A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders & the NFC East
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A bloody good day for Dan Quinn’s Commanders
Hail: Special teams
Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. got things started with a 69-yard return on the opening kickoff that set up Washington’s first score. “It creates momentum,” said quarterback Marcus Mariota, who helped the Commanders capitalize on the excellent starting field position with a two-yard touchdown run five plays later. “It’s huge.” With the Commanders leading 20-10 early in the third quarter, rookie Jaylin Lane broke the game open with a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown. “I told them I just need one lane and I’ll make the rest happen,” said Lane, who couldn’t corral a pass in the end zone in the first quarter. According to the team, it was the first time since 1994 that Washington had a kickoff return and a punt return of at least 60 yards. Washington’s excellent return game more than made up for an up-and-down day from kicker Matt Gay, who made field goals of 46 and 56 yards but also missed from 37 and sent a kickoff out of bounds.
Hail: Revamped offensive line
After Chris Paul and Andrew Wylie replaced Brandon Coleman and Nick Allegretti at left and right guard in the starting lineup, the Commanders rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries. Jeremy McNichols had a team-high 78 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown that almost certainly will warrant a mention during Kyle Brandt’s weekly “Angry Runs” segment. McNichols took a hit from former Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn and then avoided the grasp of linebackers Devin White and Elandon Roberts before outrunning the rest of the Raiders’ defense en route to the end zone. Chris Rodriguez Jr., who was active for the first time this season, had 11 carries for 39 yards. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt had consecutive nine-yard runs on a scoring drive in the second quarter and scored his second touchdown of the season.
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, recovering from knee sprain, remains day to day
Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Monday that quarterback Jayden Daniels remains day to day in his recovery from a knee sprain that he suffered in Week 2, leaving his status for Sunday’s game in Atlanta uncertain.
“As we get into Wednesday, I’ll be more qualified (to talk about) practice and what we can hit on. He went through some things today, some more tomorrow and that’ll lead us up to Wednesday.”
Commanders.com
Hail Mail | What’s next for Luke McCaffrey?
— @LMCEnjoyer: Will LMC continue seeing more reps over guys like Chris Moore and Noah Brown?
It will depend on how he progresses this season. Brown is a starter when healthy, and Moore got more snaps than McCaffrey last week (33-21, respectively). It’s possible, but right now, I don’t think it’s likely that McCaffrey gets more snaps than either of those players if they’re on the field.
With that said, I like the trajectory that McCaffrey has been on over the last few months. He works hard and gives good effort on special teams. Those normally lead to more snaps, and he looked quick on his 43-yard touchdown. I know McCaffrey has fans who have been waiting for him to have a breakout game. They might need to be more patient, but McCaffrey is doing all the right things to eventually be a bigger contributor.
— @redzoneinthelab: Good morning, Zach! Do you expect Savage to start Sunday and/or get significant playing time?
This is an interesting question, because Darnell Savage being immediately plugged into the starting lineup goes against how the Commanders do business. For example, they signed two experienced veterans in Chase Edmonds and Preston Smith last week. Neither of them played because they need more time to learn the playbook and get adjusted to the scheme. There’s a plan for both of them, but that can’t be realized until they get comfortable in the system.
I expect the same thing will happen with Savage, although the current lack of depth in the secondary plus Savage’s familiarity with pass game coordinator Jason Simmons might force the Commanders’ hand. He might not start, but he could get a decent number of snaps just because they need bodies in the back end of the defense right now.
— @MadHatter_LJ: Do we expect Preston Smith to see action this Sunday?
I do believe there’s a chance Smith will suit up on Sunday against the Falcons, although I’m not sure how much work he’ll get.
On one hand, the Commanders can afford to sit him for another week if they can get another performance out of their front seven like they did against the Raiders. The Commanders racked up five sacks on Geno Smith and harassed him with consistent pressure throughout the afternoon. If they think they repeat that feat, it might be fine to give him more time to learn.
However, there is evidence to suggest the Falcons’ offensive line will provide stiffer competition. They’re currently seventh in pass block win rate with tackle Jake Matthews and guard Matthew Bergeron posting win rates of 96% and 97%, respectively. The Commanders might need as many pass-rushers as possible to keep the rotation fresh, and with 70.5 career sacks, Smith is one of the best active pass-rushers available.
A to Z Sports
The Commanders had several young contributors step up on Sunday
Trey Amos
Since the season started, second-round gem Trey Amos has been the best player in the Commanders’ secondary by a wide margin, and he’s shown why he should’ve been drafted in the first round. There has been a lot of hype around rookie running back Bill Croskey-Merritt on offense, but Amos was quietly the guy on defense all offseason, and he’s lived up to it on the field.
