Category: NFL PRESEASON

Commanders’ Dan Quinn praises Jamin Davis

Dan Quinn has nothing but good things to say about Jamin Davis.

Think back to when a Washington coach was fed up with a player and finally cut him.

It’s happened more than a few times, and for good reason. Of course, these circumstances do not occur exclusively with Washington. Players sometimes have attitudes, don’t receive coaching well, or don’t accept their role well, and it can lead to trouble.

But not so with Jamin Davis, according to Dan Quinn during his Wednesday press conference. Davis was released Tuesday, and Quinn was asked about it Wednesday.

“We activated Jordan Magee,” Quinn said. “So, just from a roster spot and, man, what a good teammate, Jamin. So, like yesterday, getting a chance to visit with him definitely left a strong impression. And sometimes there’s good that comes after the hard stuff, and he’s somebody that we’ll definitely be watching and pulling for. He really worked hard during his time here.”

It should not be overlooked that Davis went along with the coaches, attempting to learn a new position (DE) in training camp and the preseason. It is not easy to make a transition like that when your college and NFL years have been spent at another position (LB).

Quinn went out of his way to convey that attitude was not the issue with Jamin Davis. Quinn continued that it actually was not an easy decision to release Davis midseason. However, rookie LB Magee has been on IR since getting injured against the Jets in the first weekend of the preseason. So, Quinn is ready to get Magee some game reps and see what he can add to this roster the second half of the season.

“So, at the end, just, it’s always this puzzle you’re trying to put together. And there’s always hard decisions and those are ones that come up. But they’re really hard and this one was hard.”

Will Adam Peters and Quinn bring Davis back to the practice squad, where he can work on developing the skills needed to play defensive end? His final comment concerning Davis did not lead one to that conclusion.

“So, when guys move on from here, I’m hopeful wherever they go, they find the right combination, the right things to allow them to do their thing. So that’s my hope for anybody that goes on from here.”

Dan Quinn’s answer about a No. 2 receiver is telling

The Commanders like their current group of receivers.

Throughout the 2024 offseason and training camp, it was a foregone conclusion that Jahan Dotson was Washington’s No. 2 receiver.

That is until preseason games began, and head coach Dan Quinn noticeably one day praised some wide receivers but neglected to mention Dotson. After a week of much speculation, suddenly, on the morning of August 22, Adam Peters had traded away Dotson and a fifth-round choice to the Eagles. In exchange, Washington would receive a third-round choice and two seventh-round choices.

To this day, fans and media still discuss the team’s need for a No.2 receiver. Quinn apparently doesn’t agree.

On Wednesday, when asked about “the lingering discussions” about the Commanders’ need to develop a No. 2 receiver, Quinn smiled and responded, “No, I’ll let you and the guys outside have those ones. For us, we’re really focused on the guys that are here, honestly, just absolutely battling for it.”

Olamide Zaccheaus leads the receivers (other than Terry McLaurin) with 10 receptions, averaging 11.4 YPR. Noah Brown follows him with 9 receptions, averaging 12.3, Luke McCaffrey (7/ 11.3), Dyami Brown (5/ 7.4), and Jamison Crowder (1/ 5.0).

Quinn interestingly added, “What you will see sometimes each week is some reps may change by the position, what’s needed maybe for that game plan or for how we’d want to attack. But we’re really pleased with the group and their competitive nature, what they stand for.”

For what it is worth, the Eagles were without DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown last week, and Brown has now missed the last three games. Dotson has not taken advantage of their absences, as he has only accumulated five receptions for 25 yards in his four games.

Terry McLaurin is back as Commanders beat Bengals

Breaking down Terry McLaurin’s phenomenal night.

Terry McLaurin was in the Commanders’ news all week.

He was in the news not for what he had done this season but for what he had not done. Through two games, McLaurin had 8 receptions for only 39 yards and no touchdowns.

But in this Week 3 contest in Cincinnati against the Bengals, McLaurin not only led the Commanders in receiving yards but also reached the 100 yard mark and scored the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. On his night, he was targeted six times and came away with four receptions for an even 100 yards.

Leading 31-26 in the fourth quarter, the Commanders faced a 3rd & 2 at the Bengals 49. Daniels rolled right and found McLaurin crossing from the left side for four yards and first down.

When the Commanders ran on both first and second down late, they appeared to be setting up a field goal attempt. However, on 3rd & 7 from the Bengals 27, Daniels lofted a pass high up the right sideline, which found McLaurin in the end zone for a 38-26 Washington lead with 2:10 remaining.

