Second year cornerback Trey Amos, largely expected to be a starter this year, has missed all of training camp as he recovers from an injury suffered last season. He\u2019s still not ready to play so we won\u2019t see him for a few weeks at least. That leaves Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson as the projected starting cornerback pairing. Both are undersized corners that profiled more as slot cornerbacks rather than outside cornerbacks due to their size. Sainristil has had some ups and downs over the past two years while Robertson is coming off a down year too.<\/p>\n
Behind them, Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau are two solid veterans, but neither were on the roster prior to training camp, so clearly they weren\u2019t part of the initial plan at the cornerback position.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s fair for fans to have some concerns regarding this unit as we enter the regular season. It could potentially hold back a defense that is extremely promising up front. So what can new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones do to help mask those weaknesses in the secondary? To find that out, first we must take a quick look back at last season, where the play in the secondary was terrible, but also not helped much by the coaching staff.<\/p>\n
New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is coming from a system in Minnesota where they also didn\u2019t have big names in the secondary, but they produced one of the best defenses in the NFL. So what did they do in Minnesota that helped cover up the secondary? Well let\u2019s start with the Cover-0 scheme.<\/p>\n
In preseason, we\u2019ve already seen signs that Daronte Jones can dial up these pressures in Washington.<\/p>\n
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n NFC East: Sizing up the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n Expectation for quarterbacks<\/p>\n Very high. Daniels has always been an accurate passer, but he looked even sharper throughout training camp. Offensive coordinator David Blough said he\u2019s as \u201caccurate as he\u2019s ever been.\u201d But his quick command of a new offense — how he handles the huddle, what he\u2019s telling teammates as they break it or walk to the line — has also been impressive. He remains a dynamic playmaker, capable of turning bad plays into explosive ones. Washington has surrounded him with his strongest cast of passing targets — having added tight end Chig Okonkwo and receivers Stefon Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams to pair with Terry McLaurin — in his three seasons with the team. — John Keim<\/p>\n How each team can win the division<\/p>\n Daniels tops his rookie season and the defense takes a major step forward. Washington\u2019s main offseason focus was improving arguably the NFL\u2019s worst defense in 2025, adding high-profile pass rusher Odafe Oweh and drafting linebacker Sonny Styles among other moves. The Commanders are longer and faster in the front seven. Also, Daniels is coming off his best camp of his three seasons. It\u2019s not far-fetched to see him topping his rookie year. But, of course, he must stay healthy. — Keim<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be surprised if …<\/p>\n Daniels reminds everyone he\u2019s capable of being a top-five quarterback and Washington is much better than people think. Of course, many think they will be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Commanders have holes. The offensive line is a question after losing All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil. If the line can be at least average — as it was two years ago en route to the NFC Championship Game — then the Commanders can surprise. An improved defense, especially the pass rush, needs to take a big leap to make the postseason. If Commanders don\u2019t have a good one, they won\u2019t surprise anybody. — Keim<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Why this season will get serious fast for the Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n General manager Adam Peters had this to say about Sunday\u2019s opener at Philadelphia:<\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more thrilled than to start our season where we\u2019re starting it,\u201d Peters said after he and coach Dan Quinn finalized their third roster together. \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be a great challenge, and we\u2019re looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Might be an odd way to think about playing an Eagles franchise that has won back-to-back NFC East titles and been to the playoffs in all five seasons of coach Nick Sirianni\u2019s tenure. But if Washington\u2019s season is going to be a success \u2014 and a success means returning to the playoffs after last year\u2019s 5-12 disaster \u2014 then it says here the Commanders are going to have to figure out a way to win at least one of their first two games, which are at Philly and at Dallas.<\/p>\n Consider that in the last 20 NFL seasons, only 65 teams have opened with back-to-back divisional games. Of those teams, just 10 went 0-2. Of that group, just one \u2014 last year\u2019s Chicago Bears \u2014 managed to put behind the miserable start against its biggest rivals and reach the playoffs.