Category: Latest Washington News

WATCH: Haskins TD to Inman gives Washington first lead of 1st quarter this season

Dwayne Haskins connected with Dontrelle Inman in the first quarter to give Washington an early lead over the Browns.

It took a couple of drives to get the job done, but a strike from Dwayne Haskins to Dontrelle Inman in the endzone put Washington up 7-0 over the Cleveland Browns, marking the first time this season that Washington has held a first-quarter lead over their opponent.

So far in the game, everything looks solid for Washington, with both the offense and defense clicking. Though the first offensive drive stalled out near midfield, Haskins connected with a number of receivers and got Terry McLaurin going, in particular.

On top of that, Washington’s defense was able to force two punts from the Cleveland offense, and Jonathan Allen came up with a big sack on third down to for an end of the possession.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

The return of Kendall Fuller couldn’t come at a better time for Washington

With Washington’s secondary faced with the task of bottling up Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, the return of Kendall Fuller is big.

Many Washington fans celebrated earlier this season when the team signed CB Kendall Fuller in free agency, bringing the long-time player back home to D.C. after he was traded away in 2018 as part of a deal that brought Alex Smith to Washington.

It was a joyous return, with hopes that Fuller could immediately lift the talent left of Washington’s secondary. However, through two weeks of the season, fans have yet to get the full Fuller experience, as the veteran has been relegated to the sideline with an injury.

Up until now, that is. It was announced on Sunday that Fuller will make his season debut against the Cleveland Browns, which couldn’t come at a better time.

It will be interesting to see how much of an impact Fuller will have on the secondary in Washington, a unit that has subverted expectations thus far, and one that will have a major task on their hands when facing both Odell Bekham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

Will Fuller immediately be able to step in and provide some relief? That’s the hope. After waiting patiently, Washington fans finally get to see their biggest free-agent acquisition in action. Let’s get down to it.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Biggest key for Washington is getting Terry McLaurin involved early and often

Washington’s biggest goal this week is to get off to a hot start, and they can do that by targeting Terry McLaurin right out of the gate.

The two stats listed above show you how incredible Washington receiver Terry McLaurin is with the ball in his hands, and also how incredibly mismanaged he has been thus far in Washington this season.

Standing as the team’s No. 1 offensive weapon, without a close second, it has been said week in and week out that Washington needs to get the ball to McLaurin and watch him go to work. We’ve seen time and again that he is able to put up big numbers when given a chance, but his lack of work early in the games can directly attribute to Washington’s propensity for slow starts this season.

If Washington is going to have any chance of beating the Cleveland Browns this weekend, they’re going to need to take advantage of a somewhat porous Browns defense and find a way to put points on the board. That starts with getting the ball to McLaurin, early, and often.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Troy Apke fined $5,447 for helmet-to-helmet hit in Week 1 vs. Eagles

Troy Apke was fined by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit that drew a flag in Week 1 win over the Eagles.

Washington safety Troy Apke is being fined by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit that took place in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Apke was flagged for the penalty after the play, and now further retributions are coming from the NFL.

Apke has been a familiar name for Washington fans this season, as his play so far through two games has been slightly disappointing following a stellar training camp that saw him take over as the starting free safety for the team. After a tough showing against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Ron Rivera came out and defended the young player, stating that he knows he can play better, but Apke was getting a lot of misguided hate from fans.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Must-watch Matchup: Chase Young vs. Jedrick Wills Jr. will be high entertainment

The No. 2 and No. 10 overall picks will go against each other this week when Washington visits Cleveland, which figures to be entertaining.

No. 2 overall pick vs. No. 10 overall pick. Defensive end vs. left tackle. Franchise pass-rusher vs. franchise pass-blocker. Any way you look at it. watching Chase Young go up against Jedrick Wills Jr. on Sunday is going to be extremely fun, with both teams likely feeling confident that their player can get the better of the other.

[lawrence-related id=41631]

Through two weeks this season, we’ve seen Young quickly rise to the top of Washington’s formidable offensive line, where he leads the team in sacks (2.5), which is also tied for the league-high. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the highest-graded rookie with an 81.1 overall grade, and his eight pressures are the most among any player in his draft class.

On the other side of the ball, Wills has stepped right into the starting spot on Cleveland’s offense, where he has performed well thus far, with a 66.4 overall grade, which is fourth among rookie offensive linemen. Through 59 pass-blocking attempts, Wills has only allowed three pressures, with one sack given up.

So who will get the better of the battle on Sunday when these two line up against each other? The numbers definitely favor Washington’s young superstar, but it will be an entertaining matchup, nonetheless.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Washington signs LB Jordan Kunaszyk to PS, brings in LB Nigel Harris for workout

Washington has added a former UDFA, Jordan Kunaszyk, to the practice squad, who played on Ron RIvera’s panthers a year ago.

The Washington Football Team has made a roster move on Saturday, signing LB Jordan Kunasyzk to the practice squad for the foreseeable future. Kunasyzk came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, when Ron Rivera’s Carolina Panthers signed him and played him in a total of nine games. The former Cal Golden Bear — which is also where Rivera played in college — had a total of seven tackles in his rookie season.

Washington also brought in LB Nigel Harris for a practice, according to Tom Pelissero, from NFL Network. It’s obvious that Washington is focussed on adding linebacker depth to their roster, which doesn’t bode well for Cole Holcombs nagging injury that has kept him sidelined for much of this season.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Terry McLaurin leads NFL in both yards after catch, forced missed tackles

A vintage McLaurin performance in Week 2 against the Cardinals has the young WR ranked among the top of the NFL in some key categories.

