Daily Slop - 29 Sep 24: Cardinals and Commanders each looking for an important win today

Commanders linksCommanders Wire Who will handle return duties for Commanders vs. Cardinals? Austin Ekeler and Jamison Crowder were both ruled out this week by Commanders' Head Coach Dan Quinn. Crowder was the primary punt returner for the 2023 team, while Ekeler has been the leading kickoff returner in 2024.

Even more, Ekeler returned the opening kickoff against the Giants in Week 2 for a touchdown; however, it was called back due to a penalty. Proving it wasn't luck, in Week 3, Ekeler took the second-half opening kickoff 62 yards.

With Ekeler and Crowder unavailable for Sunday, who will return the punts and kicks? Friday, when Quinn was asked about this by the press, here is how the head coach responded.

"Yes, (WR) Olamide (Zacchaeus) will be one. (WR) Luke's (McCaffrey) been getting back there. On the kick return side, we've certainly worked with J-Mic (Jeremy McNichols), Noah's (Igbinoghene) done that. So in that way, we are not going to replace Austin (Ekeler)."

Washington Post (paywall) The ultimate fan's guide for Commanders-Cardinals game day Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders look to keep rolling on Sunday when they meet the Arizona Cardinals. Here's everything you need to know for game day.

Injury reportCommanders: Defensive end Clelin Ferrell (knee), running back Austin Ekeler (concussion) and wide receiver Jamison Crowder (calf) are out Sunday. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., who missed the past two games after undergoing thumb surgery, was a full participant in practice Friday.

Cardinals: Defensive lineman Justin Jones was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Tight end Trey McBride (concussion) and defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga (knee) are out. Offensive linemen Kelvin Beachum (hamstring) and Isaiah Adams (thumb) are questionable.

About the Cardinals Arizona is coming off a 20-13 home loss to the Lions in which Detroit quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of 23 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals were 1 for 9 on third down and running back James Conner was limited to 17 yards on nine carries, his lowest total in 44 games with Arizona. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who missed last year's game against Washington while recovering from a torn ACL, is off to a strong start, with five touchdown passes and just one interception. He has a new favorite target in rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The No. 4 pick has 10 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns, including a 130-yard, two-score performance in the win over the Rams in Week 2.

Q&A with Theo Mackie, Cardinals beat reporter for the Arizona Republic

What's the Cardinals' biggest area of concern through three games against a tough schedule?

The Cardinals' pass defense has unsurprisingly been one of the worst in the league. Their best cornerback is Sean Murphy-Bunting, a journeyman who struggled last year with Tennessee. Their best pass rusher is Dennis Gardeck, a creative but undersized edge who has 17 sacks in seven seasons. Their linebackers are okay, but they have struggled heavily with quick passes over the middle. The talent just isn't there yet in Year 2 under General Manager Monti Ossenfort.

Commanders.com Five keys to Washington taking down the Cardinals

Head coach Dan Quinn already announced that Austin Ekeler, who is currently in the concussion protocol, will be out for Sunday's game. It's a serious blow to the Commanders' offense, as Ekeler is second on the team with 204 scrimmage yards.

As offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said during his Thursday press conference, though it's not possible to replace Ekeler's role, his absence could mean more snaps for some of the Commanders' other weapons.

Rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is one possible name to keep an eye on. He caught all three of his targets for 44 yards against the Bengals, including a 30-yard catch-and-run on fourth down in the first quarter that helped set up a touchdown. Kingsbury also mentioned McCaffrey as one of the players the Commanders "want to get them more involved and keep bringing them along."

Another could be Zach Ertz, who was also perfect against the Bengals with five catches for 38 yards. Ertz was one of Jayden Daniels' best targets in training camp, and he's currently second on the team with 128 yards. It's possible that Ertz will get even more looks with Ekeler out and could act in the running back's place on some of the screen plays that Washington's offense likes to throw.

