Category: 2020 Regular Season

Twitter Reactions to Commanders declining Chase Young’s 5th year option

The reactions were all over the place regarding the Commanders’ declining Chase Young’s fifth-year option.

Chase Young was the 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year.

That season, the Ohio State rookie forced four fumbles, recovered three fumbles, ran one back for a touchdown, collected 7.5 sacks, made 42 total tackles, had 10 tackles for a loss and 12 quarterback hits.

However, in 2021, Young, in 9 games, did not resemble the player we observed in 2020. There were only 3 tackles for a loss and only 4 quarterback hits and a mere 1.5 sacks.

Then a horrible knee injury occurred against the Tampa Bay Bucs. He missed the remainder of 2021 and almost all of 2022.

There is no easy answer to what the Commanders’ decision regarding Young’s 5th-year option should be.

Here is some of the varied Twitter reactions to the Commanders’ decision.

A tribute to former Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke

Thank you for the last two-plus seasons, Taylor Heinicke.

Thanks for the memories, Taylor Heinicke.

Though undrafted and seemingly out of the NFL, living on your sister’s couch, you returned to the NFL one final time in December 2020.

Your limitations at times reminded us of why you were not drafted, yet your determination, intensity and commitment to be a loyal teammate inspired your teammates and the Commanders’ fan base.

Thank you for the 8-yard pylon diving touchdown against the Bucs in the playoff game of the  2020 season. Though you separated your AC joint in your left shoulder, it is your most-remembered play in Burgundy and Gold.

Thank you for having worked and prepared, being ready when starter Ryan Fitzpatrick went down in the 2021 season opener with his season-ending hip injury.

Though you struggled at times in the Falcons and Giants games of 2021, you manufactured the courage to lead game-winning drives against both opponents.

Thank you for the four-game winning streak after Washington was 2-6 in 2021. You played well enough making clutch throws to keep the chains moving in wins over the Buccaneers, Panthers, Seahawks and Raiders.

In the 2022 offseason, when the Commanders went out and traded for Carson Wentz and publicly proclaimed they finally had their quarterback, thank you for not sulking and becoming, in your own mind, some sort of victim, feeling sorry for yourself.

You came to work each day, and when provided your opportunity when Wentz broke a finger on his passing hand, you took the lead for a team that was 2-4 and led them to win five of their next six games.

When you struggled against the Colts in Indy, you regained your composure and converted some big plays on that final drive to defeat the Colts. Then you did the same against the Giants on the road, able to focus on the present and drive the team to their tying touchdown.

After being benched and removed from the opportunity to play against the Browns, you stood your ground to your head coach and informed him the best thing to do was play rookie Sam Howell in the meaningless season finale.

When we think of Taylor Heinicke, we will remember your limitations and your struggles. Even more, we will recall how you were able several times to overcome those limitations and lead your team to victory in the final quarter.

You were not a Pro Bowl quarterback for the Commanders. You were, however, a quarterback who never backed down from the situation at hand. The tight moments of games were never too big for you.

You were, after all, brought here to be the backup quarterback. They managed to always replace you. First with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz and finally, Sam Howell. Yet, you battled forward, and though the Commanders did not win big, you did lead them to win more when you were behind center.

We will never question your resolve, your competitive fire, or your desire to lead and inspire the Commanders.

Thank you, Taylor Heinicke; we wish you well.

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NFC East now realizes Jalen Hurts is the real deal

If you didn’t believe before, you should now: Jalen Hurts is the real deal.

If the NFC East was not convinced about Jalen Hurts, there is certainly no doubt now.

After a disappointing playoff game against the Tampa Bay Bucs, concluding the Eagles 2021 season, there was much press concerning Hurts playoff game.

However, Hurts rose to the elite tier of 2022 quarterbacks, serving notice to his divisional rivals (Commanders, Giants, Cowboys) he is the real deal.

His 2022 play saw him voted to his first Pro Bowl. The Eagles were 14-1 in the 15 regular season games Hurts started. (Yes, Hurts only loss in the regular season was that MNF home loss to the Commanders).

Hurts put up Pro Bowl-worthy numbers completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdown passes. All three were quite noticeable improvements over his first two seasons. His touchdown/interception ratio improved from 2021’s 16/9 to 22/6.

The Eagles offense, led by Hurts, made sizeable leaps from 2021 in passing yards per game (209.6/246.7), passer rating (87.2/101.5), and QBR (48.5/66.3).

Did you notice Hurts rushed the ball for 760 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, 50.7 rushing yards a game, and scoring 13 rushing touchdowns? Hurts was the NFL’s best dual-threat quarterback in 2022.