So far this season, Amos has only allowed four catches on nine targets for 41 yards, with four forced incompletions and a 58.1 passer rating when targeted as a rookie. Amos was only targeted once on Sunday, and it resulted in a pass breakup that was nearly his first interception. The sky is the limit for Amos being a lockdown corner for the Commanders.
A to Z Sports
Dorance Armstrong’s breakout season is loading
Dorance Armstrong has been off to a hot start in his second season with the Commanders, and we all wanted him to do one thing: get to the quarterback. Through the first three games, Armstrong has three sacks, 18 pressures, and 11 hurries. His 18 pressures and 25% pressure rate actually lead the NFL right now.
On Sunday, Armstrong finished with five tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss, and a quarterback hit to help set the tone on defense. A second season with the Commanders after coming over with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr from the Dallas Cowboys seems to be paying off massively.
Dorance Armstrong Quick Facts This Season
- Dorance Armstrong is one of only seven players in the NFL this season to have a sack in all three games.
- Armstrong becomes the third player in franchise history to start the season with a sack in the first three games, joining only Preston Smith and Matt Ioannidis.
- First time in his career that he has had three straight games with a sack.
Last season, Armstrong finished with 51 pressures, 10 sacks, and 33 hurries, and he’s on pace to clear that by a good margin if he can continue to dominate. The team needs youth to step up, and having a sure starter at an important position at only 28 years old will go a long way for the oldest team in the league.
Heavy.com
Ben Sinnott Solving TE Problem for Commanders
Dan Quinn has been waiting for a second-round pick from his first draft as Washington Commanders head coach to prove his worth, and that’s just what happened during the 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3.
It was backup tight end Ben Sinnott who had Quinn effusive with praise. The hype from his coach was merited because of how effectively Sinnott replaced the Commanders’ “secret weapon.”
He’s has been one of football’s best-kept secrets as arguably the best blocker at his position in the NFL, but John Bates was hardly missed against the Raiders. That’s because Sinnott helped dominate the line of scrimmage to key a rushing attack prolific enough to amass 201 yards, shared between a cadre of backup running backs with a point to prove.
Quinn credited Sinnott because “that’s the most he’s played and the best he’s played,” per ESPN’s John Keim. The latter also noted Quinn praised the way offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury “did a good job allowing Sinnott to use his speed to beat guys to the punch. Different blocker than John Bates in terms of how he should best be used.”
ESPN
Source: Commanders’ McLaurin seeks more input on quad injury
McLaurin injured his quad with 4 minutes, 47 seconds left in the third quarter vs. Raiders. He lunged for the end zone to try to complete a 57-yard touchdown catch and run, but corner Kyu Blu Kelly grabbed him as McLaurin twisted to the right side and dove.
McLaurin did not return to the game but remained on the sideline in uniform — and later jogged to the end zone after receiver Luke McCaffrey caught his first career touchdown pass to retrieve the ball.
Coach Dan Quinn said Monday that he would have more information on the injured players Wednesday, after allowing for doctors to treat them — or in McLaurin’s case, to get more information.
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Bleeding Green Nation
C.J. Gardner-Johnson released by Texans … but the Eagles seemingly can’t re-sign him
The Super Bowl winning safety is now looking for a new team after just three games with the Texans.
Also, it seems like the Eagles aren’t eligible to re-sign CJGJ even if they wanted to do so? If so, you can rule out a return to Philly that might not have been likely to happen anyway.
Blogging the Boys
After further review: Cowboys offense failed against a beatable Bears defense
Just about everything last week stunk.
The Dallas Cowboys are not playing good football. After two games where they flashed good play at certain points, the team went up to Chi-town and put together quite the stinker, as the Chicago Bears won handily, 31-14. It was a peculiar game because it felt like the Cowboys, despite playing from behind early, could still assume control, but things never improved for them. Instead, it got worse.
Not surprisingly, the defense couldn’t make stops. After forcing a three-and-out on the Bears’ first offensive sequence, Chicago proceeded to score on five of their next six possessions, four of which were touchdowns. The Cowboys’ offense, which looked like it might be able to keep up after they tied the game at 14, suddenly faded, never again putting points on the board. It was a bad display from both sides.
