Did Jake Fromm do enough for Commanders?

Did Fromm convince Washington coaches to keep three quarterbacks?

Did Jake Fromm do enough to convince the Commanders to keep three quarterbacks?

Sam Howell, of course, is the starter, and Jacoby Brissett is the backup. Did Fromm on Saturday night accomplish enough that the Commanders offensive coaches will want him on the opening-day roster?

Fromm completed 13 of his 18 passing attempts totaling 144 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Fromm was sacked twice, finishing the game with a passer rating of 132.6.

The former Georgia Bulldog quarterback began the second half for Washington trailing 10-7 and the ball on his own 6-yard line. In nine plays, Fromm drove the Commanders offense 94 yards, and Washington had the lead 14-10.

On the drive, Fromm completed passes of 22, 9, and 9, setting the stage for his 38-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Tinsley. Only, replay revealed that Tinsley had stepped out of bounds at the one. Fromm then connected with Brycen Tremayne and Washington led Cincinnati 14-10.

In the final quarter, with Washington leading Cincinnati 14-13, Fromm began throwing again. This time he led the Commanders on a 75-yard scoring drive in eight plays.

With Washington at the Cincinnati 7-yard line, Fromm found tight end Brandon Dillon for the touchdown, which put the Commanders up 21-13 with just over ten minutes remaining.

Now the coaching staff must determine what they are going to do. Roster cuts mean each team must trim down to 53 players.

Will the Commanders keep all three quarterbacks (Howell, Brissett and Fromm)? Might they determine they will need another pass rusher, or offensive lineman, thus keeping only Howell and Brissett?

Another option could see the Commanders go ahead and release Fromm and then resign him to the practice squad, so they can keep him in the building and have that third quarterback in the case of another horrendous season where they are forced to play multiple quarterbacks.

Whatever the Commanders choose to do, this is one of the most difficult aspects for the coaching staff.

Bengals lead Commanders 10-7 at halftime in final preseason game

Bengals are on top after 30 minutes in the preseason finale.

The Cincinnati Bengals lead the Washington 10-7 at halftime in the preseason finale for both teams.

The Commanders sat most of their starters for the game, and went with veteran backup Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback. Washington started LG Saahdiq Charles, C Nick Gates and RG Sam Cosmi on the offensive line. Those were the only offensive starters to play. They exited after the first series.

On Washington’s first possession, Brissett was moving the ball down the field until wide receiver Dax Milne drops a ball to force fourth down. Head coach Ron Rivera went for it and Brissett’s pass was batted down, turning the ball over on downs.

The Bengals answered behind quarterback Jake Browning. Browning found wide receiver Andrei Iosivas for a touchdown and an early lead.

Brissett responded, taking the Commanders across midfield where he found rookie wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley for a 39-yard touchdown. Brissett did a great job of evading pressure, keeping his eyes downfield and finding Tinsley. Tinsley made an outstanding move to score.

The Bengals scored the only other points on a 58-yard field goal from Evan McPherson.

Cincinnati was driving late in the second quarter but some outstanding defensive plays by Washington’s secondary forced a turnover. First, Commanders safety Terrell Burgess made a terrific play to break up a touchdown. Next, rookie undrafted safety Kendall Smith got his hands on a pass heading for the end zone and the deflection landed into the hands of Washington cornerback Jace Whittaker for the interception and touchback.

Brissett completed 10 of 15 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Jake Fromm relieved Brissett and completed two of five passes for 22 yards. The Commanders had three drops in the first half.

 

WATCH: Jacoby Brissett finds an open Mitchell Tinsley who does the rest for a touchdown vs. Bengals

Tinsley with a nice play to help his case for making Washington’s 53.

Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett got the call to start the final preseason game for the Washington Commanders on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Brissett, a veteran of seven NFL seasons and 48 career starts, is slated to be Washington’s backup in 2023.

After moving the ball well on the first drive, the Commanders end up punting. The Bengals moved the ball right down the field, putting it into the end zone and taking a 7-0 lead.