How did Hurts fare playing in his first Super Bowl? He completed 27 of 38  passes, including a touchdown pass, becoming the first Super Bowl quarterback to throw for 300+ yards (304), while also rushing for 70 yards and rushing for three touchdowns.

Hurts continues to surprise with his rate of progress in his three years in the NFL. His play in the Super Bowl was stellar. If not for his fumble being returned for a touchdown, he is the MVP of the game.

In one season, Hurts has unarguably climbed from the third-best quarterback in the division to, without question, the best quarterback in the division.

And to think, when the Eagles selected Hurts 53rd overall in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, they were heavily questioned as having wasted such a high draft pick, seeing they already had Carson Wentz as their starter.

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Will Scott Turner and Taylor Heinicke reunite again?

Could Taylor Heinicke follow Scott Turner to Las Vegas?

The Raiders hired Scott Turner as a passing game coordinator on Friday.

Wouldn’t you know it, Taylor Heinicke is now a free agent. You see, the two have worked together now three previous times.

Heinicke was getting no interest and was going to be undrafted in 2015.

Heinicke would have one NFL coach come to see him on his scheduled Old Dominion University pro day, and that lone coach was Turner.

Turner, the son of former Redskins head coach Norv Turner was coaching quarterbacks for the Minnesota Vikings. He had heard about this kid from tiny Old Dominion and his college career. Heinicke had passed for 14,959 yards, 132 touchdowns, 1,338 completions, on a sizzling 73.1 completion percentage, and 7 touchdown passes in a single game.

Heinicke indeed went undrafted but signed with the Vikings in 2015 and played some in the preseason, but was not on the active regular-season roster.

The former ODU Monarch was briefly with the Texans in 2017, appearing in one game, completing one pass for ten yards. Next, he again joined up with Turner, this time in Carolina in 2018, making one start and completing 35 of 57 passes for 320 yards.

Late in the 2020 season, when Denver lost three quarterbacks due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Turner (with Washington) connected again with  Heinicke and found him taking classes, staying on his sister’s couch.

Now three seasons later, Heinicke with Washington started 24 games for a record of 12-11-1. He passed for 5,415 yards on a 64.0 completion percentage. His touchdown/interception ratio has been 33:21.

Heinicke’s value might have gone up considerably, seeing Washington was 5-3-1 in games he started. Then again, he really struggled at times, and the Commanders seemed to win sometimes despite his inconsistent play.

The Raiders and Derek Carr seemed to be in a spat and are separated, looking to divorce. Will Turner’s influence and Heinicke’s availability result in the two reuniting a fourth time in the NFL?

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How were Commanders so convinced about Carson Wentz?

One former NFL executive asks what more did Washington need to see before trading for Carson Wentz?

How is it the Commanders were so convinced that Carson Wentz was worth the trade with the Colts last March?

Joe Banner of The 33rd Team and former Eagles president and Browns Chief Officer was asked about the Wentz trade Wednesday by Al Galdi on the “Al Galdi Podcast.”

Galdi inquired, “Am I correct in assuming you are not stunned that the Commanders’ trade for Carson Wentz did not work out?”

“At some point, you just have to believe what all the information is telling you. I just don’t know how in this particular situation (pauses). ”

“I mean, listen, let’s be honest. The Eagles are a smart team. They have done very well for a long time. They have had some ups and downs, but they have done well for a very long time.”

“They decided they would rather take a $35 million cap hit than even have him (Wentz) on their team. Now, this is a smart team that knows him very well. And by the way, they replaced him with somebody that was a total projection. It is not like the situation in Chicago, where if the Bears decide to replace (Justin) Fields, they would do it with the first selection in the entire draft.”

“The Eagles replaced Wentz with someone who maybe could be a good starter. He was a backup, and it at least made some sense. It seems he proved to exceed where he was drafted.”

“Then Wentz went to Indianapolis. For me, Chris Ballard is one of the top three to five smartest general managers in the business. So he had decided he was willing to take a $28 million cap hit than to have Carson on his team.”

“So, I don’t know what else you need. Hey, if you are not convinced by those two people who are smart, if you need any more information, just turn on the tape. The tape tells you very clearly why they (Eagles and Colts) came to that conclusion.”

“That is what I think happened with Wentz. All of the evidence was there, but for some reason, they (Commanders) looked at it and decided Path A made sense when the rest of us could see Path B is what really made sense.”

The Commanders gave up their overall 42nd pick, the 73rd pick in the 2022 draft and a conditional third-rounder (2023). The Commanders also agreed to pay all of Wentz’s 2022 season salary of $28 million.

