Over-confident Eagles fans expect easy win in season opener vs Commanders – Daily Slop

Sports Illustrated

The quarterback position will always rank near the top of the food chain, and with Washington, that certainly is the truth, as Jayden Daniels remains the player the Commanders can trust most to make the offense function.

Head coach Dan Quinn has been beaming over Daniels since the microphone came on and he was asked a question post-draft about his command and accuracy. The biggest takeaway this year is that Daniels, while he didn’t play much in the preseason, had more than 500 reps in camp, including two joint practice sessions (with Miami and Baltimore). New offensive coordinator David Blough, while keeping the offense as secret as possible, has gone on and on about Daniels getting greater control of protections and operating from the huddle.

While the room feels much deeper this season, Terry McLaurin is still the top receiver, although Stefon Diggs would make that argument interesting. Mix in rookie Antonio Williams and tight end Chig Okonkwo and the team should have multiple options for Daniels to excel with.

What moves the ranking:

Whether this ranking increases or decreases depends on several things this week against Philadelphia, including how Daniels plays in the new system, how well he does with more control and more time under center. Does he operate within the system, looking for the open man and getting rid of it when it’s the best option, or does he try to play hero ball the second the play breaks down? He’s ready to prove to the world that he’s elite at the position, but there are a couple of last steps before he’s there.

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Riggo’s Rag

the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft is gaining considerable hype regarding his bounce-back chances. And if Daniels returns to his old form, that could be a problem for the entire NFC East.

“Jayden Daniels can reclaim his place as a premier quarterback, and there’s considerable hype in league circles that Daniels will get back on track and be a problem for the rest of the NFC East.”

The NFL knows what Jayden Daniels can do, and he must remind them of that fact

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It was a case of out of sight, out of mind for Daniels. This is a tale as old as time around the league. But if he gets a better run of luck on the health front, it would be surprising if he didn’t have a major say in the season.

The athleticism, accuracy, poise, and intelligence are right where they need to be. Daniels is growing as a leader, with steely resolve and a natural aura that everyone seems to gravitate toward.

And in Blough’s scheme, which should be better suited to his skills, a season more in keeping with his exceptional rookie exploits is well within Daniels’ capabilities.

Everyone has to go through adversity at some stage. Daniels is no different, but last season’s disaster has only made him stronger.

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Sports Illustrated

Daronte Jones — Disguise can’t become a liability

Question: “You spoke about wanting to kind of keep the offense on edge a little bit, making them react to you guys as a defense. How does disguising coverages and making it look like one thing before the snap when it’s actually another thing after the snap help you guys toward that effort?”

“Yeah. Well, again, showing different looks is what we like to pride ourselves on, or try to anyway. But at the end of the day, we never want our disguise to become a liability. And so, you know, we don’t want to be statues in terms of just standing still and trying to paint a different picture. So the more that we, as a defense, can handle that, then the more we can grow in that way. And so how much of that, or how little of that do we see, that’s all depending on our personnel and how the guys feel comfortable. You know, the early part of the season, especially in a new scheme, guys want to just make sure, ‘I’m where I need to be,’ and that’s totally all right as long as they’re playing comfortable and fast.”

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My thoughts:

With the group of guys they have assembled, it should be interesting to see the product on the field. If they can get turnovers, ther

David Blough — Antonio Williams is “made for big-time moments”

Question: “You have a rookie wide receiver making his NFL debut on Sunday, Antonio Williams. Curious in terms of what you’ve seen in his progression over this past month that makes you believe he’s ready for this moment, and what type of factor can he be on Sunday?”

“Yeah, a lot of growth. I think since the first day we’ve had him, he has been a joy to work with, and you see kind of the eagerness to learn. And then as we’ve progressed throughout, him earning rep share, different things over the course of the time, he has not flinched in any moment. So, you know, similar to a lot of guys on our offense, he’s made for kind of those big-time moments, and we knew that when we were evaluating him. He has confirmed that hunch since being here. So we’re excited about him and his growth, and we’ll see where it goes.”

