Category: Latest Washington News

All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including Jayden Daniels) ranked by Total QBR

How does Jayden Daniels measure up to other quarterbacks in the latest total QBR?

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was off to a historic start in his NFL career through nine weeks. That pace has slowed in recent weeks for a variety of reasons, but Daniels looked more like himself in Sunday’s 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

While the offense was slow to get going, Daniels came alive in the fourth quarter, leading the Commanders to two quick scoring drives in the final minutes, including an 86-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as Washington missed the extra point and a chance at overtime.

Aside from how he finished the game, Daniels looked much more confident as a runner for the first time in several weeks, leading the Commanders with 74 rushing yards. After injuring his ribs in Week 7, Daniels hadn’t been as effective running the ball, whether due to his injury or defenses taking that element of his game away.

How does Daniels measure up to other NFL quarterbacks? We look at ESPN’s Total QBR metric, which differs from the traditional QB rating. Here’s how ESPN defines QBR:

ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating (Total QBR), which was released in 2011, has never claimed to be perfect, but unlike other measures of quarterback performance, it incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties. Also, since QBR is built from the play level, it accounts for a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.

Let’s look at how Daniels compares to other rookie QBs, including Bo Nix, who has been catching up to Daniels in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year race.

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR after Week 11

  1. Lamar Jackson: 75.9
  2. Joe Burrow: 75.6
  3. Josh Allen: 73.2
  4. Kyler Murray: 72.5
  5. Brock Purdy: 67.6
  6. Patrick Mahomes: 66.8
  7. Jameis Winston: 66.7
  8. Jayden Daniels: 66.5
  9. Jalen Hurts: 63.7
  10. Matthew Stafford: 62.4
  11. Trevor Lawrence: 61.8
  12. Derek Carr: 61.7
  13. Tua Tagovailoa: 60.0
  14. Sam Darnold:  59.4
  15. Baker Mayfield: 59.3
  16. Jordan Love: 58.4
  17. Justin Herbert: 58.1
  18. Jared Goff: 57.7
  19. Drake Maye: 57.7
  20. Kirk Cousins: 56.8
  21. Bo Nix: 55.9
  22. Geno Smith: 54.6
  23. Justin Fields: 51.5
  24. Aaron Rodgers: 51.4
  25. C.J. Stroud: 51.3
  26. Caleb Williams: 48.9
  27. Dak Prescott: 46.4
  28. Daniel Jones: 46.3
  29. Anthony Richardson: 38.4
  30. Gardner Minshew: 36.4
  31. Will Levis: 36.4
  32. Bryce Young: 35.8

Former Commanders’ first-round pick signs with Vikings

A former Commanders’ first-round pick has a new home.

Former Washington linebacker Jamin Davis has a new home. On Tuesday, the 2021 first-round draft pick signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ 53-man roster.

The Commanders released the 25-year-old Davis on Oct. 22, and he signed with the Green Bay Packers practice squad the following week. He remained on Green Bay’s practice squad until signing with Minnesota.

The Commanders moved Davis to defensive end this past offseason after he spent his first three seasons at linebacker. Once Washington signed Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner, Davis’ future was in question. The Commanders moved him to defensive end, where he worked exclusively with assistant coach and Washington’s all-time sack leader, Ryan Kerrigan, on rushing the passer. Coaches praised Davis for embracing the change and working hard, but the Commanders ultimately needed the roster spot and had other defensive ends they liked better.

Davis appeared in 50 games for the Commanders with 36 starts, recording 282 tackles, seven sacks and one interception.

Jay Gruden examines what’s happened to the Commanders’ offense

The former Washington coach with some excellent analysis on the Commanders’ recent offensive woes.

Jay Gruden said the Commanders didn’t take advantage of their opportunities and, as a result, lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.

The former Redskins head coach went back and watched the game a second time in preparation for his Monday appearance on the Grant & Danny Show (106.7 the Fan). Gruden said he is convinced that in the first three quarters, the Commanders had their chances to take control of the game and simply didn’t do it.

“The last few minutes was pretty chaotic on both sides of the ball, but the first three quarters, I think was just a matter of taking advantage of great opportunities, and Washington didn’t do it,” Gruden said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy. 