In exchange, the Commanders received Wentz, the 47th overall and 240 overall choice. Those two choices became Phidarian Mathis and Christian Holmes, respectively.

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Julie Donaldson: Leading an NFL Radio Broadcast Team

Part two of our interview with Commanders senior VP of content and media Julie Donaldson.

Part two of Commanders Wire interview with Julie Donaldson, the Commanders senior VP of media and content. Part one was published Tuesday morning.

Having hired DeAngelo Hall to be the analyst for the Washington broadcast team, who was Julie going to hire for the play-by-play announcer?

The franchise possesses a storied history of talented PBP announcers including Frank Herzog (1979-2004), Larry Michael (2005-2019), and Steve Gilmartin (1964-1973).

Donaldson was immediately flooded with hundreds of applicants. She explained it is such a rare opportunity, a very coveted, esteemed job. “It was very hard for me. I did not have much time to make these decisions and the preseason games were quickly going to be upon us.”

Donaldson admitted that with Covid and the time restraints upon her for such major decisions, immediately upon taking the job, there were nights she did not sleep well.

“The PBP announcer had to be open to working with me, the first female in a full-time radio booth for an NFL team. He had to want to work with me. Donaldson conveyed this not in a proud, pushy tone. Rather it was one of admission of the reality of the situation. She had been named head of the department. Would a good announcer be willing to take the job and right away?

Bram Weinstein had worked at ESPN and WTEM in Washington. A lifelong Redskins fan born and raised in the DMV, he earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism at American University.

Yet, Weinstein had never called an NFL game previously, and the preseason would begin in one month! Weinstein, badly wanting the job, quickly watched games, practiced calling games and sent recordings to the organization.

There were other more experienced announcers wanting the job, but Julie knew Weinstein. She knew his passion for this football team. In her mind, he would be the right choice for this job, to broadcast for this team. She wanted him on her team.

The first 2020 regular season game, a home 27-17 win over the Eagles was a thrill and also intimidating, conveyed Donaldson. She discussed how for a decade she had reported on the team on camera and done many pregame and post-game shows, but this was her first live-game broadcast. And she was now the boss.

Donaldson understandably questioned herself, “Do I belong here?” She was also feeling the self-inflicted pressure of needing to do a good job, which can sometimes morph into wanting to do a perfect job. But of course, we all learn, that is not going to happen, and we need not put that unrealistic pressure on ourselves.

She expressed she had to remind herself of her extensive experience and trust that she could adapt to adding this new role for her in the booth. Donaldson and Weinstein were huge fans of the team and Hall was a former Washington player. “We all wanted them to do well. That first game was emotional for each of us.”

“Looking back, I was a little giddy as well. The quickest thing I had to learn after that first game was when it was not my turn to be talking, to shut up so listeners could hear Bram on the play-by-play. We needed to give Bram his time to call the play and wait our turn.”

“I heard the criticism, and that is okay. To ensure we are going to be a better product, I am always in favor of constructive criticism, and I hope I always am (in the future).”

To be continued: Growing the department, growing as a person

 

 

 

Remembering a 2020 Washington Monday Night football Win

Remember when Washington went on the road in 2020 and took down 11-0 Pittsburgh?

Here are the Eagles, the biggest favorite of Week 10 at 11 points over the Commanders. The Commanders go on the road up to Philly to face the 8-0 Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Interestingly enough, three of the last four NFL teams to get to 8-0 lost their next game. The 2018 Rams lost to the Saints 45-35. The 49ers were 8-0 in 2019 but lost to the Seahawks 27-24. Also in 2019, the 8-0 Patriots were clobbered in Baltimore 37-20. The Steelers broke the trend beating up the Bengals 36-10 in 2020 to go to 9-0.

In fact, that Steelers team made it to 11-0. How many of you recall what happened to Pittsburgh in their next game?  Well, the Washington Football Team went up to Pittsburgh on December 7, 2020, and handed the Steelers their first loss of the season, 23-17.

Washington entered that game 4-7 but had won its last two games, defeating the Bengals 20-9 at FedEx Field and then the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas 41-16.

So when Pittsburgh jumped on Washington 14-0 with two first-half Ben Roethlisberger touchdown passes, it seemed very likely that the Steelers would finish the night 12-0.

However, when Dustin Hopkins banged in a 49-yard field goal with 1 second remaining in the half, things changed in the minds of Washington players. They took the second-half kickoff, marched 82 yards for a Peyton Barber 1-yard run, and suddenly, it was a game. Washington now trailed only 14-10.

