The Commanders kept rolling without Jayden Daniels in Week 3, and Dan Quinn liked the way it happened.
Washington’s 33-31 win over the Seahawks came with David Blough handling the offense, and Quinn said the performance was “consistent” while praising the way the team stayed balanced. The run game mattered, the clock was managed well late, and the Commanders finished the job with two third-down conversions that helped seal it.
“I thought one thing that was consistent, that was good, I thought he really stuck with the run,” Quinn said, via CommandersWire. “And if we’re gonna be a complementary team, that’s not an easy group to do it against, especially with the interior of their group.
So, staying in that, I thought it was a big deal. And then at the end, I thought that was when David and Marcus really had their space to go.
Here’s a two-minute that, they really managed it well in terms of how we use the clock, get to the third downs, and then converting those two third downs, that was it. But in that space, I felt like that’s when, like, David and Marcus, you knew kind of what calls to expect almost based on where they’re at.”
In Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni still isn’t locking in a backup quarterback answer. After a costly interception in the end zone, Sirianni said he remains confident in the room and in Andy Dalton, even if the turnover stung.
“ You know, I have a lot of faith in both of those guys, ” Sirianni said, via PFT. “ Obviously, what happened in the game, we don’t want turnovers by anybody. . . .
We can’t turn the ball over. We did in that situation, and we lost points because of it.
But I still have faith in Tanner, in Andy, in how [rookie] Cole [Payton] is developing. I still have faith in that room.”
Elsewhere in the NFC, a report on SNY’s NYG411 pointed to tension around J.J. McCarthy’s time with the Vikings. Connor Hughes said he heard rumblings that McCarthy was unhappy with the way Sam Darnold played after McCarthy went down as a rookie in 2024, and that some “jealousy” surfaced in a way that reminded him of the Carson Wentz and Nick Foles situation in Philadelphia.
“I had heard rumblings, a lot of this, that when Sam Darnold had the season that he did after J.J. McCarthy went down, that didn’t sit particularly well with J.J. because J.J. was shaping up to be the Vikings’ starting quarterback as a rookie,” Hughes said.
“He had shown promise his first year, there were moments that looked good and then when he got hurt and was missing the season, and Sam took over, it wasn’t necessarily like, ‘I believe in Sam. Let’s go Sam.
Let’s go get it.’ It kind of reminded me a little bit of the Carson Wentz / Nick Foles situation in Philadelphia where there was some jealousy and that jealousy rubbed off on some teammates.”
Hughes added that things reportedly worsened once Minnesota moved on from Darnold and handed the job back to McCarthy, only for the offense not to immediately match what Darnold had done.
“When the Vikings decided to let Sam walk and roll with J.J. and it didn’t just immediately pick up where they left off with Sam, I think that started to deteriorate. J.J.’s a little bit of an eccentric person. He has rubbed people the wrong way at times because he’s a little unique and interested in different things,” Hughes said.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Huge Sunday Question As Injury Concerns Mount
The injury picture for Sundays game at U.S. Bank Stadium is getting cloudier for both sides, and the Vikings are dealing with one of the biggest names on the entire matchup report. Minnesota and Miami each released their second injury reports, and the list includes key players who did not practice as the teams worked through the week leading into kickoff.
Justin Jefferson is among the notable Vikings absences, while Dolphins running back DeVon Achane also sat out practice and is trending toward not playing. Several other players across both rosters were listed with limited or full participation, leaving a handful of availability questions still open as the teams head toward Sunday with more than a little uncertainty hanging over the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Pace Jr. Just Forced A Vikings Snap Count Debate
Ivan Pace Jr. has found himself in a tricky early-season spot, with his playing time trimmed as the Vikings sort through roles at linebacker in 2026. Even so, Week 3 against the Buccaneers was a reminder of why the team still values him. Pace made his presence felt in passing situations, flashing the kind of burst and disruption that has made him useful on third downs and on special teams, even as Minnesota continues to lean on newer options like Jake Golday for more overall snaps.
The bigger question is how the Vikings keep balancing Paces strengths with the parts of his game theyre still trying to protect him from. He has shown he can help change a passing series, but the coaching staff also appears intent on limiting his exposure against the run. For now, that leaves Pace in a familiar and awkward middle ground: too effective to ignore, but not quite locked into a full-time role, which is exactly the kind of snap-count debate that can linger deep into a season. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Are Already Reopening A Quarterback Debate Too Soon
Kyler Murrays second start for the Vikings offered just enough to keep the conversation lively and just enough to leave plenty unsettled. In the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he completed 15 of 29 passes for 168 yards with one touchdown and one interception, a line that reflected both the upside that drew Minnesota to him and the uneven rhythm that still comes with settling into a new offense.
Around the fan base, the discussion has already turned back to the quarterback spot, with some pointing to Carson Wentz after he guided the team to its first two wins. Murray is still in the adjustment phase, and the comparison many are making is to Sam Darnolds own run with the Vikings, where early uncertainty eventually gave way to more comfort. For now, the question is not whether Murray can flash, but how quickly the offense can become his in a way that quiets the debate. [Read more 🡒]