Category: 2021 Preseason

Ron Rivera continues to heap praise on rookie running back Jaret Patterson

Washington head coach Ron Rivera praised Jaret Patterson in his Friday and Saturday meetings with the media.

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Rookie running back Jaret Patterson was the star of Washington’s preseason Week 1 game at New England.

Patterson was even better in Washington’s preseason Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown while also catching three passes for 25 yards.

Patterson even made an impact as a kick returner in his lone attempt, returning one 37 yards.

After Friday’s game with the Bengals, head coach Ron Rivera was asked about Patterson’s performance, and he offered the following:

I thought it was solid. I really did. He’s an explosive, dynamic young back. We gave him some opportunities early on with the first bunch, and he did a nice job with that. And then when the second bunch was in there, 2s on 2s, I really thought he showed his ability. You’ve got to be able to do that consistently, so we’ll see.

Rivera was then asked a follow-up question if Patterson’s success through the first two weeks of preseason would change his role moving forward.

“No,” Rivera answered. “We feel very comfortable with the role we have for him.”

Does that mean the coaches are already confident in the role they see Patterson playing in the regular season? It sure sounded like it.

In Rivera’s meeting with the media on Saturday, he again discussed Patterson.

We were really were fortunate that one of our scouts, our northeast scout, Peter Picerelli, absolutely loved the kid. He hammered Martin (Mayhew) and Marty (Hurney) on him. We liked him but just listening to our scouts, then you really put the tape on and really look at the kid, and all of a sudden you think there is something there. We had a draftable grade on him.

It feels like every preseason Washington has an unsung running back win over fans with a couple of impressive performances. This time is different. Patterson can play and has a future in the NFL.

Washington knows what it has in Patterson and he will be on the team’s 53-man roster come Week 1.

 

Washington releases wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.

Steven Sims Jr. was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and looked to have a promising future before struggling in 2020.

The Washington Football Team has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trim its roster to 80 players.

Washington made its first move on Monday morning, releasing third-year wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.

Sims was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and impressed the former coaching staff throughout that season. He appeared to be Washington’s slot receiver of the future, at least according to then-interim coach Bill Callahan.

He caught 34 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown in 2019. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown that season.

Sims took a step back in 2020 under Ron Rivera and the new coaching staff. He appeared in 12 games and finished with 27 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown. His best performance, arguably, came in the wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he caught four passes and a touchdown.

Sims was also Washington’s primary punt returner in 2020. He struggled in that role, averaging 6.7 yards per return, and sometimes had trouble catching punts cleanly.

Sims didn’t help himself in Friday’s preseason loss to the Bengals by not coming up with a Kyle Allen pass in the second half.

Washington likely released Sims now to give him a chance to stick somewhere else before the season. Sims should be on someone’s roster as he proved he could play at this level.

Ron Rivera says draft status won’t determine final roster spots

In his Saturday meeting with the media, Washington coach Ron Rivera says draft status won’t determine who makes the final roster.

As the Washington Football Team prepare for their second round of cuts on Tuesday, head coach Ron Rivera met with the media on Saturday and talked about how a player’s draft status doesn’t necessarily make them exempt from being released.

“The only time it’s ever important is the first year,” Rivera said. “After that, you start looking at the guys who can help you right now. You really don’t want to cut a guy that you drafted right away, but you want to play the guys who give you the best opportunity to win. That is important.”

When Rivera said he generally doesn’t like to cut the most recent draftees, he’s likely meaning those drafts in the first five rounds. Players like Jamin Davis, Sam Cosmi, Dyami Brown, Benjamin St-Juste and John Bates are locks for the 2021 roster.

Long snapper Camaron Cheeseman is also essentially a lock, considering the position he plays. But for players like Darrick Forrest, William Bradley-King, Shaka Toney and Dax Milne, there are no guarantees.

As far as the 2020 class, obviously players like Chase Young, Antonio Gibson and Kamren Curl are safe. But what about Antonio Gandy-Golden, a fourth-round selection in 2020?

Gandy-Golden has had a good camp. Washington obviously likes him and he offers something most of the team’s other receivers outside of Cam Sims lacks, and that’s size.

If we are to follow Rivera’s comments from Saturday, Gandy-Golden is guaranteed nothing as far as the 2021 roster. He must earn it.

Washington must trim its roster to 80 players by 4 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.

 

Washington rookie report after Week 2 of the preseason

Here is our weekly rookie report, covering Washington’s rookies after Week 2 of the preseason.

The Washington Football Team picked up their first preseason win on Friday with a 17-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals to improve to 1-1 on the exhibition season.

It was another game where Washington’s rookies were featured heavily, especially its first five draft picks.

One of the Football Team’s rookies, tight end Sammis Reyes, did not play after entering into the concussion protocol last week. It was unfortunate for Reyes, who had a promising debut in the loss to New England, earning high praise from head coach Ron Rivera.

Now, we take a look at the performance of every Washington rookie from its preseason Week 2 win against the Bengals.

Washington linebacker Jamin Davis was better in his second NFL game

Rookie linebacker Jamin Davis took a big step forward in Washington’s win over the Bengals.

