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Daily Slop – 21 Jan 25 – Dan Campbell: “If we bring our ‘B’ game, we’ve got a chance to win that game”

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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The Athletic (paywall)

Early Commanders-Eagles thoughts as the division rivals clash in NFC Championship

Daniels is him

Debate if you must, but there’s a strong argument that the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is already the NFC’s top quarterback amid a rookie season that is the best of the Super Bowl era.

That statement might not sync with Jayden Daniels’ uneven one-touchdown pass performance in the 26-18 loss at Philadelphia in Week 11. He was likely still battling a rib injury, and his single touchdown toss came with 28 seconds remaining.

In the Week 16 rematch, Daniels threw three of his career-best five touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the game winner with six seconds remaining for a 36-33 comeback victory.

Daniels delivered once more in Detroit for 299 passing yards and two touchdowns despite the crowd generating ear-splitting noise. Even if Philly fans declare him public enemy No. 1, don’t expect the kid to melt. He never does.

Hurts is hurting

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished Sunday’s 28-22 home win despite needing a knee brace after suffering an injury. Hurts was limited in the snowy conditions as the game progressed. Even with a fair assumption that he faces Washington, there will be concerns about his dual-threat potential.

Hurts left the second game against the Commanders in the first quarter with a concussion. He staked Philadelphia to a 14-0 lead before the injury. Kenny Pickett aptly replaced him, but the Eagles’ offensive potential dramatically slips without Hurts.

They will also monitor impressive rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who left the divisional-round game against the Los Angeles Rams with a shoulder injury.

Stopping Saquon

The Commanders have not done that in two meetings this season, putting them on par with the entire league. Saquon Barkley gashed Washington for 296 of his league-best 2,005 rushing yards and four of his 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Irony isn’t dead

Philly fans aren’t thrilled with Josh Harris. The NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers have yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs since Harris’ ownership group purchased the franchise in 2011. The Commanders reached the NFL’s version of the third round in the second year with Harris in control. Therefore, his NFL team possibly beating the Eagles in a stadium that shares a parking lot with his NBA team is a spicy backdrop.

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Jayden Daniels flourishes as Commanders beat Lions

Breaking down Jayden Daniels performance as he led the Commanders to an unlikely playoff victory over the Lions

Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels once again quarterbacked the Washington Commanders to an outstanding playoff victory, this time against the top seed in the NFC. The Commanders travelled to Detroit on Saturday to face off against the 15-2 Detroit Lions who boast one of the top offenses in the league. Daniels and the Commanders went punch for punch with the Lions and came out on top, winning 45-31 to send the Commanders to the NFC Championship game next weekend. There were a lot of big performances in the game, including five turnovers by the defense, but nothing quite stacked up to Jayden Daniels.

Daniels was simply sensational. He completed 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. He added another 51 yards on the ground to take his total yards to 350. He continued to demonstrate that no moment is too big for him. He showed confidence and poise, converting several key third and fourth down plays and finding various ways to beat the blitzes the Lions threw at him throughout the game. The Lions made a choice to go early and often at Daniels with blitzes and Daniels quickly proved he was up to the task.

While the Lions looked to blitz Daniels a lot in this game, they did occasionally try a change up, especially in situations where the Commanders would have been expecting a blitz.

On third and 10, the Commanders opt to spread things out with an unconventional personnel group. They have no running back on the field here. Tight end Zach Ertz is in the slot to the left, but he’s joined by four wide receivers. Terry McLaurin lines up on the outside to the left while Jamison Crowder is in the slot next to him. Dyami Brown is on the outside to the right with Olamida Zaccheaus in the slot to that side. The Commanders call a chains concept, with all five receivers working to the first down marker and breaking off at slightly different depths, trying to find a hole in the defense for Daniels to throw to.

