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Washington Post (paywall)
Jayden Daniels is out again for Commanders’ game against Giants
Washington Commanders Coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday that quarterback Jayden Daniels has been ruled out ahead of Sunday’s road game against the New York Giants. For the seventh time this season, Marcus Mariota will start in his place.
Daniels was knocked out of the Commanders’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after getting blocked on an interception return and landing on his left elbow, which he dislocated against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2.
“[There were] no structural setbacks,” Quinn said. “However, through the medical evaluations over the last couple days, including this morning, the doctors advised us we hold him this Sunday.”
Quinn said Daniels will practice this week as a limited participant. Asked whether Daniels will play again this season, the coach said: “Let’s see where we’re at next week. We’re always going to make the best decision for him, for the team.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels hasn’t been what he was as a rookie, but there’s more to the story
Situational football — two-minute, four-minute, end-of-game situations, fourth downs (an 87.0 percent conversion rate!) — became Washington’s hallmarks because of Daniels.
Against the Chicago Bears in Week 8, the Commanders were 5 of 15 on third downs and had three failed trips to Chicago’s red zone. But no one will remember that. They’ll remember Daniels scrambling for nearly 13 seconds before throwing a perfect 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown for the win.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, the Commanders gave up 14 points in the first eight minutes. However, Daniels’ game-winning touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder in the final six seconds was all that mattered.
And against the Atlanta Falcons the following week, Daniels accounted for all but one yard of a 70-yard overtime touchdown drive, capping it off with a game-winner to tight end Zach Ertz.
But this season, Daniels has been knocked down from superhuman to average. He hasn’t eliminated Washington’s mistakes. He hasn’t masked their shortcomings or swooped in late as its savior with a mind-bending play at the end of regulation.
He’s also been hurt, playing with a rotating cast of receivers, a generally thin roster of playmakers and a defense that has often been a massive liability rather than a safety net.
Last season, he started all 17 games, missing only parts of two. He suffered a broken rib in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 and came out after the first half against the Dallas Cowboys in the season finale because of what Quinn said at the time was leg soreness.
This season, Daniels has suffered three different injuries — a knee sprain, a low-grade hamstring strain and a dislocated elbow — that have cost him parts of three games and the entirety of six others. After aggravating his elbow in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
That has led to a narrative that he’s “fragile,” and with four significant injuries in 24 regular-season games, there’s no denying that his inability to stay on the field has so far been an issue.
However, context matters.
The Ringer
Jayden Daniels is breaking himself
Daniels’s scrambling rate is up by 3 percentage points over last season. That’s a number Washington wanted to bring down after Daniels scrambled on nearly 13 percent of his dropbacks as a rookie. His scramble rate is up to 15.7 percent in 2025.
Now, if Daniels were doing a better job of protecting himself while running, this would be less of an issue. While the knock that took him out of the Vikings game on Sunday didn’t come on a scramble, he has been exposing himself to a lot of needless hits. According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels has slid just four times on 41 scrambles. I was able to fit all four of them into a 30-second video:
Daniels is protecting himself on one out of every 10 scrambles. Compare that to the other players who are in the top five of the league in total scrambles:
I’m not necessarily advocating that Daniels take fewer trips outside the pocket, but I would like to see the QB throw more often when he does escape. Only 39 percent of his out-of-pocket dropbacks have ended in a pass attempt this season, per TruMedia. That’s easily the lowest mark in the league, and only Justin Fields (45 percent) and Drake Maye (49 percent) are within 10 percentage points of him. The number was higher for Daniels last season, at 42 percent, so this issue seems to be getting worse.
Washington’s offensive line did a terrible job of protecting Daniels on Sunday against Minnesota, so he was on the move plenty, and I thought that there were a few instances when he could have gotten a pass rather than scrambling and taking a hit.
Riggo’s Rag
Javon Kinlaw urges Commanders not to lost faith in the bigger picture
Kinlaw remains immensely resolute amid Washington’s ongoing struggles. The former South Carolina standout thinks everyone’s focus remains on turning things around. He also promised that things will not be this way much longer, so critics should get their shots in while they can.