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When the Washington Football Team selected linebacker Jamin Davis with a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, fans immediately starting touting Davis as a defensive rookie of the year candidate.

No one cared that Davis was a one-year starter at Kentucky. Yes, he was outstanding in 2020, but there were no guarantees of immediate success for Davis.

Unfortunately, some fans were critical of Davis after his first NFL action in Week 1 of the preseason against New England. Davis wasn’t bad, but many were expecting him to make every tackle while he was in the game.

Relax.

In Washington’s preseason Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Davis was much better. He only played 17 snaps, but he was not only more active, but he was trusting his instincts more. Attacking the line of scrimmage instead of waiting. It was a small step, but it was encouraging growth.

Pro Football Focus recognized Davis’ growth, and his individual grade was much better this week.

It’s good to see Davis grow from one week to the next. Head coach Ron Rivera indicated last week that Davis would be fine once things slowed down for him.

Now, Davis is ready for the regular season.

 

Washington’s offensive snap counts from Week 2 preseason win over Bengals

Here is a look at the snap counts for every player on Washington’s offense.

The Washington Football Team picked up its first preseason win on Friday with a 17-13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

With Washington down one point in the fourth quarter, rookie running back Jaret Patterson scored from one yard out to give Washington its decisive points.

Washington quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played one quarter, completing seven of 13 passes for 96 yards. As a team, Washington had 70 offensive plays in its win over the Bengals.

So, who led the Football Team in snaps?

We look at the snap count for every player on offense, broken down by position groups.

5 takeaways from Washington’s 17-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals

The top takeaways from Washington’s 17-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Washington Football Team picked up their first preseason win of 2021 after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 17-13 on Friday at FedEx Field.

Washington played its starters through the first quarter, with Taylor Heinicke replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback at the beginning of the second quarter.

According to head coach Ron Rivera after the game, the coaching staff wanted to see a set number of plays from the first-team offense. Once they reached that number, Rivera brought in Heinicke and some of Washington’s other reserves.

Here are five takeaways from Washington’s win over the Bengals.

 

Washington defeats Cincinnati 17-13 in Week 2 preseason action

Washington picked up its first preseason victory with a 17-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Washington Football Team defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 17-13 in Week 2 of the NFL preseason on Friday.

Washington’s first-team offense got off to a slow start with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. There were dropped passes, Fitzpatrick missing a wide-open Adam Humphries in the end zone and a Cam Sims fumble that set up Cincinnati’s first three points.

However, Washington’s offense would settle down, especially once backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke came in. Heinicke completed 11 of 13 attempts for 80 yards. He also used his legs to make plays.

Washington’s star of the night for the second consecutive week was undrafted rookie running back Jaret Patterson. Patterson once again led Washington with 71 yards rushing and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 35 yards and returned a kickoff 37 yards.

Washington’s defense was outstanding, holding the Bengals to just 214 total yards, including only 103 passing yards.

Washington improves to 1-1 in the preseason and plays the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason finale next week.

 

 

 

WATCH: Chase Young is hyped watching rookie running back Jaret Patterson

Chase Young is hyped watching his friend, rookie Jaret Patterson, run wild.

Washington defensive end Chase Young and undrafted rookie running back Jaret Patterson go way back.

The reigning NFL defensive rookie of the year and Patterson have known one another since middle school and were teammates for one season in high school before Young moved on to DeMatha.

“Since middle school, we’ve been tight. That bond, we went to Pallotti together, experiencing the grind. It kind of just clicked. Even when he went to DeMatha, we were still tight,” Patterson said after signing with Washington, per Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington.

Patterson credited Young with putting a good word in for him with Washington when he was signed as an undrafted free agent.

In his NFL debut last week against New England, Patterson led Washington in both receiving and rushing.

So, what would he do for an encore in his first game at FedEx Field against the Cincinnati Bengals?

Patterson would carry the football 16 times for 71 yards with a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 25 yards. And, Patterson even returned one kick for 37 yards.

His longtime friend, Young, was loving it.

Patterson went from battling for a roster spot to media and fans now debating if he needs to play next week.

Washington found a gem in Patterson.

WATCH: Washington rookie Dyami Brown makes a big play

Watch Dyami Brown make a big play in the first half of Washington’s preseason game against the Bengals.

When the Washington Football Team selected North Carolina wide receiver Dyami Brown in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, many around the league regarded it as a draft-day steal.

In his preseason debut against the New England Patriots, Brown caught two passes for 16 yards.

During his college career at UNC, Brown was known for his big-play ability. In his final two seasons with the Tar Heels, Brown went for over 1,000 yards in each season, averaging 20 yards per reception.

In Washington’s Week 2 preseason home opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown didn’t waste any time showing WFT fans that big-play ability.

Washington quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick found Brown down the right sideline for a nice 29-yard reception.

Brown finished the first half with two receptions for 33 yards. It’s unlikely Brown sees much playing time in the second half with Washington wanting to evaluate other wide receivers such as Dax Milne, DeAndre Carter and Antonio Gandy-Golden.

Washington fans are going to love Brown.