Category: Latest Washington News

A positive stat from the Commanders offense thus far in 2023

Another positive stat showing Washington’s offensive improvement in one critical area.

The Washington Commanders were a mess offensively in 2023. Washington averaged 18.9 points per game, 24th in the NFL. The Commanders also were one of the NFL’s worst on third downs in 2022, with an average conversion rate of 35.2%.

A frequent complaint from Washington fans was the number of three-and-outs from the Commanders. Washington averaged 4.9 three-and-outs per game in 2022, per Stat Muse.

That lack of offensive productivity led head coach Ron Rivera to fire former offensive coordinator Scott Turner and turn the reins at quarterback over to young and unproven Sam Howell.

Eric Bieniemy, who won two Super Bowls as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, took over as Washington’s offensive coordinator/assistant head coach in February and has already had a profound impact on the Commanders.

Per Arjun Menon, the Commanders offensive three-and-out rate is way down through two games in 2023 under Bieniemy with Howell at quarterback. Washington is ranked No. 11 at 29%.

That’s a marked improvement for Washington. Yes, it’s early, but Howell is a major upgrade at quarterback over Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, and Bieniemy has tailored an offense to suit the personnel.

Yes, there’s a long way to go, but you can’t argue that the Washington offense is trending in the right direction with Bieniemy.

 

 

Bills coach Sean McDermott respects his mentor, Ron Rivera

McDermott faces his old boss for the third time Sunday.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has been one of the NFL’s most successful head coaches since taking over as head coach in 2017. McDermott’s .636 winning percentage as Bills head coach is the best in franchise history.

Before McDermott came to Buffalo, he was Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers for six seasons. Rivera and McDermott first worked together on Andy Reid’s staff with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2001-03.

Rivera, now in his fourth season as head coach of the Washington Commanders, has faced McDermott twice. Rivera’s Panthers defeated the Bills 9-3 in 2017, and McDermott’s Bills dominated Washington 43-21 in 2021.

After Wednesday’s practice, McDermott spoke to the media about Rivera’s influence.

“You try to take the best you see from those around you, and I’ve learned a lot by being around coach [Rivera], whether it be in Philadelphia for those years working under Andy Reid or in Carolina when I was working under coach Rivera,” McDermott said per Aidan Joly of WIVB 4.

McDermott praised Rivera, who won his 100th career game last week at Denver.

“He’s a great leader and a great head coach,” McDermott said. “He’s well-deserving of all the attention he gets.”

The Commanders have a chance to begin the season 3-0 for the first time since 2005 but face a stiff test in McDermott’s Bills, a legit Super Bowl contender.

When the Washington Commanders were last 3-0

Remember the Monday Night Miracle?

Well, of course, the “Commanders” have never been 3-0.

Neither was the “Washington Football Team” 3-0 in its brief two-year run (2020-21).

The 2011 Redskins were 2-0 after opening the season with home wins over the Giants (28-14) and Cardinals (22-21). However, they traveled to Dallas in Week 3 and lost 18-16 after leading 16-9 in the third quarter.

The following week, the 2011 team defeated the Rams 17-10, only then to lose six consecutive games, finishing the season with a very disappointing 5-11 record.

The 2007 Joe Gibbs (2.0) team was 2-0 but lost in Week 3 at home to the Giants 24-17. They finished 9-7, earning a Wild Card playoff birth before losing in the first round in Seattle 35-14.

We have to go back to the 2005 team as the last Washington team to begin an NFL season 3-0. Joe Gibbs was in his second season in his second term as head coach. Patrick Ramsey started at quarterback in the opener but struggled against the Bears, yet Washington defeated Chicago 9-7.

Mark Brunell and the Redskins offense was literally non-existent for over three quarters in their Week 2 Monday Night game at Dallas. Trailing 13-0, Brunell connected with Santana Moss from 39 yards, and it was 13-7 with 3:46 remaining.

On their next possession, Brunell and Moss again made sweet music, this time from 70 yards, and the Redskins stole the game from the Cowboys 14-13.

Their third game found Washington traveling to Seattle. The Seahawks scored in the last two minutes to force overtime. But Nick Novak’s 39-yard field goal provided the Redskins the road win and their last 3-0 start to date.

Will this year’s Commanders team make it to 3-0? They are at home Sunday at FedEx. There is increased fan support in the DMV since the ownership has been transferred from Daniel Snyder to the Josh Harris group. It is an announced sell-out. However, there will no doubt be many Bills fans in attendance.

Sam Howell has had his struggles, but he has also made several big plays in the first two wins of this season. The fan base is increasingly excited that Howell is showing signs he might develop into a long-term answer at quarterback.

The defense will have to rise to the occasion. They yielded 33 points to the winless Broncos last week, while the Bills destroyed the Raiders 38-10. Josh Allen enjoyed a career game, completing 31 of 37 passing attempts for three touchdowns and no interceptions and a 124.5 passer rating.