When the Steelers led 17-10 early in the final quarter, Washington drove 53 yards in 8 plays, with Alex Smith connecting with Logan Thomas from 15 yards, tying the game 17-17.

On their next possession, Washington drove 45 yards in nine plays, and Hopkins’ 45-yard field goal gave Washington their first lead at 20-17. Hopkins then added another 45-yard field goal for the final 23-17 margin.

Washington had won their third consecutive game and made it four consecutive, winning 23-15 the next week at San Francisco. On the final week of the season, Washington defeated the Eagles on Sunday Night Football 20-14 to finish 7-9 and atop the NFC East.

History may be on Washington’s side Monday Night. However, it will be a tremendous challenge to win this game in Philly. One thing for certain. the Commanders offensive line will have to perform MUCH better than the first Eagles game, a 24-8 rout by the Eagles at FedEx. On that Sunday, the Eagles sacked Carson Wentz 9 times, accumulating a mind-boggling 17 QB hits.

 

2020 Awards: Who was the MVP, DPOY and ROY for Washington this year?

Most Valuable Player? Rookie of the Year? Most Improved? We hand out 2020 awards for the year after a surprisingly successful season.

Now that we’ve had a full week to recover from the end of Washington’s 2020 season, it feels like a good time to look back and decipher what we really saw. A team that was given approximately a zero percent chance to succeed found a way to sneak into the playoffs, and they made it a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.

It was anything but predictable, and definitely frustrating at times, but all in all, it can definitely be called a success. Dealing with a new coaching staff and the ever-present threat of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington got back on the right track and started to build a strong culture. Here are our season awards for the year.

Washington’s secondary took major leap in 2020, ranks as 7th best in NFL

Washington’s D-line gets all of the headlines, but the secondary made a huge leap in 2020 and finishes the season ranked as one the 7th best unit in the NFL.

One of the biggest storylines for the Washington Football Team this past season was the improvement of the defense and the defensive line in particular. With the addition of rookie DE Chase Young and the emergence of DE Montez Sweat, the defensive front became one of the most dominant units in all of football and helped buoy Washington’s team as a whole into some new levels of success.

However, I don’t think we give the defensive secondary enough credit. While they definitely weren’t up to the level of the D-line, there was still a marked improvement in pass coverage this season, thanks to the additions of CB Kendall Fuller and CB Ronald Darby.

After being slotted as the 23rd best coverage unit in 2019, Washington took a major leap this past season, coming in at No. 7 in the Pro Football Focus secondary ranking this time around.

Ronald Darby led Washington’s secondary in his first season with the team, and he was wildly inconsistent — a trend throughout his NFL career. Darby allowed the second-most deep passing yards in coverage among all defensive backs (328), but at the same time, he led the league in forced incompletions (20).

In his return to Washington, D.C., Kendall Fuller played predominantly on the outside for the first time in his career. And it went quite well. He allowed only 0.84 yards per coverage snap on the outside, ranking 15th among 90 qualifiers.

Despite the high ranking, there are still some question marks to answer in the secondary this offseason, and a big decision to make for Darby. As someone who came to Washington on a one-year contract, Darby arguably played well enough to earn some big money on his next deal, but we don’t know if that will come from Washington or not. If Darby leaves, Ron Rivera could have a tough time finding a replacement, turning to Jimmy Moreland or Fabian Moreau, both of whom leave a bit to be desired at a CB1 position.

However, if Washington can either re-sign Darby or add another solid CB this offseason, there’s no doubt that they can be in the upper half of the league as far as secondary rankings go once again next season.

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Pick a storyline: Washington’s 2020 season is what memorable sports movies are made from

Whether it’s Alex Smith’s comeback, Ron Rivera’s battle with cancer, or Taylor Heinicke’s legendary debut, Washington’s 2020 season was ripe with storylines that could easily be turned into sports movies.

Now that the dust has settled a little bit and we can collectively start accepting the fact that the Washington Football Team’s 2020 season has come to an end, the time for reflection can start to begin.

One thing we often like to do in the American zeitgeist is blow things out of proportion, and make real events seem bigger than they were long after the fact. Whether it’s a historical event or the story of a person’s life, many times we see those tales taken to the big screen and made to be something that they weren’t, often for the sake of box office sales or Hollywood celebrity.

If there’s one thing we know after watching Washington’s 2020 season though, it’s that there are a number of storylines that could easily be transferred to the big screen.

Maybe it will happen one day, or maybe it’s all a pipe dream, but as an ode to what was an incredible season in Washington, here are some movie ideas that can be created from what we saw in Landover over the last several months.