“Yeah, it’s been tough, but ain’t nobody wavering around here. It’s all about mindset, and I think our minds have been right this whole time, but sometimes you go through things for certain reasons. It’s cool. Everyone is going to kick you when you’re down, but we’re not going to be down for long. I can promise you that.”Javon Kinlaw via 7News DC
The Athletic (paywall)
Where do Commanders rank among worst post-conference championship seasons in recent history?
4. 2025 Washington Commanders: It felt like the Commanders could do no wrong in 2024. They had three different three-game win streaks during the regular season and finished with a 12-5 record in Quinn and Daniels’ first season in Washington. They made the playoffs as a wild card and snuck by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before dominating the NFC’s top seed, the Detroit Lions, in the divisional round, before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles a week later.
In 2025, it felt like everything went wrong for the Commanders. They were stuck in a significant contract dispute throughout training camp with star wideout Terry McLaurin. They got things resolved before the season, but McLaurin’s campaign has been a forgettable one hampered by injuries. Daniels is now in his third stretch this season of missing games due to injury. Veterans Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz also suffered season-ending injuries as the Commanders limp to the finish line with eyes on 2026.
1. 2001 Minnesota Vikings: The 2000 Vikings had a rough end in the conference title game, getting blown out 41-0 by the New York Giants, but it was a fun team that introduced quarterback Daunte Culpepper to the joy of playing with Moss and Cris Carter, along with prime Robert Smith.
The 2001 Vikings had a far different script. Franchise legend John Randle signed with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2001. Smith was forced to retire after his brilliant 2000 campaign due to injury. Offensive tackle Korey Stringer died of heatstroke in training camp. The team lost its season opener to the Carolina Panthers, which served as the only win of the season for the Panthers. Head coach Dennis Green was fired the week before the conclusion of the regular season, which the Vikings ended with a 5-11 record.
Commanders.com
4 takeaways from Marcus Mariota’s Week 15 press conference
Expectations for the tight ends.
Aside from Daniels, the tight end position is the biggest question for the Commanders’ offense. Zach Ertz’s placement on Injured Reserve leaves a void at the top of the depth chart that the Commanders will need to fill for the final four games. John Bates, Ben Sinnott and Colson Yankoff all have interesting traits, but none have shown anything resembling Ertz’s ability as a pass-catcher.
Mariota has faith in their abilities, though, and has high expectations for them on Sunday.
“Zach’s done an unbelievable job, I think, being a leader for those guys and setting the tempo,” Mariota said. “And then these guys just kind of all fall in line, so they understand what the expectation is, and they understand that there’s going to be more opportunities. I’m excited to give these guys a shot.”
ESPN
NFL Week 15 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips
What the 3-10 Commanders will do with second-year QB Jayden Daniels the rest of the season is a topic of some conversation around the league. They brought him back from a left elbow injury Sunday against Minnesota, and in that game, he hurt his left elbow again. Some have suggested resting Daniels for the remainder of a lost season in which he has already missed time with three separate injuries, though what the team and Daniels have said publicly so far indicates that he will play if healthy. We’ll see if the thinking changes.
There are people around the league who think Washington isn’t doing Daniels a lot of favors with the amount of no-huddle offense and the sheer number of plays the Commanders run in games, though that might be an outdated critique. Washington ran the fifth-most offensive plays of any team in 2024. This season, it has run the 23rd-most, but it also hasn’t been as successful on offense, so time of possession is way down, too.
Some also feel there’s a discussion Washington needs to have about how much it is exposing Daniels to potential contact with designed runs on first down. Daniels has the ninth-most first-down rushing attempts of any QB in the league this season despite playing only seven games. Over the past two seasons, he leads all NFL quarterbacks with 89 first-down rushing attempts. It’s a useful weapon in his arsenal, for sure, and he’ll need to continue to be able to run to be successful. But a leaner quarterback who came into the league with concerns about taking too many big hits might benefit from a change in philosophy, regardless of whether the Commanders shut him down for the rest of this season or not.
