The Washington Commanders are on the road again this weekend, heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for a divisional clash against the New York Giants. It's a game that will have more implications for the 2026 NFL Draft than for the rest of this season. But it doesn't mean the Commanders shouldn't give it their best effort. A victory for head coach Dan Quinn's unit would bring Washington at least a momentary sigh of relief after what's been a horror show campaign,
Because the Patriots were not only excited to finally get to their bye week but also to show off on national television for the last time until the playoffs, they played with an edge against the Giants in a way that was indicative of a Vrabel-led team. That was particularly true of the defense, which was hitting hard all night and, in some cases, being penalized because of it.
Basically, Vrabel told us that his players understand they're going to get hit if they don't go out of bounds. And, for the most part, his words have been well-received. On the latest episode of The Pat McAfee Show, NFL legend JJ Watt chimed in on the conversation. "I think that the players love playing for a coach that says stuff like that and publicly goes out there and defends them. Phenomenal," Watt told McAfee.