The Commanders have defeated the Cardinals and Broncos, who are a combined 0-4. After Sunday’s game against the Bills, we will have a much better gauge monitoring the Commanders.

Big news for the Commanders’ stadium hopes in D.C.

A good start for the Commanders in their quest to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C, but they still have a long way to go.

Finally, there is some positive news regarding the Washington Commanders concerning the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

On Wednesday, the Committee approved a bill that would extend the lease of RFK Stadium with the federal government to 99 years. The federal government owns the RFK site, and the current lease ends in 2036.

The Committee, with bipartisan support, voted 31-9 to move the bill forward, where the next step will be a future vote on the House floor later this year. So, while this is a big step forward, there remains a long way to go.

Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser was present and has been a major proponent of bringing the Commanders back to the District, where the team played its home games until FedEx Field opened in 1997. Since Daniel Snyder sold the team, Bowser has been outspoken about creating a mixed-use development in Washington that would create jobs and housing with the Commanders stadium as an anchor.

Bowser faces opposition, who believe taxpayer dollars should not be used to build a professional sports stadium.

Bowser released a statement after the hearing.

Not only does Washington want the Commanders, but so do Virginia and Maryland — where FedEx Field is located. Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin each attended training camp this summer in Ashburn, discussing why the Commanders should build their new stadium in their respective states.

Daron Payne, Logan Thomas miss Wednesday’s practice

Both were injured in Sunday’s win over the Broncos.

The Washington Commanders kicked off their preparation for Week 3 Wednesday with a pair of notable names missing practice.

Defensive tackle Daron Payne and tight end Logan Thomas missed Wednesday’s practice with injuries suffered in Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos. Thomas being out was expected after he suffered a concussion on an illegal hit in the end zone after a touchdown catch. Thomas was ruled out with a concussion and is in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Payne injured his leg late in the game and was helped off the field. As trainers looked at Payne, he quickly returned to the game, and there was no real update on his status.

Fortunately for the Commanders, it doesn’t appear to be serious, and the team is simply taking a cautious approach with Payne.

Rookie defensive back Quan Martin, who missed last week with a concussion, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

Here is Washington’s full Wednesday injury report:

  • TE Logan Thomas: DNP (concussion)
  • DT Daron Payne: DNP (ankle)
  • DB Quan Martin: Limited (concussion)
  • C Nick Gates: Full (knee)
  • RB Brian Robinson Jr.: Full (hip)
  • WR Curtis Samuel: Full (hip)

The Bills had four players miss Wednesday’s practice. Here is a complete list for both teams.

Bills QB Josh Allen thinks Commanders’ defensive line may be the best in the NFL

Allen knows what he’s up against on Sunday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has never played in Washington. He has played Washington twice — both times in Buffalo. In those two games, Allen completed 46 of 63 passes for 518 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. The Bills won both games by double digits.

The perennial MVP candidate leads his Bills (1-1) into Washington on Sunday to face the 2-0 Commanders. While many of the faces may be the same on defense since Buffalo last played Washington, the Commanders’ defensive front is off to a strong start.

In the Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos, Washington sacked Denver quarterback Russell Wilson seven times, hitting him 14 times, and pressured him countless times. Through two games, eight different Commanders have sacked the quarterback; seven of them are defensive linemen.

Defensive end Montez Sweat leads the way with three sacks. Fellow defensive end Chase Young returned to the lineup in Week 2, sacking Wilson 1.5 times.

“It’s one of the best groups, if not the best group in the league,” Allen told reporters after Wednesday’s practice.

“They’re all big, fast, powerful, explosive. They all can get after the quarterback, so, again, making sure we don’t let them take over the game because they have the ability to do that.”

The Bills began the season with a loss to the New York Jets as Allen was sacked five times and turned the ball over four times. He rebounded in Buffalo’s Week 2 win over the Raiders, completing 31 of 37 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

Sunday’s game at FedEx Field is sold out as the Commanders look to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005.

Commanders LS Camaron Cheeseman given another chance by Rivera

Cheeseman will have another chance to work through his recent struggles.

Camaron Cheeseman has survived … at least for another game.

A day after publicly voicing his concern over the lack of consistency in long snapper Camaron Cheeseman’s performances in the first two games, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is not yet making a change.

On Tuesday, the Commanders had five long snappers at the facility and took a look at each of them. A day earlier, Rivera had openly declared there would be long snappers coming in, and they would be gathering information on them. In other words, we are going to test them, work them, evaluate them, and determine which one we will contact if there is a problem against Buffalo.

Sure enough, just as he had implied, five men worked out today. They are sticking with Cheeseman against Buffalo with the plan to proceed further as needed.

Fans are impatient. That’s natural because they can simply talk, simply demand something be done without having to make an actual decision that has actual consequences.

Rivera doing it this way sends a message to Cheeseman that he is allowing him another week to work through his snap technique issues and that he wants him to master the issue and problem solve for himself, to keep his job. Secondly, Cheeseman gets the message that five guys worked out today. His job is indeed on the line. It’s up to him to keep his job or lose it.