ESPN
What is one realistic offseason move that could help fix a fallen preseason favorite?
The Aiyuk-Washington connection makes a ton of sense. Speaking of the Commanders, it was shocking to me when they didn’t aggressively address pass rusher last offseason. As a result, their sack leader is Dorance Armstrong — who tore his ACL in Week 7 — with 5.5. Plenty of pass rushers should be available in free agency. But Washington could also identify rushers on rookie deals who might want a trade due to inactivity on a contract extension with their current team. The Jaguars’ Travon Walker, Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jets’ Jermaine Johnson are among players on expiring rookie deals who could be 2027 free agents.
As for Cincinnati, Dan, the Bengals need everything on defense except maybe a cornerback. Up the middle, there’s a need at every level (defensive line, linebacker, safety).
Podcasts & videos
Jaxson Dart + The Truth About the Giants Defensive Line | Film Breakdown | Washington Commanders
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Big Blue View
Giants injury news: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jamie Gillan not practicing
A number of New York Giants players were not on the field Wednesday as the team held its first full practice after returning from its Week 14 bye.
Not practicing were:
- DL D.J. Davidson
- OLB Victor Dimukeje
- P Jamie Gillan
- CB Nic Jones
- DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr.
- WR Gunner Olszewski
- G Greg Van Roten
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux has missed three games with a shoulder injury, and this news means he could be headed for a fourth straight.
The Giants on Tuesday signed veteran punter Cameron Johnston to their practice squad when news of Gillan’s injury surfaced.
Olszewski took a massive helmet-to-helmet hit while returning a kickoff in the Week 13 loss to the New England Patriots.
Running back Tryone Tracy, who suffered a hip injury in that Week 13 game, is “good to go,” per interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Full information on injuries and practice statuses will be available later.
More practice windows opened
Kafka on Wednesday announced that the Giants are opening the 21-day practice windows for offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu and wide receiver Beaux Collins. Ezeudu has been on injured reserve due to a calf injury with a designation to return all season. Collins has been on IR since suffering a Week 9 neck injury.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys have new outlook on late season primetime game vs. Vikings
For the final time this season, the Dallas Cowboys play in primetime on Sunday Night Football in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings. Remarkably, the Cowboys second straight primetime game and third big stage in a row when considering Thanksgiving versus the Chiefs still carries a lot of meaning towards making a playoff push despite last Thursday’s loss at the Lions. The Cowboys have the Eagles’ third straight loss on Monday night at the Chargers to thank for this.
We say all the time that the NFL is a week-to-week league. This has never been more true than a 2025 season that now finds the 6-6-1 Cowboys a game and a half behind the 8-5 Eagles. It’s been evident in the span of just over the last two calendar weeks, where the Eagles went from 8-2 with a 21-0 lead in Arlington against the Cowboys to now 8-5. The Cowboys going 2-1 over this 0-3 stretch by the Eagles is good enough to have them back in the NFC East race, even though the loss has many in the fanbase down on the team despite the two home wins on Thanksgiving week that had spirits high.
The reality of the Cowboys staying in NFC North play for this Sunday night’s return home versus the Vikings is that if the team wasn’t already in must-win mode against the Lions, they are beyond any shadow of a doubt now. Both teams will be experiencing the full force of how feelings change from week to week in this league. The Cowboys are off an emotional loss at the Lions with letdowns and blame to go around in all three phases, while the Vikings will be looking for a second straight win against the NFC East. Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak with a 31-0 win against the Washington Commanders in Week 14. It was only the Vikings’ second win in an eight-week window, where their only other win was at the Lions in Week 9.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles reportedly set to face their former backup quarterback in Week 15
Former Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett is likely to start against the Birds when the Las Vegas Raiders visit Lincoln Financial Field in Week 15.