“They had great field position, opportunities to really jump out on them early and put your foot down and show who’s a better team, and they didn’t do it. They just let Dallas hang around and hang around.”

Gruden was the head coach in Washington for the 2014-2019 regular seasons, and the offensive coordinator for the Benglas (2011-2013) and Jaguars (2020).

“Third downs are bad; they’re 12-for-38 in their last three games, 10 sacks, and time of possession. They’re averaging 24 minutes per game in the last- three games,” Gruden said. “A lot of that has to do with the ability to keep the ball, and they’re not staying on the field on third down. There’s a lot of reasons for it – sometimes it’s pressure related, sometimes Jayden misses a throw or there’s no throw to be had – so there’s a lot of things they can clean up, but the most important thing is they got to do a better job on third down.”

Having been a Division 1 starting quarterback at Louisville and working with NFL quarterbacks for a decade, Gruden is not simplistic. He knows there are various reasons why the Commanders’ offense is struggling.

“A lot of times it’s hard to get off your No. 1 target when feel pressure inside, and you gotta get rid of the ball,” Gruden said. “It’s just hard to point your finger at one thing. Sometimes it’s pressure, sometimes he feels like the guy is open and the defensive back makes a good play, but it’s easy to hold the film on pause, and then when the ball’s gone, let it play again and see somebody come wide open, and say you should have held the ball and thrown it to this guy. That’s not always the case when you have the ball in your hand,d and you’re playing quarterback.”

Jay, unlike his brother Jon, is not overly critical. He exhibits much more empathy and is much more understanding of the pressures of a rookie quarterback.

“There are times I agree he could have maybe held the ball a little bit longer, but that’s easier said than done for a young quarterback.”

Commanders Quinn not buying the narrative about Kingsbury offenses

What Dan Quinn said about the narrative regarding Kliff Kingsbury.

Three weeks ago, the Commanders were 7-2 and were considered one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Three consecutive losses later, the offense is not the only thing struggling; however, fans and local media often want to discuss the offense in general and, in this case, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in particular.

So it wasn’t all that surprising when Dan Quinn was asked Monday about Kingsbury and his offenses regressing in the second half of the year. What was surprising was that Quinn was even asked if he had given it thought to before hiring Kingsbury.

“Sure, I probably don’t give it as much, and here’s why,” Quinn said. “You’re talking about a different program with different people and different players. And so, I think going into it, and you’re putting in a system together, you want to make sure that you’re featuring the players and the things that they do best and all of that. And so I think Kliff’s done a good job of that, although they’re peaks and valleys and any season that’s going to go. I don’t have a sense of what somebody did you know well before, because the system that was in place there is not the same exact carbon copy as the one here.”

I don’t have much doubt that there will be those who interpret Quinn’s reply as a knee-jerk cop-out, avoiding the subject.

However, there is truth in what Quinn is saying: There is turnover most years on most rosters in the NFL.

Consider Kingsbury, who was the Arizona Cardinals head coach during the 2019-2022 seasons. His first season saw Larry Fitzgerald as his leading receiver, but Fitzgerald retired following the 2020 season. DeAndre Hopkins became the Cardinals’ leading receiver in 2021, but Christian Kirk took over that role in Kingsbury’s last season in Arizona.

Kenyan Drake led the Cardinals in rushing in 2019 and 2020, and James Conner has taken over that rule in recent seasons.

Kyler Murray replaced Josh Rosen from 2018, who had replaced Carson Palmer as the Cardinals’ signal caller.

Whether Kingsbury’s offenses have taken this huge dive downward regressing in the second half would require a deeper dive in research.

The Commanders’ offense first slowed down during the Bears game. Washington could only generate 12 points throughout the game until the ‘Hail Mary’ provided six points on the game’s final play.

But the defense may be just as big a story as the offense. In the last four games, the defense has given up 22 points (Giants), 28 (Steelers), 26 (Eagles), and 34 (Cowboys).

But are we even sure about those numbers? On Sunday, Dallas returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. How is that the defense’s fault?

Of course, many years ago, it was proven that the best defense is a good offense, and the best offense is a good defense.

