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Riggo’s Rag
Commanders interviewed Dennard Wilson for their vacant defensive coordinator role
According to reports, the Commanders have interviewed Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. While the AFC South club struggled once again in 2025, the coach continues to bolster his reputation as an exceptional talent developer who can do more with less.
Several others are also in contention. Still, nobody should be complaining too much if Washington went down this route.
Wilson is a Maryland native. He was on Washington’s practice squad in 2004. He’s cut his teeth with the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He also learned under Mike Macdonald with the Baltimore Ravens before securing the job in Tennessee.
The Titans don’t exactly have high-class personnel on defense. Wilson helped turn defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons into an All-Pro. Young players have praised him endlessly for his sterling work in helping them reach their targets. This interview is also more evidence that Quinn may be aiming to hire someone outside his typical circle.
Washington needs some fresh ideas. Quinn needs a complete overhaul of the playing personnel, too. Wilson has a decent enough track record to make him a lively outsider for the job. And if he impressed enough during his interview with the Commanders, he may just go to the front of the queue.
Commanders Wire
Why Patrick Graham’s ‘light box’ defense is the perfect fit for Commanders
The Raiders’ defensive coordinator uses a unique four-man front that could unlock Daron Payne and allow Frankie Luvu to roam free.
[W]hat coach Graham has been doing, mostly with the Las Vegas Raiders, fits the mold of what I think we should see when we hear head coach Dan Quinn describe what the defense should look like in Washington.
So while we’ve been saying that a new flavor is needed to be mixed in with this current Commanders’ defense, Graham is setting a high bar to cross for others who might become the top candidate in this team’s search.
The ‘Light Box’ difference
About the only place we can point to Graham’s history as a defensive coordinator and say that it’s similar to what the Commanders have been doing already is the use of light boxes. To be clear, when we say ‘light box,’ we’re talking about the defense having fewer than seven total players in the immediate area of the offensive line.
[W]hile the Commanders paired light boxes with mostly three-man fronts (three defenders on the line of scrimmage with a hand on the ground), Graham and Las Vegas did it using four.
That one difference alone helped the Raiders control more at the line of scrimmage and allow their linebackers opportunities to make plays, whereas the approach in Washington led to several occasions where linebackers like Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were trying to overpower or escape blocks from guards and pulling tackles.
In his two years playing under Graham, for example, linebacker Robert Spillane racked up 148 tackles and 158 tackles in consecutive seasons, both far outpacing his previous career high of 79.
Graham’s system could benefit a defensive tackle like Daron Payne the most.
In the current defense, Payne finds himself wrestling with two offensive linemen at once. In Graham’s, he’d get more one-on-one opportunities, and guys like Luvu would find open running lanes more often because of it. A defensive tackle like Johnny Newton, who isn’t necessarily built to take on two linemen, would also have a better chance of becoming a three-down contributor in Graham’s system.
While Quinn is known for his affinity for the Cover-3 defense, a coverage plan that features three defensive backs playing deep, Graham has had much more success using two deep safeties to help keep a lid on opposing offenses.
When I hear Quinn talk about what he wants his defense to be, I envision a unit that is physical, plays fast, and isn’t afraid to go after the football. A four-man front that opens linebackers more and a two-man shell to allow more aggressive cornerback play certainly fits the bill. And from what I can tell, that’s the kind of system Graham would likely try to introduce to the Commanders’ defense, making him the first to interview that we know of, but also a tough act to follow for future candidates who may come around.
Riggo’s Rag
Brian Johnson could be the next to leave Commanders after being overlooked for OC job
Mark Bullock, who now covers the team independently after previously working for The Athletic, didn’t think assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson would be too happy about being passed over for someone who was assistant quarterbacks coach only a few weeks ago. That led the analyst to wonder whether he could be around when preparations for the 2026 campaign gather pace.
“[David] Blough is the first domino to fall here. I fully expect there to be more changes to the coaching staff. I can’t imagine Brian Johnson, for example, is pleased about being passed over for the job by the inexperienced assistant quarterbacks coach. He may look to leave and pursue other opportunities now.”Mark Bullock
Johnson has previous play-calling experience. He’s also worked closely with quarterback Jayden Daniels and was interviewed for the job. The Commanders went with Blough, presumably because other clubs — the Detroit Lions were among them — were looking to lure him away from Washington. And as Bullock stated, this is merely the first offensive staffing domino to fall in the wake of Kingsbury’s abrupt departure.
There is a simple decision for Johnson to make. Either he sucks it up and gets back with the program, or he decides that he’s not being appreciated enough and leaves.
Of course, the Commanders may take this decision out of his hands. Blough may have his own ideas for the staff.
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The Eagles host the 49ers on FOX
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles-49ers final score: Most expensive offense in the NFL puts up 19 points in home loss to worst defense in the playoffs
The Birds’ season is over.
19 points.
The most expensive offense in the NFL by far managed to muster just 19 measly points against the worst defense in the playoffs.
It’s not exactly like Vic Fangio’s defense played their A-game in this one but they more than carried their weight for most of the season. They at least produced two takeaways in the form of Quinyon Mitchell interceptions, allowing the Eagles to be +2 in turnover differential.
And yet a terrible, uninspiring, moribund, bland offensive performance doomed the Eagles in.
This performance wasn’t merely offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s fault. There were a lot of penalties and lack of execution (example: a Saquon Barkley third down drop). But it’s pretty difficult to argue that Patullo is part of the solution moving forward.
If you’re blaming Patullo, which is more than fair, you also have to blame Nick Sirianni. This was the head coach’s right-hand man since coming to Philly and clearly his pick for OC this year.
Sirianni also notably opted for a field goal on 4th-and-3 from the 49ers’ 15-yard line in the fourth quarter of this game instead of trying to go for a touchdown. They would be the last points the Eagles scored this season.
If there’s a silver lining to this loss, it’s that we don’t have to watch this entirely too frustrating 2025 Eagles offense again.
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Bills-Jaguars on Wild Card Weekend Sunday: What We Learned from Buffalo’s 27-24 win
Allen leads Bills to comeback road playoff win. Battered, bruised, knocked around, Josh Allen still answered the bell in the clutch. The reigning NFL MVP came in with a foot issue, and before the first half was over was checked for a concussion, injured his hand on a throw and had his knee twisted on a touchdown run. Nothing slowed the Bills’ Superman. Allen played a nearly perfect game, spraying passes all over the field. He completed 28 of 35 passes (80%) for 273 yards, 7.8 yards per attempt, with a touchdown for a 108.7 passer rating. The beast also added 11 carries for 33 yards and two rushing scores. With a questionable receiver corps, Allen fit the ball in tight windows with extreme accuracy. If not for a couple of dropped passes, his numbers would be even more impressive. In a wild fourth quarter, Allen was the best player on the field. Leading his first career postseason game-winning drive, the QB was magnificent. With a free-rusher in his face, Allen laid a ball perfectly to Brandin Cooks for 36 yards to put the Bills in charge of the final two minutes. With James Cook and the running game stuffed, Buffalo needed MVP Allen to carry the load. He delivered.
NFL Research: The Bills snapped the Jaguars’ eight-game winning streak with their wild-card win. That is the fourth opponent eight-plus-game win streak that the Bills have snapped since the start of the 2024 season, making them the first team in NFL history to snap that many such streaks in a two-season span.
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