Pickett is the Raiders’ backup quarterback but starter Geno Smith is unlikely to play due to a shoulder injury suffered in Week 14, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Is this definitely a downgrade for the Raiders? Smith has been pretty terrible; he’s thrown 16 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions for a 84.5 passer rating. Pickett completed eight of his 11 attempts for 97 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, and a 129.7 passer rating in relief of Smith against the Denver Broncos.
Of course, that’s a very small sample size. And Pickett’s success took place late in the fourth quarter with the Broncos already up by 17 points. Probably safe to say Denver wasn’t going all out to stop the Raiders at that point as much as they were playing prevent defense.
The much larger sample of Pickett’s entire career suggests he shouldn’t be much of a threat to an Eagles defense that’s coming off another strong game. Whereas Smith has thrown 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in 13 starts this season, Pickett has thrown 16 touchdowns to 14 in 25 starts over his entire career. The New Jersey native’s career passer rating is 79.9.
ESPN
NFL Week 15 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips
Some people around the league were starting to think the Eagles might draft a quarterback high in 2026 even before Jalen Hurts‘ four-interception performance Monday. The prediction from those folks: GM Howie Roseman snags a passer on Day 2, allowing Hurts to serve as the starter in 2026 while having a future starter to develop. “[The Eagles] will do to Jalen what they did to Carson Wentz,” one industry source predicted.
The Eagles know that their passing game struggles largely because Hurts has limitations. The reality is the 2024 season was an aberration because Saquon Barkley and a dominant O-line were breaking off big gains weekly, opening up play-action and downfield shots for the passing game. This isn’t the same offensive line, which means the Barkley gains aren’t as frequent. That places the spotlight on Hurts, for better or worse. We saw the good in glimpses against the Chargers — an 11-play drive late in the first half was run-heavy and set up a pair of 11-yard completions for Hurts. But the game featured Hurts in straight dropback situations often, and that can lead to problems.
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Pro Football Focus
The resurgence of the sixth offensive lineman: How NFL offenses are getting bigger in 2025
Formations with six offensive linemen are one of the hottest commodities in the NFL right now.
It ties in neatly with one of the broader schematic themes of the 2025 season. Offenses have realized that modern NFL defenses have become far too small, prioritizing speed over size when evaluating players in recent draft cycles. Now, they have the body mass advantage to punish this.
We’ve seen an uptick in heavier personnel groupings, with multiple tight end formations prominent among some of the league’s best offenses. To counteract this shift in philosophy, base defense personnel usage (four defensive backs) is on the rise for the first time since 2009 after 15 consecutive seasons of continuous decline.
However, no trend is more noticeable than the resurgence of plays with additional offensive linemen. They now account for around 7% of all snaps you see each weekend. For context, there have been more plays with additional offensive linemen over the past nine weeks of this season than in each of the last four entire regular seasons.
This year, we have also observed the most total six-plus-linemen plays over the first 14 weeks of any season since 2016. This isn’t just a trend the league’s offensive minds collectively cooked up last offseason. Instead, we’ve actively witnessed this movement growing throughout the 2025 season, practically week-upon-week.
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The Athletic (paywall)
The Eagles insist history isn’t repeating, but the echoes are getting awfully loud
Philly fans were already in freakout mode following their previous debacle, a dispiriting 24-15 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Black Friday, Monday’s misfire amplified the noise like a Jack White guitar solo.
The defending Super Bowl champs (8-5) have now failed to score more than 21 points for five consecutive games — their most impotent stretch in two decades. Their offense looks about as crisp as Timothy Ratliff after sampling his wife’s lorazepam in “White Lotus.”
Yes, many of the same players were part of an Eagles team that annihilated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX just 10 months ago. Even so, it’s beginning to feel a lot like 2023.
In that surreal season, the Eagles started 10-1 before suffering a blowout home defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, a game best remembered for a sideline skirmish between then-Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw and the Eagles’ longtime head of security, Dominic (Big Dom) DiSandro. From that point on, the season was a Big Bummer. The collapsing Eagles lost six of their final seven games, including a 32-9 thrashing by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs.
It was an inglorious end to a once promising campaign. This recent stretch of stench raises the question: Is this a bad sequel?