We could spend countless hours talking about how bad the defense was, and unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a clear solution coming anytime soon. A lot of the mistakes are attributed to players not understanding their assignments, and the continued breakdowns are being exploited by opposing teams. Expect this to continue until they can get some things figured out, but it certainly won’t happen overnight.
There were other instances where the players just underperformed. They just didn’t have the physical ability to hold up against their opponent.
In all, the Cowboys’ offense turned the ball over four times inside their own 30-yard line. The last two came when the game was already out of hand, but chalk up more instances where the Cowboys’ offense just couldn’t close the deal. If they keep doing things like this, it’s going to be an ugly season.
A to Z Sports
3 Giants head coach candidates New York should consider to replace Brian Daboll next season
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders OC
If anyone suggested hiring Kliff Kingsbury a year ago, they should have been rightfully laughed at. As the Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury was 28-37 but produced a promising 11-6 season in 2021. However, the hot start to Jayden Daniels’ career with Kingsbury calling the plays in Washington has proved he’s ready for a second chance.
One element that unlocked Daniels the most was Kingsbury’s background with college offenses. After failing as the Cardinals’ head coach, he had time to reflect on adjusting his approach. The adjustments helped spark one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history for Daniels.
One of the key focuses for the hire should be finding someone who has a clear plan for former first-round pick Jaxson Dart. Considering Dart’s production in Lane Kiffin’s offense, implementing college concepts would help him flourish in year two.
Upcoming opponent
The Falcoholic
The Falcons offense is broken, Week 3 film review: Tuesday Takes with Tre’Shon
The Falcoholic
Week 3, 3 up and 3 down: The Falcons offense spirals
There weren’t a lot of ups, but there sure were a lot of downs.
Michael Penix Jr.
It was a bad game, the worst we’ve ever seen from Penix (so far). Carolina confused the young quarterback with presnap looks, and his wide receivers let him down, but the quarterback has plenty of blame to shoulder. We don’t need to get into the details. You saw what happened; he was late, timid, and making decisions we haven’t seen before. You burn this tape after watching it and move on. This isn’t the time to bail on Penix; this is part of the process when you start a young quarterback.
There will be ups and downs, and if you overlooked that while building him up all summer, that’s on you. Growth is not linear, and this coaching staff needs to support their quarterback, but before you go blaming everything on this staff, remember that you can’t solve all your problems by firing them away. Ask CJ Stoud and the Texans how that’s going. Accountability goes both ways, and the quarterback has earned his critiques with his play.
Riggo’s Rag
Falcons quietly send ex-Commanders coach packing after Week 3 catastrophe
There was always going to be a scapegoat.
The higher-ups wanted a scapegoat from this unmitigated disaster. That left the Falcons quietly sending one former Washington coach packing in the game’s immediate aftermath.
The NFC South squad parted ways with wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard. He spent seven years in the same position in Washington, divided over two separate spells. Now, he’s seeking alternative employment once again.
Atlanta’s wideouts were way down their list of problems in Week 3. Penix was lackluster and unusually hesitant in the pocket, the offensive line couldn’t block anybody, the running game was stagnant, and the tight ends — Kyle Pitts Sr., in particular — failed to deliver. And yet, it was Hilliard who carried the can.
Position coaches tend to go first. If improvements don’t arrive, then the axe falls on the coordinator. Play-caller Zac Robinson is facing severe criticism following this abject failure. Morris stated that he’ll move from the booth to the sidelines versus the Commanders. Whether it brings about the improvements needed is another matter.
The Falcons will strive for improvements, but they are highly vulnerable.
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NFL Cools on Super Bowl Abroad As Vikings-Steelers in Ireland Looms
As fervor rises further around the notion of a Super Bowl held outside the U.S., the NFL is pumping the brakes somewhat on the idea.
The league will resume its record-setting slate of international games Sunday with a game at Dublin’s Croke Park between the Vikings and Steelers, marking the NFL’s first regular-season game in Ireland. While detailing that matchup, NFL EVP of club business Peter O’Reilly said an international Super Bowl is not imminent.
“We’re clearly focused on the near term with Super Bowls in the U.S., given the great demand on the great impact of those Super Bowls in the U.S.,” O’Reilly said in a teleconference.
The next three Super Bowls are set, respectively, for the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Las Vegas, the 2024 host, is actively negotiating with the NFL for a return in 2029. Beyond that, the forthcoming wave of new stadium development across the league will impact decisions for the early 2030s, and officials in Washington, D.C., are already eyeing a Super Bowl there after finalizing funding last week for a forthcoming Commanders stadium.
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Category: General Sports