How did Brissett respond? Exactly the way you’d expect from someone of his stature.

On first-and-10 from the Bengals’ 39-yard line, Brissett is flushed from the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield and finds a wide-open Mitchell Tinsley. Tinsley makes the catch, puts on a nifty move against the defensive back and finds his way into the end zone.

Excellent job from Brissett and Tinsley. Tinsley, an undrafted free agent, is fighting to land one of the final wide receiver spots on Washington’s 53-man roster. Plays like that will help his cause.

Chris Cooley was impressed with Commanders QB Sam Howell

The former Washington star liked what he saw in Sam Howell’s performance against the Ravens.

“I loved the offense; I thought it was terrific.”

That’s how former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley opened his film review of the Commanders first-half performance against the Ravens. Cooley was a guest on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast on Wednesday.

Here are some selected comments by Cooley:

“Actually, Sam Howell was really good. He did put himself in some bad situations, like taking a sack early.”

“I thought throughout the first half he was really accurate, his release was quick, and when he was on the move he was actually really good.”

“In the second quarter, when he hit (Jahan) Dotson on the run, great vision down the field. Great ball to Dotson. Who, by the way, was tremendous in the game. He (Dotson) is going to be a stud.”

“When he was holding the ball too long on a sack, he had two dudes open…He had early pressure; he should have stepped up and let it go.”

Over the middle of the field, I thought he made some really good throws…I was really pretty impressed by him.”

A couple of negatives:

“He bounces so much; he is like a rabbit back there. He is always bouncing, bouncing. He has happy feet. He is always looking down the field way too long to throw the ball. It’s open, or it is not. But he will get there. It’s open or it’s not, and your check-down is open now. Your check-down is not usually open later…That’s a young player, and I am fine with that.”

“Dyami Brown also looked good in this game. All the receivers looked good in this game.”

“All in all, I was impressed with the offense. He (Howell) did a great job executing within the game plan. He made accurate throws, and he looked very confident in doing so.”

“Can he read 4-Verts? Kansas City lives off of 4 vertical routes. Can he really push the ball down the field? If he can’t, he is going to get tight man coverage, press. Guys are really going to disrupt things, and you are going to have problems. So he has to be able to throw the ball down the field.”

“Can he survive in the pocket? Can he understand when some people start bringing some zone pressures and different looks? Can he not take a bunch of sacks? That is going to be a problem for this year because he is going to do that. Because he is hopping around a lot. He looks a little anxious in the pocket. So, he is going to take some sacks this year, but that is a young player.”

“My favorite thing about this game was we have a really young quarterback who has not seen enough looks. What are we going to do in this game? Why don’t we throw the ball 30 times? Great idea. Is it that hard? The one guy we really need? Let’s get him going.”

Bieniemy: Commanders offense learning to finish

Bieniemy gives an update on QB Sam Howell’s progress.

New assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was pleased with the effort from his offensive unit Monday night.

Though the Ravens were repeatedly sending six or seven rushers on that final Washington scoring drive, quarterback Jake Fromm was moving the offense down the field, providing Joey Slye the opportunity to kick the game-winning field goal.

“I thought our guys did a heck of a job just finishing the game, and the thing that I loved, that stood out, our guys are learning to strain to finish,” Bieniemy said. “That was impressive. Now it is on to the next one.”

Is the offense progressing as Bieniemy wants it to thus far in his first preseason in Washington?

“I think we are taking the necessary steps, but we still have a long way to go. There’s a lot of things that we can clean up and continue coaching through.”

For a second time, Bieniemy stated how the offensive unit was learning to fight to win, to go the extra mile. What does Bieniemy intend to communicate? Doesn’t he think the offensive players were learning to fight under Ron Rivera?

“Our guys are finding creative ways to drag themselves across the finish line. When you have the resilience, it’s something you can build upon. I’m starting to see the second effort.”

Was Bieniemy implying the offensive players were not giving a second effort previously?

“On top of that, I’m seeing guys play faster. So, all those things are just coming to light. We have to continue to clean up the little stuff. That is going to help us become the better team.”

