Tag: 2023 Commanders Draft Class

Why was Commanders loss to Bears so disheartening for fan base?

Is the honeymoon already over? Fans were let down once again.

Thursday’s 40-20 loss to the Bears was one of the more disappointing losses in recent Washington football history.

Why is this the case? Most likely it is because our hopes had been raised by multiple factors. What are those factors?

Sam Howell played well enough in his only 2022 game that we foresaw development this season and improvement at the quarterback position.

Ron Rivera, in the offseason, repeatedly told of how Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin were going to be helping this year’s team create turnovers, which was lacking on the 2022 defensive unit.

Eric Bieniemy was brought in to replace Scott Turner as offensive coordinator. Bieniemy was being presented as an instant, huge improvement over Turner, who could also help in the development of Howell.

Jahan Dotson flashed some really great pass-catching and route-running skills in his rookie season. Dotson would only improve in his second season, causing the offense to have a dynamic duo of wideouts in Dotson and Terry McLaurin.

2022 guards Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell very much underachieved in 2022. So much so that neither was invited back for this season. Sam Cosmi and Saahdiq Charles were said to be very much more athletic, mobile and would bring improvement to the interior of the offensive line as well as mobility in the screen game that terribly struggled in 2022.

Cole Holcomb departed via free agency, but oh, how the Commanders’ brass was happy with the signing of Cody Barton to start for Holcomb at linebacker.

Former owner Daniel Snyder sold the team officially in July. In addition, the new ownership group could not have launched their endeavor any better than they did that first weekend. Josh Harris, Mitch Rales and Mark Ein are local. They spoke of loving the Redskins. They proclaimed with energy they wanted to regain the glory days of the Redskins being one of the most successful franchises during the George Allen (1971-77) and Joe Gibbs (1981-92) seasons. And Earvin “Magic” Johnson would also help, having been such a competitor and team player himself in the NBA. 

Instantly, attendance at training camp soared. Excitement at the home preseason games was swelling. The team began the season with two opening wins. The home schedule saw three sellouts; fans were returning, spending their money because our hopes were rising.

We understood losing to Buffalo and Philadelphia; after all, both of those teams are Super Bowl contenders. So, much of the talk Monday through Wednesday was about how the Commanders were going to win this “must-win” over the Bears. There was even much talk of “by how much” would the Commanders need to win to satisfy the fan base.

Suddenly, the Commanders trailed 17-0. Disappointment became confusion, which led to consternation, anxiety and dread. Then it was 27-3 at the half, and most of us were frustrated, angry, infuriated.

Our hopes had been raised so much, only for the team to again completely dash them. Our emotional balloons had been burst.

Adversity has set in; the honeymoon period is coming to a close. We again hope, hope for a recovery to respectability.

 

Could the Commanders win the NFC East in 2023?

At least one person believes so.

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One publication Thursday actually had the headline “Washington Commanders will win the NFC East.”

With the power and depth the Eagles appear to have, and Dallas also easily finishing ahead of the Giants and Commanders, it was surprising to read the TWSN headline Thursday.

What are the conclusions presented as a rationale for why Washington will win the NFC East in 2023?

Interestingly enough, as the story points out, Washington has still not had a winning season since the 2015 and 2016 teams when Kirk Cousins was the starting quarterback.

The current quarterback, Sam Howell, brings a running threat to the Washington offense they have not had since Robert Griffin in 2012. The weapons that Howell will possess in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, along with a healthy Logan Thomas and Cole Turner, could be significant in Howell’s development.

If Chase Young is fully back from his ACL injury of 2021, the TWSN story states Washington will increase their sack production from last season (2022).

With the development of safeties Darrick Forrest and Kam Curl and the addition of their top two selections being defensive backs, Washington has improved itself athletically in the defensive backfield.

The offense will be significantly different as new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was allowed to hire his own staff, and he brings his offensive philosophy from Kansas City.

The author feels that the Commanders have improved their overall roster and coaching to some degree but that the other three divisional rivals can’t say the same.

He points to Dallas losing Kellen Moore to the Eagles, having lost both coordinators. The Giants, meanwhile, are still struggling to improve at receiver and may not be able to resign running back Saquon Barkley.

Here is the TWSN story in full.

 

Commanders Quan Martin confident he has been prepared for this moment

Martin is confident, ready to help the Commanders this season.

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Jartavius “Quan” Martin thinks he has been prepared for this moment.

Martin, a defensive back out of Illinois, chatted briefly with former Washington cornerback Fred Smoot recently.

Martin revealed his middle name is Daquan, and thus “Quan” became a nickname early in his youth. He also unveiled that he really appreciates his college head coach at Illinois, Lovie Smith.

The Commanders rookie, drafted in the second round of this year’s draft (2023), expressed that he feels he is indebted to Lovie Smith for preparing him to play at this level. He is confident he can take what he learned from the experienced Smith and apply it to the NFL level.

“I will probably start out as a nickel back and move around some after that,” expressed Martin. When Smoot asked Martin how he would describe himself, Martin did not hold back, stating he was “tough, smart, dependable.” “I am just a guy who loves the game who’s going to go out there and do whatever it takes to help this team win by getting the ball back for the offense.”

Hearing his name announced at the draft by London Fletcher, Martin said was an awesome experience for him. He and his family were together in Orlando for the draft, making it a memorable night for Martin when he was drafted in the second round by Washington.

During Covid, Martin said he started cutting his own hair. This led to Martin cutting his roommate’s hair. He told Smoot he likes the fact that he has not paid for his haircuts in three years now.

Growing up in Florida, he loved the football played by Deion Sanders. This led him to choose to wear No. 21 in Youth football, high school and college. Martin understands with that number being retired in honor of the late Sean Taylor; this is his first year he will not be wearing No. 21.

Chris Cooley’s film review of Commanders 2nd-round pick, Quan Martin

Cooley is a big fan of Martin and hopes the Commanders have a defined role for him.

“Did you see he jumped a 44 inch vertical? Do you know how far 44 inches puts you over the rim?”

Those were the first thoughts Chris Cooley expressed on his film review of the Washington Commanders second-round selection Jartavius “Quan” Martin, a defensive back from Illinois.

Cooley was a guest on the Kevin Sheehan Podcast this week, providing film reviews Martin and first-round selection Emmanuel Forbes.

“He moves around, wherever they need him. He’s played a ton.”

“He might be a safety, the more I watch him.”

“Are you taking a guy in the second round because you think he is going to be good somewhere? Or do you have a role for him?”

“I like this pick, and I like a lot about Quan if there is an actual role for him. If in their mind, ‘This is where this dude plays.” Cooley said he doesn’t want Martin to be a guy they try at corner and then settle for safety.

“You don’t take those guys in the first, second, or most likely the third round. You take starters who can be starters that year because you have a position that you know they can fill.”

“The reason I like him at safety is he is fast and has really great hips in transition. He has really great range when he is moving across the field. His red-line to red-line speed is really good.”

“Through the middle of the field, he could be in a straight backpedal, and his turn and pivot to run red-line to red-line is exceptional athletic transition.”

“I think he is a good block shedder. He has a great downhill approach to run-stopping. He makes a ton of TFLs (tackles for a loss) on the other side of the ball.”

“He is a real physical player, fearless.”

“There is something lacking when he is outside in vertical stuff down the field.”

“I didn’t love him in tight-press situations…I don’t think he is a mirror corner. One thing I am sure of, he is not an outside corner.”

 

Chris Cooley’s film review of Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

Cooley says defensive playmakers are hard to find, and Forbes is one.

Former Washington tight end Chris Cooley is again going to conduct a film review of each of the Commanders 2023 draft class.

A guest on the Kevin Sheehan Podcast Wednesday, Cooley began with part one of this film review.

Emmanuel Forbes, CB Mississippi State

“He has unbelievable speed.”

“He is not big, I will tell you that. Is it really that hard to get the dude some Creatine and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Is his metabolism so unbelievably high that they can’t put 15 pounds on him in a year?

“He made a business decision in some of the run-game stuff…He doesn’t have a great block-shed ability. When dudes get their hands on him, he is getting blocked. Now, he does have a good avoid. But I wouldn’t say he is out there yanking dudes around shedding blocks.”

“It only gets harder because it is such a demand for receivers to block in the NFL. And they will, and he is going to get blocked. He is going to have to find a way to get off of these blocks.”

“This is not a deal breaker for me. I would much rather have a guy that can cover than a guy that can shed blocks.”

“You just don’t (easily) get playmakers. It is one of the hardest traits to find in my opinion, especially on defense, and he is one. He has really good instincts. He sees things very well.”

“He jumps throws really well.”

“His off-zone coverage I really like. I think he plays with good hips, good vision on the quarterback, and is able to jump things when the quarterback turns to read or make a throw to the receiver Forbes is working on.”

“There is some potential that he over-commits to things. There is some stuff I would attack him deeper vertically down the field. His recovery speed is pretty good. But he is waiting for a breakpoint at 5 yards, at 10 yards…”

“My last concern with Forbes is that on the turn and run stuff… he gets super handsy. He will potentially get some defensive holding stuff.”

“I do like him in press. He can run, he can press, he has good hips… I think he is an outside guy (corner) right now.”

“You have to take risks to make plays, so I think you have to play with a lot of confidence to take those risks, and that is what I see with Forbes. That is the thing I like about him most. Playmaker who takes risks.”