The Commanders Have Done A 360

Super Bowl favorites the Rams are the worst team in the league, MVP winner and runners up Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye are the worst QBs in the league, and it’s not even Sunday!

Petering out

On Sunday the Commanders backup offensive tackle will be either Esa Pole, who was signed to their practice squad after spending the preseason with the Chiefs; or Trent Scott, who the Commanders liked so much they cut him and signed DJ Humphries, who wasn’t in anyone’s training camp. At cornerback, Rasul Douglas, who was available in July, will start in place of injured Trey Amos. These are pretty important positions to leave to freely available players as primary backups.

The Adam Peters/Dan Quinn regime is 17-17, with a point differential of -1. If you want to include the playoffs, they’re 19-18 with a point differential of -16.

What is it you say you do here Adam Peters?

Since taking over after the 2023 season, the offensive line, even when healthy, isn’t significantly better. The running game still stinks. The defense still can’t stop the run, or the pass. After having the oldest team in the league in 2025, they head into 2026 with the… 6th oldest team. They have the 5th most salary cap space available. Poor drafting, lousy free agent signings, and bad trades brought them right back to where they stared: their fourth double digit loss season in seven years.

If this was the state of the Eagles I’d be pissed. 

Opening Moves

Nick Sirianni, far from everyone’s favorite head coach, has yet to lose a season opener, starting his career 5-0 in Week 1. It hasn’t always been pretty, the last four season openers were won by 17 combined points, and they’ve been outgained in three straight. But 5-0 is 5-0. He’s also 6-1 when he has a regular season or playoff bye/week off, with that only loss being his first Super Bowl. 11-1 with extra prep time is a hell of a record.

Media darling Dan Quinn, who has the best odds to be fired mid-season (again) is 3-5 in Week 1, and is 5-3 when his team has a regular season or playoff bye, for an 8-8 record when he’s got extra prep time.

LeOwner?

It is still unbelievable that LeBron James is a Sixer. It’s not a huge surprise though, Rich Paul was constantly talking up the Sixers as an option, and while for basketball reasons it made total sense, at least to me there’s another reason why LeBron would sign: his next job. Would anyone be surprised at all if after his Sixers tenure, unless it goes really badly, that LeBron becomes minority owner of Josh Harris’s teams? I don’t think there is some kind of Aspiration-type shenanigans here. If the Sixers season goes sideways LeBron can cut loose. But it’s Rich Paul’s job to think about what comes next for LeBron. Former Sixers star LeBron James turned Washington Commanders owner LeBron James would be weird.

College Football Watch List

12:00 – Oklahoma at Michigan

Slightly surprised the AP voters (correctly) dropped Michigan from the top 25.

Michigan EDGE John Henry Daley had a breakout season at Utah with 11.5 sacks that ended with an Achilles tear. He’s quick off the snap and has a good set of moves. But he’s also an older prospect, having done a two year mission before enrolling at BYU (then transferring to Utah and then following Kyle Whittingham to Ann Arbor). Interesting day two/three prospect. 

The Eagles like to take massive OTs on day three. They also like big guards. They’ve also had some luck with an Oklahoma RT. E’Marion Harris, who started his career at Arkansas as a guard, probably a day three pick whose size and versatility can be an asset.

7:30 – Ohio State at Texas

We could see this game again in the playoffs. All eyes will be on Arch Manning, but I’m more interested in his receivers.

Cam Coleman is the best WR on Texas and Ryan Wingo is potential day two pick. He’s got size and speed, but had issues with drops last year. 

Ohio State EDGE Kenyatta Jackson has a great physical profile but his pass rushing needs to improve to push him into the 1st round.