Bieniemy likes where his quarterback is in the process.

“I have thought Sam’s progression is right where you want it to be. I think he has just stayed the course. He’s learned a lot just being out there each and every day.”

Bieniemy also pointed to backup quarterback veteran Jacoby Brissett, and how he has modeled some things well on the field for Howell. In the room, Brissett is what Bieniemy referred to as “an outspoken individual in that room who has helped Sam tremendously.”

The former Chiefs OC said he loves that Howell autocorrects, takes his job responsibly, takes work home, “and loves to walk through all the little detailed nuances of the game.”

Bieniemy has praised Howell’s performances this preseason.

“I think he is right where he needs to be. He’s done a heck of a job in the practices (against the Ravens), and he did a heck of a job in the game (Monday).

Commanders Sam Howell praised by Rich Eisen

Eisen also discusses the expectations of Washington fans.

Who were the top five performers of the NFL Week 2 in this 2023 preseason?

NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen presented his top five Tuesday. Although in typical Eisen fashion, he was having fun.

Eisen felt the best performances for this past weekends preseason games were Giants receiver Jalin Hyatt, Packers quarterback Jordan Love, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, and Commanders quarterback Sam Howell.

“Holy Cow, Sam Howell, we see you!” began Eisen. “I will say, this is how crazy he has Washington Commander football fans (pause). I’m gonna out him.”

Eisen proceeded to declare he had been texted during Monday’s game by Ryan Hayden, a die-hard Washington football fan. Eisen then read the text, “Everyone will laugh, but this is a franchise-turning game for us. As sad as that is.”

Eisen then commented to his television audience, “I don’t know what is sadder, that you believe it, or that you know it’s sad and you still text it. But this is how it is for Washington football fans.”

Eisen began to wax confidently and humorously as he has often over the years, “Is Sam Howell it? Can he be it?”

Eisen then wondered aloud if previous owner Dan Snyder had played a role in the 2022 NFL draft when the Commanders selected Howell with the first selection of the fifth round.

“We see you, Sam Howell, and we will see you Week 1 against Arizona, a winnable game; everyone thinks the Commanders are going to win. And you came out like that wingin’ it.”

It’s preseason, yes, but it is also good to see the Commanders getting some positive press about something they have actually done on the field.

We can only hope the same will be said for the Commanders and Howell during the regular season.

Commanders’ QB Sam Howell impressive in the preseason win

Sam Howell with another strong preseason performance.

If you wanted Sam Howell to get some work on Monday night, you got your wish.

Howell, playing the first half against the Ravens in the Commanders’ second preseason game, attempted 25 first-half passes.

And why not? My goodness, Howell has only appeared in one regular-season game. He is learning a new offense with a new offensive coordinator. Howell needed game reps tonight, and he was able to complete 19 of his 25 passing attempts for 188 yards, two passing touchdowns and a 123.4 passer rating.

There were some plays where Howell held the ball too long, yes. They will be addressed, but when he delivered the ball, it visibly has more velocity. Howell also displayed an ability to move and maintain composure, looking downfield and attempting to find his receivers.

In the opening quarter, Howell completed six of seven attempts for 64 yards (9.1 yards per attempt), compiling a 104.8 passer rating.

Howell, in the second quarter, completed 13 of 18 attempts for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Jahan Dotson led the way with five receptions for 76 yards, and Terry McLaurin caught three receptions for 39 yards, injuring a toe on his last reception and limping to the locker room.

Howell’s two touchdown passes were to Antonio Gibson from nine yards and to Dyami Brown from 11 yards. Gibson’s touchdown concluded a 45-yard drive, and Brown’s concluded a 79-yard drive, providing Washington a 17-14 halftime lead.

A good night of some much-needed work for Washington’s second-year quarterback.

Commanders lead Ravens 17-14 at halftime of 2nd preseason game

Sam Howell with touchdowns on back-to-back drives to end the first half.

The Baltimore Ravens entered Monday night’s preseason game against the Washington Commanders, winners of 24 consecutive preseason games.

