Tag: 2023 NFL preseason

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.

6 Commanders to watch in preseason finale vs. Bengals

Here are six offensive players who could force their way on the 53-man roster with a strong showing in the preseason finale.

The Washington Commanders host the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday in the final preseason game for both teams. The Bengals will not play any of their starters, while the Commanders will play only a select few starters.

Head coach Ron Rivera didn’t confirm which starters would play. Quarterback Sam Howell will not play and veteran Jacoby Brissett will get the start. Brissett will play around a quarter before departing, allowing Jake Fromm the opportunity to finish the game.

This game represents the final opportunity for those players on the roster bubble to impress coaches and either earn a spot on the 53-man roster, or the practice squad.

There aren’t a lot of openings on the 53-man roster. However, the bottom of the depth chart at some positions, such as wide receiver, defensive end and the offensive line remain unsettled.

We’ve identified six bubble players with something to prove Saturday. We didn’t include players like defensive Andre Jones Jr. because we believe he’s already made the roster.

How to watch Bengals vs. Commanders: Time, TV and streaming info for preseason Week 3

Here’s everything you need to know in order to watch, stream or listen to the Commanders’ final preseason game against the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals head to FedEx Field to face the Washington Commanders on Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams.

On the surface, this would appear to be an exciting matchup as the Bengals, led by franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. However, Burrow is hurt and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said none of his starters would play in the final preseason game.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Friday that only a select number of his starters would play and they wouldn’t play long. That means no Sam Howell. Rivera confirmed Jacoby Brissett would start at quarterback and play around a quarter. Jake Fromm will play the rest of the way.

Saturday’s finale is all about bubble players looking to make one last impression before Tuesday’s cutdown day.

Below is everything you need to know in order to catch the game on TV or streaming.

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Commanders – Aug. 26, 6:05 p.m. ET

TV channel: NBC4 in Washington, D.C.

Streaming: FuboTV (try it free), NFL+

Radio: BIG 100 [Washington, D.C], SiriusXM NFL Radio

Location: FedEx Field

Forecast: Mostly sunny, 87 degrees, N 5 mph wind, per The Weather Channel

Referee: Shawn Hochuli

Odds: Commanders -3, O/U 34.5, per BetMGM

Commanders to start quarterback Jacoby Brissett in preseason finale

Only a select few starters will play and not for long.

After playing the starter for the entire first half in Monday’s preseason win over the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is opting for a different approach in the exhibition finale.

The Commanders host the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has said his starters will not play. On Friday, Rivera said none of his defensive starters would play and only a select few offensive players would start.

As for quarterback, veteran Jacoby Brissett gets the nod and will play around a quarter. Starting quarterback Sam Howell gets the day off, and Jake Fromm will relieve Brissett and finish the game.

Brissett has played in the first two preseason games throwing an interception in each game. Brissett was mostly sharp in the preseason opener against the Browns but less so in last week’s win over the Ravens.

The Commanders know what they have in Brissett. He doesn’t necessarily need to play in the preseason finale, but Washington would like for Brissett to get some more game reps before giving way to Fromm.

The only question surrounding the quarterback position is how many QBs the Commanders will keep on the 53-man roster next week?

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.”

Some injury updates for the Commanders ahead of the final preseason game

The Commanders are dealing with multiple injuries, but nothing serious.

The Washington Commanders take the field for their final preseason game on Saturday when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town. There isn’t a lot of intrigue surrounding the game, as the Commanders have several players dealing with injuries. The Bengals and almost every other NFL team likely are, too, as teams prepare for next week’s deadline to trim the roster to 53 players.

Before practice on Thursday, head coach Ron Rivera gave some updates on multiple Commanders dealing with injuries.

Wide receiver Dax Milne, who is battling for one of the final spots at wide receiver, is dealing with an injury he suffered in Monday’s preseason game against the Ravens.

“Dax Milne suffered a little bit of a groin injury,” Rivera said. “I don’t want to say more of a setback. He played initially, and near the end, he had a little bit of tightness and stuff like that. He had a little bit of a setback, and we’ll monitor him.”

While the Commanders know Milne well, he is a player who would likely benefit from the final preseason game.

What about tight end Logan Thomas?

[Defensive tackle] Phidarian [Mathis] and Logan [Thomas] are both continuing to rehab and treat their calf injuries,” Rivera said. “I know you guys saw Logan out there doing individual, he’ll come out and do some individual as well. He’s progressed very, very nicely.”

Thomas sounds like he is close to a return.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who injured his toe in Monday’s game, remains day-to-day. The Commanders are obviously going to be extremely cautious with McLaurin and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen [plantar fasciitis] and keep them sidelined until preparation for Week 1 begins. There is no need to push either.