Early in the game, it appeared the woes for McLaurin were going to continue when he and Daniels failed to connect on a 1st & 10 at the Bengals’ 35 with the score tied 7-7. McLaurin broke wide open deep, and Daniels missed him badly — very badly. Badly enough, I wondered if there was a miscommunication in what route McLaurin was supposed to run.

Leading 14-10, the Commanders were at their own 41, facing a 2nd & 5. There was no miscommunication on this play, as Daniels found McLaurin deep for 55 yards to the Bengals 4.

When the Bengals had closed to 28-20, the Commanders were starting at their own 30 when Daniels found McLaurin for 14 yards and a first down to the 44.

It’s good to see McLaurin making a significant contribution again in the passing game. Dan Quinn thought so, too, as cameras caught Quinn picking McLaurin up off the ground on Monday in celebration of his big plays.

LT Brandon Coleman to play in Commanders’ opener

Some good news regarding a pair of rookies.

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced Friday that Brandon Coleman will play in the season opener on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coleman was drafted out of TCU in round three (67 overall) of April’s NFL draft, and he was getting some reps as the No.1 left tackle in training camp when he injured a pectoral muscle. This resulted in Coleman missing all three preseason games.

The left tackle has been trending upward the last two weeks, and Friday at his press conference, Quinn asked, “Will Brandon Coleman start?”

Quinn responded, “He will play.”

Consequently, because Cornelius Lucas started in the preseason, he will get the start Sunday in Tampa against the Bucs. Coleman is trending upward; the Commanders think he is ready to play some but don’t want him bearing the load just yet. So, it looks like Lucas and Coleman will rotate in some fashion on Sunday.

To this point, no Commanders coach or player has unveiled their plan for playing both left tackles on Sunday. Todd Bowles has active blitz packages for the Bucs’ defense. Thus, perhaps the Commanders don’t want to rush in Coleman too soon with too many blitz rushes to consider.

In other injury news, Quinn made it clear that No. 2 quarterback Marcus Mariota suffered a pectoral injury in Wednesday’s practice. Missing practice Thursday and Friday, Mariota has been ruled out for the opener against the Bucs. Jeff Driskel will serve as Jayden Daniels’ backup.

Rookie defensive tackle Johnny Newton is trending upward. Quinn said he was closer. In fact, he expressed that Newton will travel on Sunday and said, “We haven’t ruled him out” of playing in the 2024 opener.

Two oddities regarding the Commanders’ depth chart

Some takeaways from Washington’s Week 1 depth chart.

So the Commanders’ defensive depth chart is “unofficial,” they say.

When I was looking through it on Tuesday, I read each name quickly and didn’t notice anything unusual. I caught Michael Davis and Dominique Hampton being listed as the backup not once but twice.

So, I looked a second time at the starters, and this time, I noticed they had listed an extra starter. The Commanders had listed 12 instead of ll as their starters. Why?

Though listed as such, the Commanders are not going to start Clelin Ferrell, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler at the same time. They could, yes, but not if they also start cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, and Mike Sainristil.

https://Twitter.com/Mason_Kinnahan/status/1822802490443641122

This was not an error. The truth is that, for some reason, the Commanders wanted 12 starters on defense and 11 on offense listed. Had they not yet personally informed one of the 12 that he is not starting? Perhaps they felt it best that the player hear it first from the coaching staff and not social media?

Looking at the Week 1 opponent, the Tampa Bay Bucs, I noticed the Bucs list three wide receivers as starters: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan.

Perhaps the Commanders listed three cornerbacks to combat the three Bucs receivers. Does that mean they will alter the depth chart each week accordingly?

Over to the offensive chart, in the minicamps and training camp, Dyami Brown was often praised. Luke McCaffrey, on the other hand, not so much. Yet, the surprise on the chart was that Brown was listed as a backup and McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus as the starters.

Perhaps the key word in the depth charts is “unofficial,” and we should simply view them as a guide from week to week, but not official.

2024 NFL preview: How ready are the Commanders at quarterback?

Previewing the quarterback position for the Commanders ahead of Week 1.

Jayden Daniels called an audible, overruling the play (screen), which had come in from the sidelines.

It was his first third down in the first series of his first preseason game. He instead called for an empty backfield with all five receivers running a vertical route. Daniels then looked the safety off to the left side of the field, eliminating his help against Dyami Brown. Daniels then fired deep to Brown for a 42-yard gain.

