverage breakdowns in the secondary, leaving the Giants receivers and tight ends absolutely wide open, and Parker simply refused to dial up the heat

I can’t imagine how Parker’s debut as a DC could have gone any worse, honestly. He and the Cowboys defense need a bounce-back at home against Washington next week like my dad still needs Cherry’s real name.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Yahoo Sports

Cowboys did the talking, but Giants looked like the most improved team in decisive Week 1 win, 28-20

The offseason hype, as usual, was on the Dallas Cowboys. They had a flashy offense and made moves to fix their defense. They spoke openly about the Super Bowl after going 7-9-1 last season.

The Cowboys got a touchdown with 5:21 left but even that included a mistake. Williams scored, and even though the Cowboys were losing he taunted before he got into the end zone and was penalized for it. No matter the situation, the Cowboys can’t stop talking. Brandon Aubrey missed a long extra point after Williams’ unnecessary penalty moved it back 15 yards. The Cowboys had a chance to get the ball back after that, but Dart found Likely for a pair of huge third-down completions to keep the ball and keep the clock running.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

USA TODAY

Jerry Jones was ‘nervous’ before Cowboys played Giants – he was right to be

Jerry Jones admitted to being “nervous” and “anxious” during an appearance on Dallas radio.

The Cowboys owner and CEO told 105.3 The Fan “my biggest concern is: Can we block them up?”

His fears played out over the next three-plus hours, as the Giants’ defensive front made quarterback Dak Prescott uncomfortable but did not dominate the game. That distinction belonged to the Giants’ offensive line, which bullied the Cowboys’ new-look unit under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. The entire team was flagged seven times in the first half (nine on the game).

Jones did not speak to the media after the game but was spotted heading for the elevators to exit MetLife Stadium.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys mistakes and missed opportunities doom them in opener

Dallas had seven penalties for 60 yards in just the first half alone. They would end up finishing the game with nine penalties for 90 yards. This included a taunting call from Javonte Williams late into the fourth quarter en route to a touchdown, leading to a missed PAT.

Paired with that, the Cowboys defense finished with five turnover-worthy plays but only walked away with a single takeaway. From forced fumbles that just bounced the wrong way to dropped interceptions, the Cowboys defense just couldn’t take advantage. On a night where the Giants moved the ball slowly yet methodically down the field, chewing up clock on the way to the endzone, this defense needed to finish when the ball was up for grabs. They just didn’t do that.

As mentioned earlier in the week, one of the ways that Dallas could lose this game was due to lack of defensive scheme experience and familiarity. This lack of experience certainly factored into the large voids left on the field by Cowboys defenders leading to multiple New York Giants touchdowns. These mistakes allowed the Giants offense to convert on third downs at a rate of 81%. This kept the Cowboys offense off the field for much of the second half.

The expectation for the Cowboys was to come into their division rivals house and knock them down. But Dallas found out the hard way that when you play an underdog like the Giants in their own stadium, the quickest way to lose is to commit untimely penalties, turn the ball over, and miss your opportunities at big plays. The Cowboys did just that, and now they will start the season 0-1.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE