Tag: 2022 Washington Commanders

Two consecutive Commanders wins changes things

What a difference two weeks make.

Just two weeks ago, the Commanders were 1-4, Twitter was flooded with calls for Ron Rivera to be fired, for Carson Wentz to be benched, for Brian Robinson to be playing more than Antonio Gibson.

Was even reading how the defense was still not getting it done, giving up too many big plays and the secondary in particular was committing too many penalties and out of position, Jamin Davis was a bust according to many and Jack Del Rio had to go along with Ron Rivera.

It was such an emotional loss for fans, such a letdown after Carson Wentz had driven the team down the field to the two yard-line only to not complete one of his three pass attempts, resulting in the Commanders falling to the Titans 21-17.

Being 1-4, some began tweeting and writing about the 2023 Commanders draft and who they would take with the fifth overall selection. One Commanders fan site writer boldly had Washington using that fifth overall selection, taking 6-foot-3, 232-pound Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.

Well, two weeks later and the internet chatter for the firing of Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio has drastically fallen off (until the next loss, of course). Carson Wentz broke a finger on his passing hand, required surgery and is now on IR for at least four weeks.

Taylor Heinicke was absolutely horrible in his first quarter and into the second quarter of his first start. Yet, he turned himself around, making much better throws. Washington came from behind by 11 points to defeat Green Bay. Brian Robinson is getting plenty of carries, but it might be Antonio Gibson who is actually running with the most conviction, looking quite able to take on more of the load.

Fans are now praising Jamin Davis as having arrived. Indeed, he has played better, making nice plays. And the Commanders having won two consecutive games have moved from the fifth overall draft position to 11th following the win over the Bears and to 14th after defeating the Packers.

Even more, Jim Irsay became the first owner to speak out that the NFL has the authority to vote out Daniel Snyder and there is merit to consider it.

If Heinicke continues to play even moderately well, Commanders coaches and management could choose to continue to play him instead of Wentz, permitting Washington to keep their second-round choice in next year’s draft.

Wonder how much will change over the next two weeks?

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Commanders honor all-time Greats, but…

Former NFL MVP Mark Moseley was one of the many former Washington greats on hand for alumni weekend. Washington misspelled his name.

I am so glad the Washington Commanders organization is aware of the importance to recognize and honor those who have come before you, succeeded, built a brand, and brought your team great wins, great memories, and even championships and Hall of Fame players.

On Sunday, the Commanders honored many former Washington Redskins, in particular, the newest 10 added to their “90 greatest” list. Many former greats were on hand, and it was great to see fans and current members of the organization appreciative of those who had achieved so much.

Yet, I learned tonight that 1982 NFL MVP, kicker Mark Moseley, was presented his name tag with his name spelled incorrectly.

I don’t want to be a merciless fault-finder. After all, each and every one of us makes mistakes that are embarrassing. I know; I have certainly embarrassed myself too often.

Didn’t Mark Moseley play enough years (1974-1986) in the burgundy and gold that we couldn’t take 30 seconds to show him enough respect to spell his name correctly?

If it were only an occasional error, I understand, because we are all finite, limited creatures. But isn’t this entirely too often to not raise attention to the business side of the organization?

How about a simple check of each other’s work?

What are your expectations for Commanders’ Taylor Heinicke?

What are your expectations for Taylor Heinicke next week?

During the first half of the Chicago game, something Al Michaels said really grabbed my attention.

Carson Wentz began the third-down play and all too suddenly and Bears linebacker Roquan Smith was already shooting the gap between Commanders center Tyler Larsen and right guard Saahdiq Charles. Of course, blitzing successfully up that middle gap so close to the quarterback, it came as no surprise when Wentz was sacked.

Not only did the suddenness of the sack seize my attention. It was what Michaels then said on the broadcast that led me to jot down a note. “Wentz is now the most sacked quarterback in the league; that’s 22.”

For accuracy’s sake, Wentz was sacked once more Thursday, meaning he has now been sacked 23 times this season. Wentz is a large man, standing 6-5, and weighing 237. Yet, he was already experiencing a sore biceps,  a sore ankle, and a finger on his passing hand was fractured Thursday.

Next man up, please. That would be Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke is the man who put on a dazzling display of energy against Tampa Bay in the 2020 playoff loss. Thus, we loved him.

We loved his leading late drives to win early games in 2021 against the Giants and Falcons. We loved him when he had efficient, effective games in wins over the Bucs and Panthers.

You know what? We should have. He was the backup quarterback with virtually almost no NFL regular season experience, yet Heinicke passed for 3,419 yards, and 20 touchdowns, completing 65 percent of his passes.

Yet, the other side of the coin reveals Heinicke also threw 15 interceptions, his yards per attempt was only 6.9, his QBR only 39.9, his net yards per pass attempt was only 5.9, and he was sacked 38 times.

The Washington line in 2021 which started for the most part also Ereck Flowers and Brandon Scherff at guards and Chase Roullier at center (until Halloween) was much better than this line has been in 2022.

You might be careful what sort of expectations you place on a much smaller and lighter Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke is not on this team to meet your expectations of him. Even more, with this offensive line, might he spend most of his time attempting to escape being battered and beaten?

 

Why Commanders Coach Ron Rivera is so upset

Breaking down exactly why Ron Rivera was upset this week.

Ron Rivera was visibly upset Thursday night.

With the press following the 12-7 win over Chicago, Rivera was asked concerning the ESPN report Thursday morning that Commanders owner Daniel Snyder had forced Rivera to trade for Carson Wentz.

Rivera responded, “Honestly? I am going to speak my mind for a second.” He then proceeded to inform those present that report was “bull—-.”  While the Washington staff was attending the 2022 NFL scouting combine, it was Rivera himself who was also studying stats and analytics on Carson Wentz.

Why is Rivera so upset?

For starters, Washington had lost four consecutive games, and showed up unprepared to play in two games being embarrassed 46-0 in the first halves.

Secondly, Monday afternoon when asked about the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants playing very well and why Washington was not, Rivera had initially replied, “Quarterback.”

Quite frankly, what transpired illustrated something that I learned about 30 years ago when a very wise man said, “What happens on Sunday mornings all over the world is a preacher speaks before an audience. There is first what the preacher ACTUALLY said, and secondly, there is what the people actually THINK the preacher said.”

I have found this to be true again and again over the decades. A listener listens with his or her own grid, their own personal history, their own worldview, their own opinions of a given situation. Though the best of us may think we are, none of us are entirely objective. We hear words and then interpret them according to our own personal grid through which we define reality.

When Rivera actually said, “Quarterback” many (including myself) actually assumed he meant Carson Wentz. We assumed he was talking only about Washington being 1-4 this 2022 season.

However, his explanation that followed unveiled Rivera making references to last season as well. It was then I was reminded of another truth I learned decades ago, “Context is king”. Humans speak and write in language, yet the context determines the nuance and specificity of how those words are intended to be understood.

Thus, when Coach Ron said, “Quarterback” we all assumed he meant solely Carson Wentz. Closer listening to the explanation should have revealed to more of us Ron was answering from his own personal history as Washington’s coach.

Ron became coach in 2020 and who was his “quarterback?” Dwayne Haskins, whom he benched, then Kyle Allen who became injured, then Alex Smith who bless his heart, his leg couldn’t hold up. So he went back to Haskins, benched, and cut Haskins, going with Taylor Heinicke.

In 2021, Rivera started Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitz lasted all of six pass attempts before a hip injury sidelined him for the season. Six pass attempts from his starter! Thus he went to Heinicke before a positive COVID test sidelined Heinicke. Garrett Gilbert started at Philadelphia. Heinicke returned to start and was pulled two games for Allen, hoping for more success.

This season, yes, Carson Wentz had started and played all five games, and Rivera honestly admitted Wentz had struggled in a few games. But that wasn’t enough; most of us ASSUMED he could only mean Wentz when in his explanation pointed elsewhere as well.

Why is Rivera so upset?

Because when he initially responded with one word, “quarterback” we assumed he meant one person. In actuality he meant ONE POSITION and several people.

Rivera is also upset with himself for choosing to initially answer with one word. Regardless of how well he has later explained himself, his explanation is not accepted. Add to that an ESPN report challenging Rivera’s manhood, presenting him as Snyder’s puppet, and you bet I understand why Coach Ron is upset.

Even more, sports analysts including former Washington quarterback Alex Smith went on television Monday night, waxing eloquently on Rivera’s one-word initial answer, “quarterback.” They proceeded to pile on Rivera, all the while apparently blind to the irony; they were revealing they simplistically focused on one word, entirely ignoring his explanation. They were guilty of equating their interpretation with the truth of what Rivera had actually said.

Welcome to the human race.

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Commanders escape with win over Bears: Everything we know

Washington holds on for a 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears.

The NFL apparently saves the worst games of the week for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. The Washington Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears, 12-7, on the latest installment of Thursday night action.

The Commanders went into halftime holding a 3-0 lead after accumulating just 88 yards of total offense in the first half.

The action picked up in the second half, sort of, as the Bears scored the game’s first touchdown when quarterback Justin Fields found wide receiver Dante Pettis for a 40-yard touchdown to put the Bears on top.

Ultimately, everything came down to the fourth quarter when Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. scored his first NFL touchdown to give Washington a 12-7 lead, which proved to be enough.

Here is everything we know from Washington’s win over Chicago.

Commanders final drive ends in disappointment in loss to Titans

The final drive began with such hope and ended with a familiar disappointment for the Commanders.

Carson Wentz’s pass intended for J.D. McKissic was intercepted by David Long Jr. sealing a 21-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans at FedEx Field in Landover.

The Commanders had started their final possession on their own 11-yard line with 4:46 remaining. Brian Robinson ran for two yards for a first down at the Washington 22. Robinson again ran for two yards to the 33 for a second first down.

Wentz connected with Curtis Samuel for eight yards for a third first down at the Washington 48 at 1:58. From the Titans 47, Wentz ran eight yards for a fourth first down at the Titans 39.

Terry McLaurin broke a tackle, gaining 10 yards on a reception from Wentz to the Titans’ 29 with 53 seconds on the clock. 3rd & 5 from the 24, Wentz again went to Samuel for eight yards to the 16 for the fifth first down of the drive. 24 seconds remained.

McLaurin then was covered on a Wentz incompletion, yet the Commanders received a huge break from the officials calling pass interference. Ist & Goal at the 2.

Wentz threw two incompletions as Washington did not appear to try to take advantage of size with high passes to Cole Turner or Cam Sims, setting the stage for the interception on a pass into a cluttered area of defenders.

The 18-play 89-yard drive had anemically died, and so too has most likely the 2022 season in the Commanders’ fourth consecutive loss.

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Cooley: Commanders must rally to Derrick Henry…all day

Chris Cooley offers his outstanding insight into Washington’s Week 5 game against the Titans.

Chris Cooley knows football; he is worth giving your attention. So, here are excerpts from Cooley’s preview of the Commanders Week 5 game when he appeared on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast Friday.

“If they are down 20 points in this game, they are a bad team. Tennessee is in no way the Tennessee Titans they have been the last five years.”

“How do you not keep A.J. Brown if you are Tennessee? … It’s a massive loss. They have nobody that takes the top off of a defense now.”

“Let’s do the obvious, obvious. Derrick Henry cannot have a 220-yard plus game and just gash you all day. If that happens, that is embarrassing.”

He (Henry) is as good a running back as we’ve seen in a long time. He is amazing. Let’s overload boxes here. Let’s out-do numbers as a defense. Let’s make sure we play them in a more condensed space. Let’s make it hard for them to run the ball. ”

“I think if they can keep Derrick Henry under 5 yards a carry, that Tennessee is not going to score a lot of points. Let’s not allow Henry to have two big ones…Let’s make sure we wrap up and wait for the second guy to come. And for the first guy, you might suck a few times; Derrick Henry is going to knock your head off, so just hold his leg.”

“If you don’t focus on gap control, he also has very good vision. You’ve got to try to play it at the line of scrimmage…If you can get him to make his second cut within one yard then nobody is that unless you are Barry Sanders.”

“When they give him that little toss, you can’t let him get to the edge in one-on-one situations. You’ve got to rally to the ball all day.”

“Here is how I am going to attack (the Commanders’ defense). I am going to go with some run-action stuff. I am also going to run the ball early in the game. I am going to attack Kendall Fuller in the intermediate range early…I think Kendall Fuller right now is a guy I would attack a lot on the outside.”

I am going to go vertical early on William Jackson, asking ‘Can you play it without holding?’ You can’t have five penalties that allow for big plays.”

“Offensively, you have to get the receivers going earlier. You have to get touches to your receivers in the first quarter. Move Samuel some into the backfield and get mismatches.”

“Going to have to pick up pressures and blitzes. Washington has struggled immensely to pass off pressures and blitzes. Tennessee will blitz them to keep the back in. They will bring a lot of 5 and 6-man pressures. Washington has not picked up the blitz well, and Tennessee is going to blitz them.”

Commanders QB Wentz: ‘Urgency, but no panic’

Carson Wentz acknowledged Washington’s sense of urgency but insisted there is no panic.

Carson Wentz is quite aware there is an urgency, but he insists there is no panic.

Wentz met with the media Wednesday. Here is part one of the presser.

In seeing Brian Robinson Jr back out there today, Wentz responded, “Knowing what he went through and how quickly he is already back on the field, is definitely a blessing for sure. Who he is, what he brings, the energy he brings, the type of player he is I think everyone is excited to see him out there running around again.”

After a season-opening win, the last three games have been a struggle for Wentz. He is not running from the reality.

“There are plays out there that I could have made. Definitely missed some and some different things I could do to help this team to keep drives going. I’m trying to keep getting better, and finding ways to stay on the field and convert some third downs and things like that. Wasn’t my best but that’s the beauty of this league. You turn the page real quick, and you are onto the next (game).”