So, it will take a deeper dive to uncover some real data on the Kingsbury offenses’ continually declining and regressing performance in the second half of seasons.

 

Overreaction or reality? Commanders will miss the NFC playoffs

The Commanders will miss the playoffs: Overreaction or reality?

The Washington Commanders were 7-2 through nine weeks and in first place in the NFC East. Washington lost a heartbreaker at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, making several mistakes, but against one of the AFC’s top teams.

It was a loss, but not a depressing defeat. Four days later, the Commanders lost on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles. While they faded in the fourth quarter, people forget that Washington led the game into the fourth quarter.

So, with the Commanders sitting at 7-4 ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys, optimism remained high. Unfortunately, the Commanders looked flat and uninspired, and the offense put on another less-than-stellar performance. While Jayden Daniels and the offense came alive late, they did next to nothing for three and a half quarters.

Sunday’s loss was a wild one. You could blame any number of things, but, Washington still lost.

So, it’s time for the Monday morning quarterbacks to debate if the Commanders can still make the playoffs.

First, ESPN’s Dan Graziano said it was “not an overreaction” that the Commanders would miss the playoffs. 

The Commanders are three games behind first-place Philadelphia in the loss column in the NFC East (before the Eagles’ game on Sunday night) and occupy the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoff field — tied in the loss column with the Cardinals, Rams, Falcons and Seahawks. So yes, Washington is in real trouble here.

Jeff Kerr of CBS was more bullish on thoughts of Washington’s playoff chances.

Kerr called it an “overreaction” that the Commanders will miss the playoffs.

With their NFC East title chances taking a huge hit, the Commanders are the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The Rams and Seahawks aren’t far behind Washington, either. The schedule is favorable, with three of the five teams remaining currently having losing records, but Sunday’s loss to a deflated Cowboys team was a very bad one for a team looking to go to the playoffs.

We tend to side with Kerr here. While Graziano makes valid points, Washington still controls its playoff destiny. And an upcoming bye week will not only help the players get some rest but allow coaches to examine what’s gone wrong — and right — recently.

Yes, the Dallas loss was terrible. But many of Washington’s recent problems were of its own doing. Dropped passes, players jumping offsides, fumbles, special teams collapse. There are certainly reasons to believe all of those things won’t continue, and the Commanders will win more than they lose down the stretch and make the NFC playoff field.

Do the Commanders still have a kicker problem?

Do the Commanders still have a kicker problem?

For about seven weeks, everything went right for the Washington Commanders. During that stretch, Washington won six of seven games, had an offense and rookie quarterback that were the envy of the NFL, and even found themselves a kicker.

Since then, the Commanders have lost three consecutive games; the offense has struggled, Jayden Daniels has looked like a rookie at times, and, well, maybe they haven’t found a kicker after all.

During Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, kicker Austin Seibert missed a field goal and two extra points. The second missed PAT was most costly as it prevented the Commanders from tying the game and sending it into overtime.

Before Sunday, Seibert had made 25 of his 27 field goals and all 22 of his PATs. It’s important to note that he missed the last two games due to a right hip injury before returning on Sunday.

After the game, a lot of unfair hate was directed at Seibert. People often forget it’s just a game. These are human beings, and all make mistakes. Seibert didn’t lose Washington this game. We could go through all four quarters and name 10 plays or players that negatively impacted the outcome.

But it is fair to ask if the Commanders still have a kicking problem. Washington’s kicking woes have only been overshadowed by its QB woes. Fans believed GM Adam Peters found a quarterback and kicker in the same season.

What should Washington do?

The Commanders should stick with Seibert unless he completely falls apart in the coming weeks, as misses happen. He’s proven reliable and consistent. It’s fair to wonder if the hip still bothered Seibert on Sunday. He, of course, denied it and took full responsibility.

Washington has been on the kicking carousel for years. Heck, the Commanders were on it for three months this year after they released veteran Brandon McManus.

The knock on Seibert was his inaccuracy over 50 yards. He did hit one over 50 yards on Sunday and missed another. However, something head coach Dan Quinn said after the game was a bit concerning.