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My thoughts:

With the group they already have, if Williams can step forward and have a substantial season, the offense should really click in terms of moving the chains. It appears as if each receiver serves a different purpose, with a couple serving several.

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Riggo’s Rag

Jones will run something similar to what he learned from Brian Flores with the Minnesota Vikings. That will mean a lot of sophisticated blitzing and disguised coverages.

So many moving parts will demand quick thinking and adjustments from Luvu. He’ll be the voice of experience in the huddle, the player who rearranges alignments and switches in and out of play calls to keep the Commanders primed to execute Jones’ mix of pressure and deception.

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This new approach relies on creating confusion for offenses. It’s a more thoughtful brand of defense than the reckless abandon Luvu often played with during his first two seasons as a member of the Commanders.

Getting everybody lined up, shifting would-be blitzing defenders in and out of gaps, and resetting coverage will test Luvu’s mastery of the playbook. The Commanders are going to rely on the greater level of comfort Luvu has compared to top rookie Sonny Styles.

Commanders’ new defense faces ideal first potential victim

The Eagles aren’t short of talent offensively, but can they make their own new scheme work under first-year play-caller Sean Mannion? His biggest priority is getting quarterback Jalen Hurts back on track.

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A useful runner, Hurts remains erratic as a passer. He lost marquee wide receiver A.J. Brown to a trade with the New England Patriots this offseason, and the Eagles now want Hurts to treat rookie Makai Lemon like an alpha target.

Hurts is the ideal first potential victim for the Commanders to confound with their multi-layered blitzing.

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Commanders Roundtable

LB Sonny Styles Makes NFL Debut

Styles was drafted seventh overall as the leader in the middle of the Commanders’ defense. The former Ohio State Buckeye had a very successful college career that included a National Championship in 2024, and an All-American selection last year. Fans got a taste of what is to come in the preseason, but now the real games begin, and the expectations for Styles are very high. If his play comes close to his last season at Ohio State, he’ll be in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The transition from college to the pros is tough, though, and there’s no telling whether or not a rookie can make the adjustments needed. How will he respond playing in his first NFL game in Philadelphia, where the fans will make themselves heard?

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Hogs Haven

EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson

Both K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) and Odafe Oweh (calf) were limited during the practice week, so it’s possible one of both of them could be on a pitch count. Both guys must perform well with the snaps available, especially with Dorance Armstrong serving a one game suspension.

Chaisson finished the 2025 season (with New England) on absolute fire, showing an ability to get after and take down the quarterback. Operating at last year’s level will put added pressure on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and force game-changing mistakes, which Washington will need on Sunday, and Chaisson is the big-game player to provide them.

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Commanders Wire

“Especially from the offensive side, we got a lot of young guys, but a lot of talent too. So, being that you have that fire and that passion, you know, it’s being steered in the right direction. It’s a little bit of accountability on both of us too, like, just as far as like, even just come down to walking off the field. We pride ourselves on not doing that and holding guys accountable and being open, catching the ball, being a receiver. But it’s kind of being an engine of an offense, you know. You want to be the engine. You want to be one of the pieces of the engine at least, and you want to see that it goes well. So, it’s fun to play with him. He’s a hell of a talent. He’s a hell of a guy. It’s been a lot of fun. I look forward to it this season.”

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McLaurin and Diggs will be some of the top targets for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is looking to come back after his sophomore slump last year, which was severely affected by the various injuries he suffered. They will also be able to mentor rookie receiver Antonio Williams out of Clemson, whom Washington drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft.

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Sports Illustrated

SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan broke down this game in hisRoad to 272 Betscolumn, in which he picks each game every week:

While I still believe the Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC East this season, there are still some things they have to prove to me before I’m ready to lay points on them. First of all, can they find a way to replace A.J. Brown’s production at wide receiver with him now in New England? Also, I can’t mention the Bears’ record in one-score games without mentioning that the Eagles had an even better record in one-score games at 8-4.

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Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders have filled some holes on their roster and are much healthier than they were a year ago. They need Jayden Daniels to get back to his 2024 form, but entering this season healthy should go a long way toward doing that.

I’m going to take the points with Washington.