[jwplayer XGQeKGws-ThvAeFxT]

Had you gone an hour yet without reminding yourself that Washington’s second-year wide receiver Terry McLaurin is really good at football? Well, it is our job to keep you aware, though he’s done a pretty stellar job of doing that himself so far this year.

Coming off of an incredible performance against the Arizona Cardinals last week, where he had seven receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown, McLaurin reminded everyone that he is among the best young receivers in the game, and what he can do with the ball after the catch is remarkable. According to Pro Football Focus, McLaurin ranks first in the league for YAC (yards after catch) with 115 total, as well as forced missed tackles, where he has five so far this season.

Going up against a normally solid Cleveland secondary this weekend, McLaurin could benefit greatly from the potential injuries to both Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward. Williams has already been ruled out of the game, and Ward is listed as questionable. Regardless of who lines up against him, though, it will be a big challenge for any defender to stay in front of him, and an even greater task to take him to the ground once he has the ball.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Injuries in Cleveland could leave a glimmer of hope for Washington

Washington will be fighting an uphill battle on Sunday in Cleveland, but a few injuries for the Browns might provide hope for the visitors.

[jwplayer XGQeKGws-ThvAeFxT]

With both teams at full strength this weekend, it would be fair to say that Washington will likely get the short end of the stick and fall to a more talented Cleveland roster, on paper at least.

[lawrence-related id=41744]

Luckily for the visiting team, games aren’t played on paper, and there are a number of different factors to consider when preparing for an NFL game. One of those factors is injuries, and while Washington is definitely banged up, mainly on the offensive line, a rash of injuries has been announced for the Browns as well, with several coming at key positions. Here are the most notable injuries we’re looking at ahead of Sunday’s matchup:

CB Greedy Williams — Out

CB Denzel Ward — Questionable

DE Oliver Vernon — Out

It may not seem like a lot to start, but if both Williams and Ward are forced to sit on Sunday, Washington WR Terry McLaurin may be able to run free through the secondary and have himself a day. It’s also important that Vernon is out, as Washington’s banged-up offensive line will take whatever they can get when already dealing with Myles Garrett.

Keep an eye on Ward going forward, as his decision to play or not may have major ramifications.

[vertical-gallery id=41580]

Division Round-Up: Will any NFC East teams find a win in Week 3?

Judging by what we’ve seen so far this year, it’s easy to believe that the NFC East will be held winless this weekend.

[jwplayer XGQeKGws-ThvAeFxT]

Once again, the NFC East has been the laughing stock of the NFL through two weeks of the season, with the Washington Football Team tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the division at 1-1. Even that doesn’t quite give the whole story, as the Cowboys are lucky to even have a win on the calendar after an incredible comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons, who conveniently forgot how to play special teams late in the game.

Through just two weeks of the 2020 season, the NFC East boasts a total record of 2-6, and the Week 3 slate doesn’t look to be much easier.

Washington (1-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

New York Giants (0-2) vs. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

It may not be the toughest schedule we’ve ever seen, but how many wins can you find in that group? As much as we hate to admit it, Washington is facing an uphill battle against the Browns. Dallas will partake in the game of the week against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, who look unstoppable through two weeks. Both the Giants and Eagles have the two easiest matchups here, but neither team has given us any reason to believe that they can put together a win. The 49ers are playing without half of their starters due to injury, and Cincinnatti’s only redeeming quality is that Joe Burrow looks like the real deal, playing with a below-average roster around him. Despite this, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see both teams fall to 0-3 on Sunday.

What does this mean? Well, it could very well be Washington and Dallas again tied for the NFC East lead with 1-2 records, and the division as a whole will continue to be the butt of the joke around the league.

[vertical-gallery id=41530]

Division Round-Up: Will any NFC East teams find a win in Week 3?

Judging by what we’ve seen so far this year, it’s easy to believe that the NFC East will be held winless this weekend.

[jwplayer XGQeKGws-ThvAeFxT]

Once again, the NFC East has been the laughing stock of the NFL through two weeks of the season, with the Washington Football Team tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the division at 1-1. Even that doesn’t quite give the whole story, as the Cowboys are lucky to even have a win on the calendar after an incredible comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons, who conveniently forgot how to play special teams late in the game.

Through just two weeks of the 2020 season, the NFC East boasts a total record of 2-6, and the Week 3 slate doesn’t look to be much easier.

Washington (1-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

New York Giants (0-2) vs. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

It may not be the toughest schedule we’ve ever seen, but how many wins can you find in that group? As much as we hate to admit it, Washington is facing an uphill battle against the Browns. Dallas will partake in the game of the week against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, who look unstoppable through two weeks. Both the Giants and Eagles have the two easiest matchups here, but neither team has given us any reason to believe that they can put together a win. The 49ers are playing without half of their starters due to injury, and Cincinnatti’s only redeeming quality is that Joe Burrow looks like the real deal, playing with a below-average roster around him. Despite this, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see both teams fall to 0-3 on Sunday.

What does this mean? Well, it could very well be Washington and Dallas again tied for the NFC East lead with 1-2 records, and the division as a whole will continue to be the butt of the joke around the league.

[vertical-gallery id=41530]