“It’s harder to kick it out than you think,” Quinn said of Seibert potentially kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone. “And so, I thought it was really honestly from the kicking standpoint executed well. If you have to stop your feet and get one to go, that’s the challenge. If you can get it to hit the ground, that’s what you’re trying to do into that spot, but that’s the difference.”

Statistics show it’s not hard for every team — only Washington. Was Quinn saying Seibert’s leg strength is a liability on kickoffs?

Regardless, Washington had chances to bring down KaVontae Turpin on Sunday and failed. Outside of that, the Commanders have been excellent at covering kicks this season.

Sunday was a bad day for everyone in Washington, including Seibert. He deserves the opportunity to make things right next week against Tennessee.

Otherwise, the Commanders go back to the carousel, and that’s not where Quinn or Peters want to go.

Commanders give injury updates on Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr.

Dan Quinn gives updates on multiple Washington injuries.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn met with the media on Monday, one day after the team’s disappointing 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

If the loss wasn’t bad enough, the Commanders suffered multiple injuries to three of their most important offensive players.

  • RB Austin Ekeler (concussion)
  • RB Brian Robinson Jr. (ankle)
  • RT Andrew Wylie (concussion)

Quinn offered an update all three players.

“Yes, Austin, [I] had a chance to visit with today, and fortunately, last night did all the scans, and that side came back good,” Quinn said. “It certainly was sore, but he will be in the concussion protocol. But man, it was good to see him. Those are scary moments when those concussions like that take place.”

Head injuries are tough to predict. There is no “minor” concussion. And considering this is Ekeler’s second concussion this season, the Commanders will be cautious with him.

Robinson missed three games earlier this season with knee and hamstring injuries. He returned against Philadelphia in Week 11 and rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Robinson injured his ankle on his first carry against Dallas. He returned to the field after getting an X-ray, carried the football two more times, and did not return.

Quinn said Robinson “came in for treatment today, ankle injury to go. We’ll see how much work that he does during the week, so I’ll have a better sense for you as we get further along.”

If both can’t go, Jeremy McNichols takes over as Washington’s lead back. He has played well this season when given an opportunity. Also, the Commanders would likely bring back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who they released on Saturday to make room for rookie defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Rodriguez played a pivotal role in Washington’s second win over the Giants a few weeks back.

Wylie is also in the NFL’s concussion protocol. If Wylie can’t go, Trent Scott is his backup, but Washington could move Cornelius Lucas back to right tackle with a healthy Brandon Coleman at left tackle.

 

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin said it best after loss to Cowboys

What Terry McLaurin said after loss to Cowboys?

The Washington Commanders entered Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys as 10.5-point favorites. For the first time in years, Washington had the better team between the two longtime rivals.

Yet, somehow, the Commanders looked nothing like the team that put the NFL on notice through nine weeks and played their worst game of the season in a 34-26 loss. It was Washington’s third consecutive loss.

It was an embarrassing performance for the Commanders, who made mistakes in all three phases. They turned the ball over three times on offense, and failed to consistently move the ball until late in the fourth quarter.

The defense allowed a beat-up Dallas offense full of backups to have too much success. And then there were the special teams. It was an epic performance from Washington’s special-teams units, not in a good way.

After the game, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin spoke to the media and said Washington’s failure to play complementary football cost them against the Cowboys.

“We just didn’t play our best,” McLaurin said. “We didn’t play complimentary football. When you’re playing division games it’s going to come down to the four quarters. We knew that going into the game. We didn’t underestimate them at all, but it’s just unfortunate when you can’t help each other on offense, helping out on the defense.”

McLaurin is correct. This team still hasn’t gotten all three phases on the same page consistently. Yes, there have been flashes, but recently, if the offense struggles, the defense plays well. Early in the year, it was the offense carrying the team. Lately, the defense has improved and the offense is regressing.

On Sunday, special teams reared its ugly head.

When quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders on a 60-yard touchdown drive to begin the second half, it looked as if Washington’s offense had woken up. Unfortunately, kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point, and the Cowboys immediately scored their first touchdown of the day to take a 10-9 lead, and they’d never look back.

Just before halftime, Benjamin St-Juste allowed the Cowboys a 41-yard reception to put them in position for a field goal to put Dallas on the board.