On a third-and-long against the Dolphins, Daniels simply took what the defense gave him. He took the check down, gained good yardage, and made the field goal attempt much closer. The Commanders have to be thrilled with Daniels’ progress thus far.

Of course, there will be struggles; he is a rookie. His extremely lean frame will continue to be a concern. With his quickness and speed, Kliff Kingsbury will want to run some zone-read options each game. Therefore, Daniels will need to get down and avoid hits often.

Marcus Mariota has been one Daniels says he is leaning on heavily. Coaches have said he has accepted his role very well and is supportive of Daniels. Mariota has walked in Daniels’ shoes. He is good to have in Daniels’ ear each day and each game.

On the other hand, Mariota is now dealing with his second injury of the preseason. First, it was a groin, now a chest injury. The plan was that Mariota would be the only other quarterback on the roster, but what little action he saw wasn’t good, and with another injury, one can’t help but wonder if the Commanders might actually have Mariota “inactive” for the opener.

Which leads to Jeff Driskel. Driskel received many more snaps in the preseason and produced several nice plays. As a result, the decision was made to keep Driskel on the roster as the third quarterback. If Mariota is not ready for the opener, they will be glad Driskel is available.

Sam Hartman injured a shoulder in the first preseason game against the Jets and did not see action in the final two preseason games. He was waived, then brought back and signed to the practice squad.

Several reasons Commanders opening week is exciting

Why fans should be excited about Sunday and the 2024 season.

Who are the 2024 Washington Commanders?

Who knows?

Seriously, nobody knows. This season is unique in the sense that there are so many unknowns. It raises our curiosity, anticipation, and excitement.

  1. There’s a new sheriff in town: Adam Peters. This was Peters’ first offseason, and now, it is the beginning of his first season as an NFL general manager. He is not inexperienced, however. He has been working like crazy, making all sorts of signings, and he’s shown he’s not afraid to make unexpected trades. I just now counted 30 new players to the Commanders roster this year!
  2. When Dan Quinn was hired, much displeasure was voiced and posted on social media. That didn’t take long to change, however. Quinn is personable, direct, has a sense of humor, and has been full of energy every time he has been called upon. The players like him and respect him, and the fan base has quickly changed their minds. There is excitement in the air, and Quinn is a major reason.
  3. Jayden Daniels is only a rookie, but in his two brief (very) preseason appearances, he was decisive and accurate. There was much excitement before Robert Griffin’s debut in 2012, and rightly so. But doesn’t Daniels appear more prepared and poised? How many times will Daniels run a zone-read option Sunday against the Bucs? How will he handle the defensive pressure of a good, defensive playoff team last year?

https://twitter.com/granthpaulsen/status/1822329867376947482

Oh, there are more reasons why the DMV is excited about this 2024 team. Here are some other reasons there’s such anticipation.

The 2023 team was horrible. They lost their final eight games and four games last season by 34, 20, 12, 35, 30, 17, and 28 points! That’s four games by 28 or more points! One reason there is such optimism is that Ron Rivera’s final team lowered the bar so much. If this team is competitive throughout the season, it will be progress.

The team made it through the preseason with no major injuries. Yes, Jordan Magee is going to miss a few games. Yes, Brandon Coleman and Johnny Newton did not play in the preseason. But Coleman will be back for the opener, and Newton is trending to play soon.

Linebacker play was a weakness the last four years despite the fact that Rivera and Jack Del Rio were good linebackers themselves in the NFL. But Peters has brought in Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. On paper, that looks tremendously better. How much does Wagner have remaining in his body? It’s another unknown; he is 34. Yet, he did lead the NFL with 183 tackles (96 solo, 87 assisted) in 2023.

There are unknowns and question marks. But one thing is certain: there has not been this much excitement for a season opener since 2012.

2024 NFL preview: How ready are the Commanders at defensive tackle?

Previewing the Commanders’ defensive tackle position in 2024.

“With the 36th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders select Jer’Zhan Newton, defensive tackle, Illinois.”

Immediately, there was a surprise in the DMV. If Washington was going to select a tackle at No. 36 overall, certainly it would be an offensive tackle, correct? That’s true for teams when they panic and start drafting for need. But for Adam Peters, he saw the highest-rated player on his board still available, so defensive tackle it was.

A lot has changed since the second night of the draft. Everyone in the DMV who knows Newton refers to him as “Johnny.” In addition, Newton underwent foot surgery for a Jones fracture and, as a result, missed the preseason games.