With the Commanders using an unusual personnel group and working out of an empty set on third and long, the Lions opt to drop back into coverage and not blitz. They do use a simulated pressure, with linebacker Jack Campbell joining the rush from the left side of the line while the defensive end on the right side drops out into coverage, but it’s still just a four man rush. The offensive line picks up the pressure well and Daniels has time to try and work through his options. Naturally he works to his left as both of his go-to targets, Ertz and McLaurin, are on that side of the field. He appears to look to Ertz first, but recognizes that safety Kerby Joseph is rotating down from deep to match that route. So he progresses outside and finds that safety Brian Branch has shuffled inside, leaving Crowder in space outside of him.

Branch isn’t that far away from Crowder, but Daniels reads the leverage. He can see that Branch has opened his hips inside towards Ertz, so it would take Branch an extra beat to flip his hips back outside before being able to close on Crowder. That’s all Daniels needs to make up his mind and he quickly pulls the trigger. His efficient, compact release enables him to get the ball out fast and hit Crowder before Branch is able to flip his hips back outside. Crowder secures the catch and picks up the first down to move the chains and keep the drive alive.

It’s another throw that speaks to a great mental process from Daniels. He’s done an outstanding job this season making throws based on leverage of defenders. He’s not just looking at a receiver and seeing if that receiver has space, he’s reading defenders and seeing what their leverage is. If they are facing away from a target, like Branch was here, Daniels has been excellent and understanding that despite being close to his intended target, the defender doesn’t have great leverage and can still be attacked. It’s not something you see all that often from young quarterbacks, especially not rookies in a road playoff game against the No.1 seed.

Dan Campbell: “If we bring our ‘B’ game, we’ve got a chance to win that game”

The Athletic (paywall)

With shades of Magic, Jayden Daniels steals spotlight on wild NFL weekend: Sando’s Pick Six

Let us count the days since the NFL’s final four teams last tasted the championship round.

  • Kansas City Chiefs: 358
  • Philadelphia Eagles: 722
  • Buffalo Bills: 1,457
  • Washington Commanders: 12,062

It’s been a rough few decades for Washington, but with rookie sensation Jayden Daniels upstaging a star-studded field in the divisional round, the Commanders are back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since January 1992. That’s a span of seven presidential administrations and so long ago that this twice-renamed franchise’s 65-year-old minority owner, Magic Johnson, was still a month away from his final All-Star Game performance when the 1991 Redskins got this far.

Daniels is the fifth rookie starting quarterback to reach the championship round in the Super Bowl era while starting at least eight combined regular-season and postseason games, per Pro Football Reference. The other four got there with huge assists from their defenses and/or special teams. Not Daniels, whose production has helped overcome statistical deficiencies in those other areas so crucial to winning at the highest levels.


That places Daniels in another class among rookies. Brock Purdy, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger also reached the championship round as rookies, but…those quarterbacks played for teams that stood among the NFL’s top four in combined EPA on defense and special teams.

The Commanders ranked 24th this season, forcing Daniels and the offense to overcome. They did.

Commanders.com

Game balls | Standouts from Washington’s win over Detroit

Brian Robinson Jr.

It wasn’t a big secret heading into the Divisional round: establishing the run game would be key for the Burgundy & Gold to out a win on the road against a tough Lions team. Throughout the season, Detroit’s defensive front hadn’t been tested against the run as much as the stats may lead to believe. Plus, the unit was hampered by injuries.

Wanting to execute a game plan is one thing; doing it is another. And Washington executed in Detroit. Robinson was pivotal to the Commanders’ success on the ground against the Lions. In the first quarter, the Commanders’ leading rusher put defenders on notice with two strong runs for 15 and 14 yards, respectively. He gave Washington its first lead of the game less than five minutes into the second by churning his legs for a two-yard touchdown.

On the first play of the second half, Robinson signaled that the Commanders’ fiery first-half offense wouldn’t dwindle as he found a hole and ran for 14 yards. Robinson punched in his second touchdown in the fourth quarter and put Washington up by 10. It was Robinson’s second multi-touchdown performance of the season.