The numbers behind QB Jayden Daniels' hot start in Washington Daniels has thrown 90 passes without an interception to begin his career. This is impressive, but he's not even halfway to the record set last season by Houston's C.J. Stroud, who attempted 192 passes before he was intercepted in Week 6. Dallas' Dak Prescott previously held the record at 176, having broken Tom Brady's mark of 162.

Daniels has completed 40.8% of his passes for first downs, fifth in the NFL. Since 2000, the highest percentage of first downs per pass attempt by a rookie quarterback is 44.1% by Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Stroud completed 37.7% of his passes for first downs last season, finishing 10th in the NFL.

Only one player ranks in the top five in first downs per run among qualified rushers as well as first downs per pass attempt: Daniels. He trails only Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (40.0%) by one half of a percentage point in first downs per rush. Jackson ranks eighth in first downs per pass attempt at 36.7%.

There's room for growth by Daniels as Quinn has pointed out — keeping his eyes upfield when he scrambles, hitting more big plays downfield. But the Commanders are confident those plays will occur more often, as he becomes more comfortable and continues to develop.

Sports Illustrated The Washington Commanders face off against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.

Q: What has the beginning of the season looked like for the Cardinals? It's been about expected, to be honest. The Cardinals improved their offense but still had some questions on the defensive side of the ball, and much like last year, they've fought hard in each game. The biggest transition is the health of Kyler Murray as a full-time starter, and though they're 1-2, they pushed the Bills and Lions to the absolute brink in their two losses while also flexing their muscles in a win against the Rams. It's been encouraging, though the Cardinals now need to learn how to squeak out tough/close games in the second year of the Jonathan Gannon era.

Q: What's something people should know about the Cardinals that cannot be found in a box score? The Cardinals are just outside of the top ten in team sacks defensively, but don't let that fool you: Arizona struggles to put consistent pressure on the quarterback. The Cardinals are without Justin Jones, Darius Robinson and BJ Ojulari due to injury in their front seven, and they're dead last in hurry percentage. Arizona also struggled to stop Josh Allen on the ground in Week 1, so containing Jayden Daniels will much easier said than done.

Podcasts & videos

Beltway Football: Cardinals PreviewCommanders.com PHOTOS | Practice in the desert Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders practice at Arizona State ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

NFC East linksNFL.com Eagles WR A.J. Brown (hamstring) downgraded to out for Sunday's game against Buccaneers Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the Eagles' bye week taking place after Sunday's contest, Brown also has a bit more time to recover from his injury now.

Bleeding Green Nation Key factors to the Week 4 matchup.

Big picture, the Eagles probably need to do a better job of managing Saquon Barkley's touches so that he's not burnt out by the time the postseason rolls around.

For now, though, they don't really have a choice. They've gotta lean on him. He's basically been unstoppable and it's not like the Eagles can majorly rely on their passing attack this week.

Barkley is primed to take advantage of a Bucs defense that's allowed 4.9 rushing yards per attempt this season. Only four teams (including the Eagles) have allowed more. The Bucs have been an especially bad tackling team with a league-high 41 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus .

Over the past two weeks, the Eagles have weirdly failed to get Barkley a touch on their first drive of the game. Cut the bullshit and give him the ball early and often until the Bucs prove they can stop it.

Britain Covey, arguably the best punt returner in the NFL, is on injured reserve. He said he thinks he'll miss at least six weeks.

Filling in for him is Cooper DeJean. The rookie defensive back was a threatening returner in college, average 13.1 yards and scoring one touchdown. His numbers would've been even better if not for another punt return touchdown that was questionably called back.

While we wait for DeJean's defensive role to grow, it'll be nice to see what he can show as a punt returner. With the Eagles' offense banged up, getting some points (or at least favorable field positioning) from the special teams unit would be a really good boost.

Blogging the Boys Even after win, Cowboys don't feel like a 2-2 team The Cowboys may have won on Thursday night, but they still feel like a team with a lot of issues.