Pick: Commanders +5.5 (-108)

I unfortunately agree with MacMillan here.

Philadelphia tends to make things harder than it needs to be, especially early in the season, and Washington is going to come out hungry after last year’s divisional meetings.

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Commanders.com

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Take a look behind the scenes as the Washington Commanders prepare for their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles

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Blogging the Boys

BTB: Do you think there will be a jump up from Jaxson Dart this season? Are you confident in his play?

BBV: I do think Dart will take a step forward. Winning and becoming the best player he can be means a lot to him. That should go without saying for professional athletes, but there are a lot of guys in pro sports who are just collecting paychecks. Dart is not one of them. Am I confident in his play? Yes, but he is a second-year QB making his first Week 1 start. There will be mistakes.

To read more of this article, CLICK HERE

Big Blue View

A year ago I believed that the Giants’ roster was about to hit a critical mass of talent that would allow them to compete week in, week out, without needing to out-scheme their opponents or rely on lucky breaks to win. The results weren’t there, but I do believe the overall talent on the roster put the Giants in position to win more often than not. What I didn’t count on was a lack of accountability and attention to detail from the top down with the Giants’ coaches.

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This year, I believe the roster is stronger given the continued development of the 2024 and 2025 classes.

Ultimately, given all the unknowns in this game, I have to think it will come down to which squad is better prepared for Week 1. And while the Giants’ veteran coaching staff is barely mentioned at the national level, I think they’ve been methodical in how they’ve approached the start of the season. I’m going to trust their experience and clear vision to have the team ready to go on Sunday night.

I have no doubts that this is going to be a tough, hard-fought match-up. But I’m going with the Giants starting the season with a statement.

Pick: Giants

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Bleeding Green Nation

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.

[Note from Bill-in-Bangkok: Apparently unable to read a roster, BGN doesn’t realize that Pole and Scott are both practice squad players, neither of whom was elevated for this game. The primary backup at offensive tackle will be 9-year veteran and 2-time super bowl champion, Andrew Wylie]

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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.

[Another note from Bill-in-Bangkok: While starters have not been announced by the team, reports from camp indicate that the starting CBs are likely to be Amik Robertson and Mikey Sainristil. Douglas and Moreau will be primary backups while Trey Amos is on IR. Meanwhile, the Eagles just put their rookie TE, drafted in the 2nd round on IR to avoid the indignity of making him inactive today per…let me see… per Bleeding Green Nation]

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?

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Since taking over after the 2023 season, the offensive line, even when healthy, isn’t significantly better [BiB: ranked 13th in 2025 by PFF]. The running game still stinks [BiB: 4th in the NFL in 2025 per ESPN]. The defense still can’t stop the run, or the pass [BiB: New coordinator; Oweh, Omenihu, Chaisson, Cross, Chenal, Settle, Styles added to defensive roster. We’ll find out what they can stop this afternoon]. After having the oldest team in the league in 2025, they head into 2026 with the… 6th oldest team [BiB: Yes, significantly younger and faster, but still with veteran leaders; two oldest players are the punter & long snapper – positions that everyone knows require youth & athleticism]. They have the 5th most salary cap space available [BiB: 6th-most, but to know that, you have to be able to count]. 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 [BiB: reminder that not a single snap has yet been played this season outside of the addled brains of Eagles fans].

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

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Bleeding Green Nation

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The Eagles placing Stowers on IR means that the rookie tight end isn’t eligible to return to the active roster until after Week 4. The remaining tight ends on the team: Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, and E.J. Jenkins.

The timing of Stowers’ new injury is a bit curious since he told reporters on Friday that he expected to play.

Even if Stowers was healthy enough to suit up, it was widely expected that he would be inactive for this game as the fourth tight end on the team’s depth chart. The rookie struggled to make an impact on offense in training camp and preseason games … and he doesn’t exactly offer a special teams background (six total ST snaps over five years of playing college football). By contrast, the Eagles have talked up Jenkins’ ability to contribute in that phase of the game.

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And so now Stowers will avoid being a healthy scratch, which wouldn’t have been the most flattering look for him or the Eagles since he was a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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