At halftime, the Commanders lead the Ravens, 17-14, on the strength of two Sam Howell touchdown passes. Yes, you read that correctly. Howell and Washington’s offense played the entire first half. Howell completed 19 of 25 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

The Commanders played most of their starting offense for the entire half, including star wide receiver Terry McLaurin who left on the final drive of the first half with what looked like an ankle injury.

Howell ended Washington’s first drive inside the five-yard line, leading to a Joey Slye field goal. On the Commanders’ final two drives before halftime, Howell found running back Antonio Gibson and wide receiver Dyami Brown for touchdowns to give Washington the lead.

Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and tight end Logan Thomas were the Washington starters who did not suit up. As for Washington’s defense, the only starters on the field were linebackers Cody Barton and Jamin Davis and rookie first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes.

 

Why Commanders vs. Ravens is so important for rookie defensive ends

Monday presents a massive opportunity for rookie defensive ends Andre Jones Jr. and K.J. Henry.

Monday’s preseason game for two defensive players could be huge.

The Commanders will host Baltimore Ravens in the preseason contest. For the Commanders, they have two rookie defensive ends for whom this game could be very large.

Though drafted in the fifth round at 137 overall, K.J. Henry, a defensive end out of Clemson, was expected to push and make the team. Unexpected was seventh-round choice (and 233 overall) defensive end Andre Jones out of Louisiana.

Jones has, honestly, looked better in camp thus far. With only three preseason games, Monday’s against the Ravens could play a large role in the future of both players.

The Commanders can only keep so many defensive ends on a 53-man roster. NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 to 53 players before the NFL league-wide deadline of August 29 at 4 pm.

Everyone knows the Commanders plan to start Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the defensive end spots. Next, come the primary backups. At the beginning of camp, there was no doubt those two were James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill.

How many defensive ends are the Commanders going to keep on their 53-man roster? If there are five defensive ends, this would indicate room for only one more.

Thus far, Efe Obada has been working primarily on the inside, and the Commanders have listed Obada on the depth chart at defensive tackle, but he does possess position flex; thus, he could play both tackle and end.

Is the final defensive end spot up for grabs between Henry and Jones? Both rookie ends are going to be watched closely Monday as the defensive coaches are looking for evidence regarding whom they should keep on the roster.

If the Commanders keep ten defensive linemen, the ability to play both end and tackle will be huge for guys like Smith-Williams and Obada. Those smaller and, thus, not asked to play inside at tackle, need to display both the ability to set the edge against the run and rush the passer.

Something coaches are not going to ignore is that Sweat, Young, Smith-Williams, Toohill and Obada are all entering the final season of their contracts.

If the Commanders determine to only keep four linebackers they could stash one or perhaps two linebackers on the practice squad. They could also keep an extra defensive end on the roster because they are quick enough to play well on the special teams. If they do keep an extra defensive end, could it mean they keep both Henry and Jones on the roster, utilizing both on coverage teams?

Speaking of defensive ends, this game against the Ravens could thus loom very large for the other defensive ends, underdogs looking for a roster spot, such as Joshua Pryor and Will Bradley-King.

5 Commanders to watch in preseason Week 2 vs. Ravens

Here are five Commanders who need a strong performance on Monday night.

The Washington Commanders wrap up Week 2 of the preseason with a Monday night clash against the Baltimore Ravens. The game will be the first home game for the Commanders under new owner Josh Harris.

While the game represents just another preseason game on the calendar, it means a little more for the Ravens, who enter Monday night winners of 24 straight preseason games. Baltimore hasn’t lost a preseason game since 2015. Washington right guard Sam Cosmi let his feelings be known on the Ravens’ preseason winning streak.

The game may not mean anything in the standings for Washington, but for several players for the Commanders — and every NFL team — these games do matter. Players are fighting for their NFL futures, and strong performances in the preseason are the difference between landing on a roster or practice squad or having their NFL dreams end.

We pick five Commanders you should pay special attention to on Monday night.