Apologies to Bill Parcells, but in this case the record doesn't really tell the story about who the Cowboys are. Even in Thursday night's victory we saw Dallas make poor game-management decisions, fail to execute consistently on offense, and get worked by New York's passing. That opponent wasn't good enough to make us pay with a loss, but it doesn't change that Dallas' performance would've resulted in defeat against the majority of NFL teams.

Oddly enough, the Cowboys have won their two road games and lost two at home. Those victories were against two of the worst teams in the league right now. While Dallas bullied Cleveland in Week 1, thanks largely to several injuries across the Browns ' offensive line, they hardly looked dominant in New York. Even the lowly Giants could've won that game with better quarterback play and a more competent officiating crew.

Meanwhile, Dallas' home losses have been far more revealing. The Saints exposed the Cowboys' defensive weaknesses and negated their strengths with a smart strategic attack. The Ravens didn't have to do anything fancy, just overpowering Dallas with their run game and Lamar Jackson's athletic gifts. For the most part, both Baltimore and New Orleans did what they wanted when they wanted.

For the last three weeks, the Cowboys have consistently looked outcoached. When CeeDee Lamb isn't getting it done with his superstar ability, average defensive backs are able to shut down Dallas' other receivers because routes are predictable and uninspired. Defensively, the Cowboys just gave up 23 catches to New York's two most predictable targets in Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson.

Again, a better team than the Giants would've beaten the Cowboys Thursday night. And better teams are on the way with Pittsburgh, Detroit, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Philadelphia making up Dallas' next five opponents. Dodging a 1-3 record with this last win may have felt good for the moment, but nobody will care if Dallas is 2-7 by midseason.

NFL league linksThe Athletic (paywall) Russini's what I'm hearing: Caleb Williams is not Bryce Young; Kelce problems; Love, Willis or both? Before we delve into the latest updates on specific players and teams, let's address a hot topic buzzing around the league: The notion that the top of this year's draft class, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels, are mirroring last year's top two.

The many trusted decision-makers I spoke with from around the league made it clear: There are virtually no similarities between this year's top two and last year's, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.

To understand why, let's start in Washington. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and his Commanders staff have put together an offense that fits all of Daniels' strengths. They are giving him plays he's comfortable running, many of which we saw him run at LSU. That sounds simple, right? Give your quarterback plays he's confident executing. Yet, that doesn't always happen when teams are bringing along a rookie quarterback.

Kingsbury is also doing some of what he did when he and Kyler Murray were both in their first year with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019; you can see similar concepts. We have seen Daniels going on the ball and not huddling — this is done in hopes of shrinking the defense's playbook, as well as allowing Kingsbury a chance to get the rookie into the best possible play (Kingsbury can communicate via headset until there are 15 seconds left on the play clock).

I asked an offensive coach with the Commanders what they see from Daniels when it comes to game preparations. The answer was similar to what I was told about the QB during the draft process: his impressive ability to process information. It's been described as "remarkable" and a big reason he shined in the Commanders' "Monday Night Football" win in Cincinnati .

That brings us to Caleb Williams, who is also exceptional at processing information. He has yet to take off in a Bears offense that is a legitimate NFL system. Williams is being asked to play with structure and lots of patience, something he isn't used to doing. His ability to throw while on the move — specifically off-script playmaking — is his superpower and what made him a star at USC. Now he's being sped up by defenses and getting little help from mediocre offensive line play.

All of this is compounded. The Bears started the season doing more dropback and reading defenses, then last week against the Colts it was more run game and deeper play-action off of that. I would expect Chicago to continue to try to lean on the run game so that play-action opens up, then go quick game and get Williams on the move.

So yes, Daniels is playing better right now and Washington is helping support that, but we can't have short-term thinking with Williams and the Bears. They just need some more time to figure it out as Williams works toward mastering a true NFL offense.

In short: Caleb Williams is not Bryce Young. That's what I'm hearing.