In addition to the two touchdowns, the running back finished with a team-high 77 yards on 15 carries. The Commanders needed their top rusher, looked for their top rusher and he did exactly what his team knew he was capable of in the win.

Commanders.com

Trent Scott makes his case to be starting RG in NFC Championship

Quinn and the Commanders are not going to reveal their full plans for how to replace Cosmi ahead of the conference championship. One of their options could be to use veteran Trent Scott, who stepped in for Cosmi on Saturday, as the starting guard. Scott handled himself well when called upon, and it may have been enough to prove that he can do the same against Carter and the Eagles’ defensive front.

Scott was in contention to be the team’s starting left tackle in training camp before Brandon Coleman gained a firmer grasp of the position. The team has found ways to use his skill set, though, as he’s played as an extra blocker in certain personnel formations. He also caught Jayden Daniels’ first touchdown pass in Week 3, when he came in as an eligible receiver on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Scott previously stepped in for injured teammates against the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers — both of which were as a tackle — but it had been a while since he had played guard. Quinn said Scott played scout team guard during practice to get him extra reps. The last time he played the position in a live setting was in 2021 for the Carolina Panthers.

Scott did well against the Lions, though, allowing zero sacks, hits or pressures on Jayden Daniels on 19 pass plays. He ended the night with a team-high 85 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Cosmi was the only Washington player to get a higher grade on true pass block sets.

The Commanders will take the week to weigh their options before Sunday’s championship game. They could use Michael Deiter, primarily the team’s backup center but has experience as a guard. It’s less likely, but they could also bump Andrew Wylie down to guard and put Cornelius Lucas at right tackle.

Regardless of what the Commanders do to maximize the talent available, Scott has made his case that he’ll be just fine if they decide to give him the start.

Upcoming opponent

Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles vs. Rams: 17 winners, 3 losers, and 6 IDKs

Highlight performances from Philadelphia’s Divisional Round win.

I DON’T KNOWS

JALEN HURTS

BGN’s John Stolnis already did a good job of fleshing out the Hurts discourse, so, make sure to check that out.

I’ll just say there was good and bad.

The good

  • Correlation isn’t causation but it’s hard to deny the Eagles simply win a lot with Hurts starting and finishing the game.
  • Hurts deserves credit for toughing out his injury and not missing a snap.
  • Hurts started the game strong by going 3/3 for 25 passing yards before ripping off a 44-yard touchdown run. Special play that not just any QB is capable of making. Especially the part where he used his strength to break through a tackle.
  • Hurts technically did not turn the ball over (though a safety is effectively a giveaway).
  • Hurts made a really good tight window throw to A.J. Brown on a 4th-and-4 in the fourth quarter.
  • Hurts would’ve had more passing yardage if not for DeVonta Smith getting lit up by a Rams defender who committed unnecessary roughness and two Brown drops (one for a first down and one that might’ve been a TD or at least close to it).

The bad

  • 65 net passing yards just isn’t very ideal. You can say the conditions weren’t ripe for throwing the ball effectively but the Rams had 291 net passing yards.
  • Hurts completed just one of his four attempts that went over 10 air yards. Not all his fault this week but the Eagles lacking big plays in the passing game continues to be a common theme.
  • Hurts took some pretty bad sacks. Not all seven were on him. But some of them were. Including the one that resulted in a safety that trimmed the Eagles’ lead over the Rams to one point. I agree the Eagles should’ve been running it in that situation but Hurts should still be able to at least get the ball to Goedert’s feet for an incompletion instead of taking that sack.

It’s impossible to say the Eagles CAN’T win with a limited passing game … because they clearly can! And they might just do it all the way to a Super Bowl win.

So, I’m not going to harp on the struggles too much other than to point out there’s room for improvement.

I don’t know if Hurts will improve, especially now that a knee injury might limit his movement.

But I’m not going to count him out.