It was one of those days.

“They were doing a great job, and we just really couldn’t get it going,” McLaurin said. “We have to find a way to start faster and stay in the drives. That’s everybody, our whole coaching staff and offensive players, going out there and figuring out ways that we can stay on the field and help the defense and vice versa, all of us.”

As usual, McLaurin is correct.

Now, the Commanders must get ready for the Tennessee Titans next week before finally getting to their bye week in Week 14.

Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves blames himself for missed tackle in loss to Cowboys

Washington’s loss was not on one player.

As badly as the Washington Commanders played on Sunday, they still had multiple chances to win late against the Dallas Cowboys. However, various mistakes added up and proved too much for the Commanders, who fell 34-26 to the Cowboys at home.

One of those chances came with around three minutes remaining when kicker Austin Seibert’s line drive kickoff hit Dallas wide receiver KaVontae Turpin’s hands around the four-yard line, which he muffed, picked up and ran back 99 yards for the touchdown to extend the Cowboys lead to 27-17 with 2:49 remaining.

This was just seconds after Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels engineered a quick touchdown drive to again make it a one-score game. With two timeouts and the two-minute warning remaining, the Commanders were in an excellent position to win an ugly game after such a terrible performance.

Turpin had other plans. But even after Turpin’s touchdown, Daniels and Terry McLaurin still had some magic left, but it didn’t matter, as the Cowboys prevailed.

As for Turpin, Washington safety — and former Pro Bowler on special teams — Jeremy Reaves blamed himself for Turpin’s score. It was Reaves who missed the initial tackle.

“I made that play 1,000 times,” a dejected Reaves said at his locker after Sunday’s game. “Thousand times, hundreds of times, it’s repetition. I didn’t make it today, and it cost us. It’s on me, man.

Reaves is right in one sense. He has made that play many times over the years, and not making it on Sunday was costly. However, Reaves is not to blame for the loss — far from it.

You win as a team, you lose a team. Reaves is one of the more selfless and beloved players in the locker room. He’s doing what leaders do: Taking accountability. That play was one of many that added up for the Commanders on Sunday, creating a perfect storm for the heavy underdog to come away with an upset win.

Commanders kicker Austin Seibert takes accountability after missed kicks

Seibert answered every question and took responsibility on a day where the Commanders made plenty of mistakes.

Things couldn’t have been going any better for Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert made 25 of his 27 field goal attempts in seven games with Washington and was perfect on all 22 extra-point attempts.

Then, before the Commanders’ Week 10 game against Pittsburgh, Seibert injured his right hip, which cost him the next two games. On Sunday, Seibert returned for Washington against the Dallas Cowboys.

It was a day to forget for Seibert. He missed both extra points and made one of his two field goal attempts, which proved costly. The second missed PAT came with 21 seconds remaining after wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s miraculous 86-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

There was also Seibert’s kickoff to KaVontae Turpin, which, with three minutes remaining, was returned for a 99-yard touchdown.

It was a day to forget for Seibert.

After the game, Seibert met with the media and, like safety Jeremy Reaves, who missed a tackle on the Turpin touchdown, took full blame for the loss.

“I just want to play better for my teammates, you know, definitely don’t want to do that,” Seibert said. “Just wasn’t striking well, but it means a lot me to be here with these guys, so I just want to put my best foot….moving forward.”

That’s tough to watch.

When Seibert was asked about the low snap on the second missed PAT, he had none of it, taking full accountability.

“It didn’t make a difference at all. It’s on me,” he said. 

After missing two games with a right hip, could the injury have affected him? Again, Seibert was not about to make excuses.

“I felt fine,” he said. “That’s why I made the decision to play, and here we are.”

First, Seibert should be credited for speaking to the media after the most challenging moment of his professional career. He didn’t run away from it. So often these days, athletes hide from the media after a bad day. Not Seibert. Like Reaves, he stood there and answered every question, regardless of how repetitive some seemed.

Lastly, Seibert didn’t lose this game, nor did Reaves or John Bates. It was a collective effort. There were so many plays you could point back to and see Washington’s mistakes.

Seibert needs to shake it off and not allow one bad day to impact him next week and beyond. The Commanders host the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.