It also sends a message to the team that Rivera is for them, hopes they learn from their mistakes, is not impatient, and is pulling for them to come through under pressure.

However, if Cheeseman does err again this week, costing the team a field goal in a close game, Rivera may then feel it best to send a different message to Cheeseman, a different message to his team.

 

Everyone is paying attention to Commanders QB Sam Howell

What everyone is saying about Sam Howell after Week 2.

The Washington Commanders are 2-0 for the first time since the 2011 season. One reason for Washington’s success is quarterback Sam Howell.

Remember this offseason how everyone laughed at the Commanders for going with a 2022 fifth-round pick at quarterback? Well, not everyone. It was almost as if some weren’t even acknowledging Howell because “how could a fifth-round pick turn into a legit starting quarterback?”

While Howell’s story has yet to be written, he improved to 3-0 as an NFL starting quarterback after Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos. Howell isn’t a game manager, either. Washington isn’t winning in spite of Howell; the Commanders are winning because of Howell. He’s made mistakes, including taking too many sacks, but his ability to shake off negative plays and respond is a unique trait only some of the best quarterbacks possess.

It’s far too soon to call Howell the Commanders’ franchise quarterback. But there are many reasons to be excited.

Several NFL analysts weighed in on Howell after his Week 2 performance against the Broncos.

NFC East goes 4-0 in Week 2

What a week for the NFC East.

The NFC East won all four of it’s games in Week 2.

The Eagles on Thursday defeated the Vikings 34-28. Sunday, saw the Commanders top the Broncos 35-33, the Cowboys roll the Jets 30-10 and the Giants come back to defeat the Cardinals 31-28.

  •  Commanders 2-0
  • Cowboys 2-0
  • Eagles 2-0
  • Giants 1-1

Commanders: Being down 21-3, Washington stormed back to lead 35-27 and hold on despite a Hail Marry as time expired by the Broncos. The Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has won each of his three NFL starts, Chase Young made his first 2023 appearance a good one and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy again displayed much confidence in the offensive personnel, calling for the ball to be spread broadly. Washington’s two new guards, Saahdiq Charles and Sam Cosmi, thus far are marked improvements over the 2022 starting guards Andrew Norvell and Trai Turner.

Cowboys: Dallas has outscored its first two opponents 70-10. The defense is intimidatingly good, and the offense dialed it back in the second half of both games, not needing to show much or risk injury. While Dallas was converting half of its 3rd-down plays (9-18), the Cowboys defense severely limited the Jets to a mere 1-10.  The dominant Cowboy defense accumulated three quarterback sacks and won the turnover battle 4-0.

Eagles: The Eagles’ pass defense allowed Kirk Cousins to pass for 364 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Yet, the Eagles won the game. How? Their offense was both explosive and efficient. Jalen Hurts finished 18 of 23 passing for 193 yards. D’Andre Swift rushed for a very impressive 175 yards on his 28 carries (6.3 yards per carry) for one touchdown and a long of 43 yards. The Eagles ran the ball and then ran the ball, generating 259 rushing yards on 48 carries.

Giants: New York found itself down 20-0 to the Cardinals. This meant that in six quarters, the Giants had been outscored by their two opponents 60-0. That is not a typo. But the Giants managed to generate a comeback in which they scored 14 third-quarter points and 17 in the final quarter to obtain their first victory of the 2023 season. Bouncing back from his horrendous Week 1 game, Daniel Jones completed 26 of 37 attempts for 321 yards, two passing touchdowns and rushed for 59 yards in 9 carries, including a rushing touchdown.

Commanders DE Montez Sweat is having a dominant start to the season

Micah Parsons of the Cowboys has been dominant, but don’t forget about Montez Sweat.

When the Dallas Cowboys dominated the New York Jets to improve to 2-0 Sunday, everyone was calling linebacker Micah Parsons an MVP candidate. The praise was warranted as Parsons has been unblockable through two weeks.

That’s not a surprise.

However, Dallas’ rival, the Washington Commanders, also improved to 2-0. While no one will say the Commanders are equal to the Cowboys, one of Washington’s defenders has been equally as dominant as Parsons.

Fifth-year defensive end Montez Sweat is playing on his fifth-year option in 2023. He can be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio predicted Sweat’s numbers could explode in 2023 if he finished a few more plays.

Through two weeks, Del Rio’s premonition looks accurate. Sweat has nine tackles, three for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, four quarterback hits and 11 QB pressures.

Parsons’ numbers are very similar to Sweat’s.

In Washington’s Week 1 win over Arizona, Sweat’s strip-sack and forced fumble flipped momentum to the Commanders and changed the game, leading to the game-winning touchdown. In Sunday’s win over the Broncos, Sweat had seven pressures and 1.5 sacks. It was also his first game back with Chase Young, who was equally as dominant as Sweat.

No one is disputing the greatness of Micah Parsons.

But maybe it’s about time the league started paying attention to Montez Sweat.