<\/p>\n Even more ominous: Of those 10 teams to start 0-2 with both losses coming against divisional opponents, five fired their coaches, four in midseason.<\/p>\n Five of the Commanders\u2019 first eight games come against 2025 playoff teams, including the home opener against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week 3. The second half \u2014 with just two playoff teams (Houston and Jacksonville) in nine games \u2014 might provide a chance to go on a run.<\/p>\n Resources have not been put into running back<\/p>\n The Commanders actually ran the ball fairly effectively in 2025, ranking fourth in the league in yards per game and fifth in yards per attempt. But 1,478 of their 2,290 yards on the ground last season came from players who are either on IR (McNichols), no longer play in Washington (Chris Rodriguez, Deebo Samuel, Austin Ekeler, Chris Moore), play quarterback (Daniels, Marcus Mariota) or some combination of those factors (Josh Johnson).<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Commanders vs. Eagles: 5 things to know for Week 1<\/a><\/p>\n Opening the season in Philadelphia<\/p>\n The Commanders and Eagles have opened the season in Philadelphia five previous times. Washington holds a 3-2 edge in those five previous road Week 1 meetings in Philly. The last time the Commanders opened a season in Philadelphia was in 2019. The Eagles won, 32-27, but that was Terry McLaurin\u2019s first career NFL game, when he caught five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Case Keenum missed a wide-open McLaurin on another potential touchdown.<\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s game will be the 12th time that Philadelphia and Washington meet in Week 1. The Commanders hold a 6-5 edge, including winning the last meeting in 2020, 27-17. Dwayne Haskins started under center for Washington and completed 17 of 31 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Peyton Barber scored two rushing touchdowns on that day, while McLaurin led the team with five receptions for 61 yards.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Week 1 should reveal how David Blough plans to divide the carries, passing-down work and short-yardage snaps<\/a><\/p>\n Offensive coordinator David Blough has praised [Bill Croskey-Merritt\u2019s] improvement in catching the football, but what matters come Sunday is whether he remains in the game next to Jayden Daniels when the team reaches an obvious passing down. If he does, that will tell you everything about his role and whether it has grown beyond simply being the Commanders\u2019 best runner.<\/p>\n The player who makes this conversation interesting is Rachaad White<\/a>, who was not brought in simply to take backup carries when Croskey-Merritt needs a rest. White\u2019s strength<\/a> is in his ability to catch the ball coming out of the backfield and accelerate upfield. While Quinn has mentioned White helping \u201con some third downs,\u201d that type of talk directly overlaps with the part of Croskey-Merritt\u2019s game Washington has spent much of the offseason developing. This is where the details matter: if White replaces Croskey-Merritt on third downs, Washington has a lead runner and a passing-down back. If Croskey-Merritt stays out there, his offseason development has changed the rotation.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Commanders\u2019 Jacory Croskey-Merritt is no longer playing with house money<\/a><\/p>\n Entering Year 2, Croskey-Merritt is no longer just a late Day 3 pick who turned into a sensation<\/a>. He\u2019s now the Commanders\u2019 primary rusher, and he\u2019s going to be held to the standard of producing like one.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll have to do it following a limited offseason.<\/p>\n Croskey-Merritt didn\u2019t play all preseason with a groin injury, which wasn\u2019t the first setback<\/a> he encountered over the summer. He\u2019s on track to play in Week 1, and he\u2019d better be prepared against the Philadelphia Eagles\u2019 vicious defensive front that features game-changers everywhere you look.<\/p>\n Jacory Croskey-Merritt\u2019s hard work over the offseason should bring significant rewards<\/p>\n On a positive note, Croskey-Merritt has also put on considerable muscle<\/a> this offseason. Concerns about his thin frame were among the reasons why he fell in the draft, and perhaps why he was trusted only in certain situations a season ago.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Why Dan Quinn made Washington\u2019s training camp harder in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Quinn says the team came close to getting two additional practices\u2019 worth of work in the same number of camp days compared with previous years. The idea was to introduce the players to more stressful situations by increasing the number of decisions they had to make and circumstances they had to work through before the regular season, not just by upping the amount of physical activity.