THE EAGLES’ OFFENSIVE LINE

The Eagles’ offensive line paved the way for historical success on the ground: 34 carries, 285 yards, 3 TD.

But there were clearly some issues in pass protection. Again, not all of Hurts’ sacks were the QB’s fault.

The field conditions probably weren’t doing the Eagles’ pass protection unit any favors. And part of the Rams’ pass rush success is just about tipping your cap to a good defensive line.

But the Eagles are probably going to need to be better in the trenches to win [reach] the Super Bowl.

Bleeding Green Nation/SB Nation

NFL’s final 4 playoff teams, ranked by their chances of winning Super Bowl 59

Washington Commanders

To borrow a line from Geno Smith, everyone keeps writing the Washington Commanders off, but they have yet to write back.

When we ranked the 14 NFL Playoff teams ahead of Wild Card Weekend, the sixth-seeded Commanders checked in at number ten on that list. While that ranking did put them ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — who they defeated that weekend — they were the sixth of seven NFC teams.

When we conducted that very same exercise ahead of the Divisional Round games, they checked in seventh out of the eight teams.

Yet here they are, one of the last four standing in the league, and one of the last two standing in the NFC.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles might just be the most complete team left in the playoffs. This team has is able to morph itself to fit the situation and continues to find ways to thrive. The 2024 iteration of this team is based on two basic concepts: Have Saquon Barkley brutalize you on offense, and dominate the line of scrimmage on defense. It’s the new-old school NFL where running and trench work is supreme, and nobody is able to pull it off quite like the Eagles.

The big question mark around this team is what happens when (if) someone is able to stop Barkley? Jalen Hurts has had high points this year, but a lot of low as well. The quarterback hasn’t been nearly as successful as in past years as a passer, failing to reach 3,000 passing yards for the first time since being a rookie. A lot of that has to do with a change focus to the running game, but it’s still a bit of a worry if you’re a Philly fan.

This is now compounded by worries about injury, with Hurts getting banged up in the third quarter against the Rams and limping off the field. If he’s slowed that could be a problem.

Podcasts & videos

Rich Eisen: Why Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Is the Greatest Rookie Quarterback in NFL History

Keep Doubting Us!!! Recapping the WIN Over the Detroit Lions | Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL

Commanders at Eagles: NFC Championship Game Tale of the Tape, Key Matchups, and PFWA All-Star Snubs

NFL league links

Articles

The Athletic (paywall)

Sportsbooks breathe easier: Why Lions’ loss to the Commanders was ‘a win for the book’

In November, BetMGM trader Christian Cipollini told The Athletic in crystal-clear terms how the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl would be a huge problem for the sportsbook given the big money bettors stood to make with the Lions hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Most other books shared a similar sentiment, as Detroit’s hot start had attracted a multitude of Super Bowl futures wagers from fans eager to see the Lions pivot from their losing ways.

“[Detroit is], by far, our biggest Super Bowl liability and pretty much our only one at this point,” Cipollini said then. After the NFL’s divisional round, Cipollini and his peers are no longer losing sleep over the Lions.

The Lions were massive 8.5-point favorites going into their divisional-round matchup against the Washington Commanders, and bettors were not only laying the points with the team from Motor City but also taking them to win straight up and throwing them into multi-leg parlays. Unfortunately for Detroit fans and bettors alike, all those betting tickets got ripped up after Washington’s stunning 45-31 upset win Saturday.

“The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM,” Cipollini told The Athletic over the weekend. “On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders’ win also ruined the popular chalk moneyline parlay of Chiefs, Lions and Ohio State.”

Bettors were all-in on Detroit over the weekend. Out of the 210,000 bets tracked on the Lions-Commanders game by Pikkit Sports, a bet-tracking app that records the volume and value of sports wagers, there were only 1,774 bets recorded on the Washington moneyline.

“The Lions losing outright knocked out virtually every teaser and moneyline parlay that was placed for the weekend,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata — a BetMGM operation in Atlantic City — texted The Athletic on Sunday.