Having to play behind a constantly changing offensive line due to injuries is not easy on an NFL quarterback. “There are injuries, things happen and things change. You have to adjust on the fly sometimes in-game. The beauty of it is I’ve seen these guys since OTA’s, through training camp, and how they compete. Nothing but confidence in those guys filling in and nothing but confidence in coaches getting them right and getting them ready. I can get the ball out when I have to get the ball out. Pick and choose my battles and when to extend plays and those types of things.”

Receiver Jahan Dotson strained a hamstring Sunday and might not be available against the Titans.

“He is a playmaker and plays fast. Does a lot for us on the offensive side. If he’s not ready to go, same kind of thing as the O-Line. Nothing but confidence in the guys that we have. We feel that we have some very good depth at that position and guys that can step up and make plays.”

The Commanders certainly didn’t foresee losing three straight games.

“Obviously we know the skid so to speak that we have been on. We have to find a way to win. Patience only lasts so long. There is no sense of panic or chaos around here.  We know how we played, and it wasn’t up to our standards, but at the same time, we have a ton of confidence. We have seen spurts of what we are capable of, and for us, it’s just now, can we go be consistent and do it? We know the sense of urgency that there is, but there is no panic by any means.”

Commanders make moves to bolster offensive line depth

The Washington Commanders made another offensive line move Tuesday.

The Washington Commanders made two personnel moves Tuesday, attempting to strengthen their offensive line depth.

With the Commanders offensive line struggling, they signed guard Keaton Sutherland to the practice squad. To make room for Sutherland, the Commanders released center Jon Toth.

Sutherland, age 25, (6-5, 315) played his college ball at Texas A&M.

Undrafted, the Bengals signed Sutherland as a free agent before waiving him, then bringing him back in 2019. He appeared in one game, was waived, and then claimed by the Dolphins, playing in three games in the season.

Back the Bengals went Sutherland, playing in one game in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

The 49ers signed Sutherland in March for the 2022 season; however, the former Texas A&M Aggie was released on Sept. 13.

Toth (6-5, 310), 28, has six games of NFL experience with Washington during the 2021 season.

The former Kentucky Wildcat was in on 17 special teams snaps last season and 7 offensive snaps.

The Commanders brought in center Nick Martin two weeks ago, and he started against Dallas in Week 4.

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Commanders, Wentz disappoint again vs Dallas

It’s another disappointing week for the Commanders, who, quite simply, aren’t very good.

For the third consecutive week, Carson Wentz and the Washington Commanders didn’t get the job done, falling 25-10 to the Dallas Cowboys.

The game was in Texas; everything is big in Texas. Or so some of the Washington brass thought anyway. The Commanders thought it a big deal they were wearing an alternate black uniform, going against the tradition of wearing some combinations of burgundy and gold. You know, the actual team colors for the 90-year history?

Daniel and Tanya Snyder were front and present, seen lapping up the atmosphere down on the field with Jerry Jones in his “JerryWorld” stadium.

It was a football game, and in the end, the story is never the uniforms, the owners showing up, the point spread, or the mass of media predictions and pregame shows.

Plain and simple, the Commanders (1-3) are not as good as the Cowboys (3-1). You know, the team who lost Dak Prescott in Week 1 and was written off as eliminated from playoff contention? It’s a team game, and the Cowboys quarterback and Cowboys defense are better.

Washington’s quarterback Carson Wentz had some sort of aversion to stepping up into the pocket (when there was one). He preferred to fall back, not plant his feet on throws and thus suffered (again) from a lack of accuracy.

Wentz attempted 42 passes and only gained 170 yards for an anemic 4.0 yards per attempt. Wentz’s counterpart Cooper Rush attempted 27 passes completing 15 for 223 yards for a much more efficient 8.3 yards per attempt. Wentz had two more interceptions and a touchdown pass. Rush countered with two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

The Washington defense came into the game giving up big plays. So, on the first drive, they gave up a 31-yard pass to Ezekiel Elliott. They also permitted a 30-yarder to CeeDee Lamb and a 45-yarder to Noah Brown.

If you watched the two games last season, one single glaring characteristic remained true in this first game between the two teams this season. The Dallas pass rush is visibly accomplished by much more explosive athletes. Thus, the Cowboys recorded 11 QB hits, 6 TFL and 2 sacks. Washington looked much slower choosing to rush Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams instead of Shaka Toney in passing situations.

Washington outrushed Dallas 142-62 providing balance, yet the offensive line several times didn’t protect Wentz well. When the line did protect well enough, Wentz simply was not good enough.

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