<\/p>\n Since this offseason program focused on installing new systems<\/a> on both sides of the ball, the increased camp workload allowed the staff to gather a larger sample of information before building their weekly game plans. The extra reps gave players more opportunities to run through scenarios and work on communication and execution.<\/p>\n Week 1 will be the first real test<\/a> of whether that preparation pays off. Quinn believes Washington enters the season conditioned, experienced in the new systems, and accustomed to handling difficult practice situations.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Three new additions I can\u2019t wait to watch against Philly<\/a><\/p>\n [M]y eyes are going to gravitate straight to Amik Robertson. Coming off a solid stint in Detroit, Robertson has quickly become a fan favorite due to his work ethic, fierce play style, and classic soundbites. He backed up all that talk with a massive splash play in the preseason against the Lions, recording a strip-sack on the very first play of the game.<\/p>\n The Commanders brought<\/a> Robertson aboard on a two-year, $16M deal to solidify the secondary. With Trey Amos handling an outside role and Mikey Sainristril looking to bounce back, Robertson figures to be a massive anchor for Washington in the slot.<\/p>\n Robertson earned a reputation around the league in Las Vegas and Detroit as a hyper-competitive corner who punches way above his weight class. Last season, he put up 52 total tackles, two forced fumbles, an interception, and 9 pass breakups over 17 games. He doesn\u2019t back down from anyone, playing with a relentless edge that instantly upgrades the attitude of our nickel package.<\/p>\n In the slot, he will have a dynamic matchup against DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, or whoever kicks inside for the Eagles\u2019 passing attack. From everything we\u2019ve seen, Robertson is more than up for the challenge\u2014he famously locked down Justin Jefferson in one-on-one matchups during his time facing Minnesota. If he can stay sticky in man coverage on third downs and prevent easy conversions over the middle, he\u2019ll cement himself in D.C. real quick.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Stefon Diggs Signing Made Sense for Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n Notably, Diggs filled the need for another marquee target to take some of the burden off McLaurin.<\/p>\n Defenses will have a hard time doubling Daniels\u2019 go-to target with Diggs also in the lineup. That\u2019s going to be a problem when teams want to keep a safety over the top of McLaurin, who remains one of the NFL\u2019s premier vertical threats outside the numbers.<\/p>\n Diggs also requires special attention as a prolific playmaker from the slot<\/a>. His talent for winning on crossing routes will be a major asset to Daniels.<\/p>\n Diggs, McLaurin and Williams are an exciting trio of wideouts. Move-style tight end Chig Okonkwo and pass-catching running back Rachaad White only add to the targets at Daniels\u2019 disposal.<\/p>\n A supporting cast this strong makes some of the criticism of the way the Commanders have built the roster around Daniels misguided. The critics will also be proved wrong if a revamped defense playing a more creative scheme<\/a> eases the pressure on Daniels.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n The Athletic\u2019s season-long predictions and projections<\/a> \u201cThe best player in the world is coming off a serious knee injury and appears as healthy as possible for someone who is less than nine months removed from surgery,\u201d as one of our editors put it, which is the argument in favor of Mahomes, the runaway leader here. Many of our voters submitted their ballots before Aaron Donald announced his return; the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year also has an obvious comeback storyline, after two seasons away from the sport. Another intriguing option: Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year who was limited to seven games because of injuries last season.<\/p>\n Three of the four leading vote getters in last season\u2019s poll wound up losing their jobs before the playoffs began, so this list might not be a comfortable place for the guys in the corner offices. The clear leader this year, Jets coach Aaron Glenn, is only in his second season running the franchise. The second most common pick, Washington\u2019s Dan Quinn, is entering his third season. Todd Monken, who has yet to coach a game for the Browns, received a vote. Tough business.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n NFL Backup Quarterback Rankings 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Tier 1: The \u201cGet You Through a Month\u201d Backup QBs<\/p>\n If forced to start four games due to a starter\u2019s injury, these quarterbacks should be able to manufacture victories against their teams\u2019 weaker opponents, perhaps surprise a tough opponent, and generally hold down the fort until the starter returns.<\/p>\n 12. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders<\/p>\n Tyrod Taylor 2.0: a former competent-enough starter who has spent years as a somewhat-mobile, oft-injured backup. Mariota relieved Jayden Daniels multiple times last year before suffering an MCL sprain that forced the Commanders to turn to Josh Johnson.<\/p>\n (Johnson, currently unemployed and therefore unranked, would probably hover in the late 20s on this list.)<\/p>\n A fair question to ask: what would Mariota look like on the Texans, where 20 points are usually enough to seal a victory? And what would Davis Mills look like playing for a team whose defense cannot stop anyone, forcing him to throw 50 passes against the Broncos?<\/p>\n The answers: we don\u2019t know, it doesn\u2019t matter much, and the separation in quality between backup quarterbacks isn\u2019t all that great anyway. Mariota threw an overtime interception<\/a> to lose a 16-13 game to the Dolphins last year. That doesn\u2019t help his \u201cbad situation\u201d or \u201cheady game manager\u201d arguments very much.<\/p>\n Only quarterbacks who were on an active roster (not the IR or a practice squad) are ranked below.<\/p>\n 43: Athan Kaliakmanis, Washington Commanders<\/p>\n Having watched plenty of Rutgers football over the last two autumns, I cannot really explain this.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n The District Film Room: Jayden Daniels Under Center<\/p>\n Daronte Jones: Commanders DC from HBCU to NFL<\/p>\n NFC East preview | Breaking down each team before Week 1<\/a><\/p>\n With each NFC East team playing a division game so early, questions arise regarding the state of each team. If it hasn\u2019t already been observed while watching the Commanders over the past two seasons, it\u2019s worth noting that no team is the same from season to season. The smallest adjustments to a roster or coaching staff can cause the biggest changes, so let\u2019s take a look around the NFC East to take stock of what to expect from the division ahead of Week 1.<\/p>\n Philadelphia Eagles (11-6-0; No. 1 in NFC East, eliminated in Wild Card round)<\/p>\n While much of the Eagles\u2019 roster is the same, the offense experienced the most change in the offseason. Philadelphia parted ways with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who served in the position for just one season. Sean Mannion, who had stints as an NFL quarterback and on the Green Bay Packers\u2019 coaching staff, will take the reins and operate as a first-time play caller.<\/p>\n The Eagles\u2019 offense struggled<\/a> under Patullo, finishing No. 24 in total offense at 311.2 yards a game and No. 19 in scoring at 22.3 points a game. Standout running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for a career-high 2,005 yards on 345 carries during the 2024-25 season, was held to 1,140 yards on 280 carries last season. While a 1,000-yard season is nothing to fret about, the drop in Barkley\u2019s production under Patullo is just one example of the offensive issues the Eagles faced last season.<\/p>\n Mannion has a \u201cheavy influence\u201d<\/a> from the Shanahan coaching tree, according to the Eagles\u2019 website. That means the Eagles will likely shift to a more outside-zone run scheme with more play action and confusing pre-snap motions.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Eagles Film Preview: Commanders defense<\/a><\/p>\n Normally, I can watch around three recent games and get a pretty clear idea of what the Eagles will face. That isn\u2019t really possible here. Washington has a new defensive coordinator in Daronte Jones and has kept plenty hidden throughout the preseason, while the Eagles are also entering the season with a completely new offense under Sean Mannion. So this is less a traditional matchup preview and more an attempt to understand what Washington is building, which players matter, and what the Eagles are likely to see.<\/p>\n Daronte Jones and the new scheme<\/p>\n Jones is a fascinating hire as DC because his background includes many different influences. He has coached defensive backs for much of his career, was LSU\u2019s defensive coordinator in 2021, and has worked under coaches including Mike Zimmer, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo and, most recently, Brian Flores in Minnesota.<\/p>\n Odafe Oweh, K\u2019Lavon Chaisson and Joshua Josephs give them explosive edge speed, while Frankie Luvu and Sonny Styles can line up in multiple spots at the second level. Jones wants to dictate to the offense rather than simply react to it, and this collection of athletes gives him a much better chance to do that.<\/p>\n This could create some early problems for the Eagles because Mannion is installing a new offense. We know the Eagles want to use more motion, under center offense, and play action, but we don\u2019t know how comfortable the whole operation will look right away. Hurts could turn his back to the defense on a play-action fake, then turn around to find two defenders have dropped and the coverage has completely rotated. That is a difficult picture for any quarterback, let alone one working within a new structure.<\/p>\n To read more of this article, CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/temp-comeback-chart.jpg\"\/)
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