Hogs Haven
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
The Commanders had a pretty successful run game under Kingsbury using those gap scheme runs, so why might Blough be looking to use more zone runs? Let’s break it down.
Personnel fit
The primary reason to switch a scheme, whatever that scheme may be, is to fit the personnel that you have. When you look at a running game, the most important consideration for scheme fit are the offensive lineman available. The Commanders have built up an incredibly athletic offensive line over the past few years. Laremy Tunsil, Josh Conerly Jr. and Sam Cosmi are all excellent athletes. If Brandon Coleman wins the starting left guard spot, he’s a good athlete too.
Why highlight that athleticism up front? Zone run schemes typically require more athletic offensive lineman that are able to get defensive lineman running sideline to sideline while also being able to climb up to the second level to reach linebackers. Bigger, less agile lineman struggle to do both of those things consistently, but the four lineman named above all excel in those areas.
Commanders.com
When is Malik Nabers coming back? Nabers’ injury that kept him sidelined for most of the 2025 season has taken longer for him to recover from than expected. The Giants still hope he can be ready for Week 1 in September, but head coach John Harbaugh said the injury itself was “not simple” and there isn’t a hard timeline for when he will be back in the lineup. What we do know is that Nabers was one of the most electric offensive players in the NFL in 2024 with 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. The Giants did a lot in the offseason to elevate the talent level around Dart, but getting Nabers back could turn their receiver room into arguably one of the better groups in the division. Of course, it will take time for him to get back to full strength whenever he does get on the active roster, but he will be a key piece to any success the Giants have this upcoming season.
Can Jaxson Dart protect himself? The Giants foresee a bright future for Dart, and the former first-round pick did plenty to get the franchise excited for him as their franchise quarterback. He had stretches where he was accurate with the football and only had five interceptions. He’s a threat with his legs, as he led the team in rushing touchdowns with 487 rushing yards. He also plays with reckless abandonment, which can be fun to watch but...