Rivera also offered a positive update on defensive end Chase Young, who suffered a stinger in the preseason opener two weeks ago.

“It was good to see Chase out on the field,” he said. “We did some work. We let everybody know that we are keeping our heads out of contact so he can get some work and continue with his rehab. We are just waiting on his final exam to get him back out on the field.”

Young has been doing almost everything except contact, so he should be back for Week 1.

Starting cornerback Kendall Fuller has also been dealing with knee soreness. Like McLaurin and Allen, it’s best to rest Fuller instead of pushing him. Washington knows what it has in Fuller.

A long list of “nicks,” as Rivera called it last week, but fortunately, nothing is serious. The Commanders and the rest of the NFL will trim rosters from 90 to 53 players next Tuesday, and then attention turns to Week 1.

Why did Jamin Davis and Cody Barton play so much in the second preseason game?

Rivera talks the progress of his starting linebackers.

The Washington Commanders played their offensive starters for the entire first half of Monday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. However, defensively, Washington sat all but three projected starters: Linebackers Jamin Davis and Cody Barton and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

It made sense why the Commanders chose to give Forbes an extended look. They want the first-round pick to have as many game reps as possible heading into the season opener next month.

But why were Barton and Davis still on the field in the second quarter with other backups?

According to head coach Ron Rivera, it was to get the two familiar with playing with one another. That’s what Rivera said after Monday’s game, which makes plenty of sense, considering the linebacker position requires constant communication.

“I think the biggest thing for Cody…….is getting used to the style of play,” Rivera said. “We’re a little different from his time in Seattle, and yet we do some very similar things in terms of coverages. But some of our downhill techniques are some of the things that he’s got to get used to. The first game, you saw him, he was really good with it. The second game, I think he was kind of a little hesitant to really get downhill. One of the mistakes you got to be careful when you try to be right and fit it correctly, and that guy cuts back; now you put yourself in a bad spot.

Barton earned praise from Washington legend Doc Walker, a longtime analyst for the team, when he watched practices earlier this summer. Overall, Rivera is pleased with Barton’s progress.

“He’s done a nice job, I think, assimilating and trying to get a grasp of that. What was really good to watch was his play speed, his quickness to adjust and to make up for that little hesitation. I loved his communication, not just with Jamin but the whole unit. I think he’s really starting to get a good feel for the guys. It’s one of those things that, again, the more he plays, the more reps he gets, the better he’s going to be for us.”

Rivera is really pleased with Davis, the former first-round pick entering the third year of his career.

“Very pleased with Jamin,” Rivera said. “He’s playing faster. He’s more confident. You see his run, hit and tackle. He’s still really good at that. I thought the some of the coverage stuff; he did a nice job of putting himself in position. Really pleased with the progress.”

Considering Davis and Barton are expected to be Washington’s starting linebackers, and Barton is new, the preseason reps are important. Davis took a step forward last season after struggling as a rookie. Washington hopes he takes another step in 2023. If that happens, the Commanders have a chance to be even better on defense.

 

 

10 players on Commanders’ roster bubble heading into final preseason game

Which players head into Saturday’s preseason finale on the roster bubble?

Two preseason games are in the books, and NFL teams will wrap up the 2023 preseason this weekend. Following this weekend’s slate of games, teams will then turn their attention to making final roster cuts by next Tuesday, Aug. 29.

The Washington Commanders meet the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday to finish their preseason. It’s unknown if head coach Ron Rivera plans to play his starters, but if he does, it won’t be for long. Saturday’s preseason finale will be about those players on the roster bubble attempting to make one last impression for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Here are 10 players on the roster bubble with less than a week until cutdown day.

Commanders PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. Ravens in preseason game

Jake Fromm was among those who stood out in Monday’s preseason game vs. Baltimore.

The second preseason game is in the books for the Washington Commanders. Washington ended the Baltimore Ravens’ 24-game preseason winning streak with a last-second 29-28 win on Monday night.

The second game was the dress rehearsal for Washington’s offense in preparation for Week 1. Head coach Ron Rivera played his starting offense, outside of three players, for the entire first half. Quarterback Sam Howell was excellent, completing 19 of 25 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Third-string quarterback Jake Fromm, who played the majority of the second half, led the Commanders to a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives to end Baltimore’s streak.

The Commanders only played three of their defensive starters on the night: Linebackers Jamin Davis and Cody Barton and first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

Here are some of the Commanders’ highest- and lowest-graded players from Week 2 of the preseason.