The Commanders do return two of their better starters on the team: defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Ironically, the duo accumulated 53 tackles in 2023. Payne led in tackles for a loss 13-10, while Allen led in quarterback hits 19-11 and quarterback sacks 5.5-4.0.

Newton was drafted to provide these two needed rest during games and to become a starter in the future. Newton missed valuable reps and game action in the preseason. Yet, defensive tackle does not have the same learning curve as offensive tackle, where Brandon Coleman also missed the preseason games.

So, if healthy and ready, Newton could still supply some needed snaps in games early. How much of a factor Newton will be in his rookie season is completely up in the air. Not having played any in the preseason, the coaches’ expectations may already be descending.

His college film reveals that one of Newton’s issues at Illinois was keeping his lanes and overrunning some plays. Hopefully, he has been listening closely to Allen and Payne about what is expected of him when he begins getting game snaps.

John Ridgeway was traded to the Saints last week, while Phidarian Mathis apparently outplayed Ridgeway for a roster spot, making Ridgeway expendable. Mathis (age 26) has suffered injuries in each of his first two NFL seasons, accumulating only eight tackles thus far.

The Commanders also have two men on the practice squad who, if needed, would be called upon to help at defensive tackle: Haggai Ndubuisi, age 23 (6-6, 298), and Carlos Watkins, age 30 (6-3, 305). Ndubuisi is part of the International Pathway program, and Watkins, from Clemson, played for Dan Quinn in 2021 and 2022.

Former Commanders’ third-round pick Stromberg was waived/injured

An update on former third-round pick Ricky Stromberg.

On August 27, the Commanders, trimming their roster from 90 to the NFL requirements of 53, released many players, including G/C Ricky Stromberg.

On Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that Stromberg, who injured his knee midway through his rookie season, recently underwent a knee scope. Consequently, he will not be available for about two months.

This explains last week’s surprise when Stromberg was not brought back and signed to the practice squad. One day later, on August 28, the Commanders signed 12 players to the practice squad, including G Julian Good-Jones but not Stromberg. Also signed to the practice squad was G Max Scharping (age 28). Out of Northern Illinois, this is Scharping’s sixth season. He is listed at 6-6, 327, and has been issued Joe Jacoby’s old No. 66.

The former Arkansas Razorback was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft during the Ron Rivera era. Stromberg was selected No. 97 overall, though analysts were quick to remind fans that he was projected somewhat later.

Stromberg was not picked up by any other NFL club, to our knowledge. Also, the Commanders’ website lists CB Bobby Price and DT Sheldon Day as actually being on their roster rather than the practice squad. Surely, that is a clerical error, and they have yet to notice, correct?

https://twitter.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1830735949430415411

Once Stromberg is cleared, he’ll likely join another team.

How ready are the Commanders at offensive tackle?

How ready are the Commanders at offensive tackle?

It’s hard to believe but Jayden Daniels may not actually be the biggest question for the Commanders in their season opener in eight days.

Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a playoff team last year and yes, the season opener is at Tampa on a Sunday afternoon.

Daniels will face a much fiercer test than he has in the preseason, there is no debating this. But a large factor in how much pressure Daniels sees may be the play of the Commanders offensive tackles.

Andrew Wylie is plugged in at right tackle, and Cornelius Lucas is still the starter until we hear differently from Dan Quinn. Brandon Coleman had a pectoral injury and did not play a snap in the three preseason games.

Coleman is again back working with the team on the field with no restrictions. The TCU rookie said he feels great and is ready to go. So, what happens Sunday in Tampa if Coleman works out all next week?

Will the Commanders make him active? If so, will he play a few series, though he did not play in the preseason?

If he plays three or four series, then Lucas could be much less exhausted in the fourth quarter than if he played the entire game in the Florida heat.

The other tackle on the roster is Trent Scott. Returning from injury, Scott is listed as Wylie’s backup at right tackle.  Chris Paul was asked to play tackle in the preseason, but with Coleman returning, Paul will now be listed as a backup at both guard positions.

Paul was willing to go way outside his comfort zone and play tackle for the good of the team to meet their need at the time. He retains his spot on the roster as a guard.

There is no tackle on the practice squad currently. Certainly, they know much more than we do about why they don’t have a tackle on the practice squad.

Lastly, fans will complain, but they must be reminded that Adam Peters attempted to trade back into the first round to draft a starting tackle; however, he saw the asking price as too much and did not pull the trigger on the trade.