Tag: 2024 nfl season

Commanders vs. Cardinals: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 4

Three reasons for optimism for the Commanders in Week 4.

The Washington Commanders (2-1) are on the road for the second consecutive week and third time this season, as they face the Arizona Cardinals (1-2) in the desert on Sunday.

Washington is coming off a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Quarterback Jayden Daniels had arguably the best single-game performance for a rookie in NFL history, completing 91% of his passes for 254 yards and accounted for three combined touchdowns.

Heading into the matchup with the Cardinals, Washington hasn’t punted since Week 1. The Commanders have scored on all 13 offensive possessions over the past two games, excluding three kneel-downs.

This week, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury returns to Arizona, where he was the head coach for quarterback Kyler Murray’s first four seasons.

Can the Commanders make it three in a row?

We look at three reasons they should be optimistic ahead of Week 4.

Jayden Daniels

This one is simple. Daniels has put the Commanders on his back through three weeks. While he doesn’t lead Washington in rushing, he is the key to its running attack. Anytime the Commanders need a first down, Daniels often finds a way to get it to keep drives alive, which is a big reason why we haven’t seen much of punter Tress Way.

Over the course of three games, Kingsbury has opened up more of the passing game for Daniels, who kicked the door down on Monday night. His two deep completions to Terry McLaurin were game-changing plays. The 27-yard touchdown pass with two minutes remaining clinched it for Washington.

At some point, Daniels will face adversity, but Washington has no reason to believe he won’t pass that test, too.

Momentum

Momentum means a lot in football. The Commanders enter Sunday riding high after winning their last two games. Some of Washington’s offensive success in unsustainable. The Commanders will eventually turn the ball over and they’ll eventually punt. That will put more stress on Daniels and the offense when that happens because of the defensive struggles.

Washington’s offensive line is playing reasonably well. Last week, other receivers stepped up, such as Luke McCaffrey and Noah Brown. Zach Ertz continues to be a trusted target for Daniels. Kingsbury put more on film for defenses to worry about last week. That should help the Commanders this week as it forces Arizona to prepare for virtually everything.

The Lions’ effect

Hear me out. It’s a recent trend for teams that play the rugged Detroit Lions one week, struggle the following week. The Los Angeles Rams and Lions battled down to the wire in Week 1. The following week, the Cardinals destroyed the Rams, 41-10.

In Week 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly beat the Lions, but in Week 3, the Bucs were shockingly dominated by the Denver Broncos. So, if we go by those recent trends, Arizona could be in for a rough week against Washington. Detroit is a physical team, arguably the NFL’s most physical team, so there is something to their style wearing teams down.

Texans to face struggling Trevor Lawrence entering Week 4

Trevor Lawrence’s struggles might bode well in favor of the Houston Texans getting back to their winning ways.

Trevor Lawrence might be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history after signing his extension earlier this offseason, but much like his new salary, something hasn’t kicked in yet.

Maybe that’s a win for the Houston Texans as they return to NRG Stadium in Week 4 for their second divisional game of the young season.

Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June– including $200 million in guarantees — hasn’t lived up to the billing as a ‘can’t-miss No. 1 overall pick” to begin the 2024 season. Right now, the former No. 1 overall pick is missing easy targets, thus allowing opponents to pull away.

https://twitter.com/NFL_Memes/status/1838428511104626913

Through three games, Lawrence is off to his worst start as a pro. His 52.8 completion percentage is the worst in four years, while his 186.7 yards per game also marks a career-low.

In Monday’s 47-10 blowout loss against the Buffalo Bills, Lawrence’s 178 passing yards marked the second-lowest total of the season and 11th all-time. His interception thrown to Damar Hamlin was about as ugly as one pass can look in space.

Texans fans have relished in Lawrence’s regression this season, especially after hearing how C.J. Stroud would struggle in his sophomore campaign. That’s partly true since last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year is off to a slow start, but it’s only Year 2 compared to Year 4.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1838376320935563431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1838376320935563431%7Ctwgr%5Efed20320df28d02de1b594a90ebd0b58eb721fe1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chron.com%2Fsports%2Ftexans%2Farticle%2Ftrevor-lawrence-jaguars-texans-19789075.php

Some believe Lawrence could be benched after a rocky start entering what feels like a must-win game. Should the Texans capitalize early, perhaps Lawrence will sit in the fourth quarter knowing that the game is out of reach.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

 

Rich Eisen says Bucs were ‘ready to stick it’ to Bo Nix

Bo Nix said last week the Broncos would try to get back on track against the Bucs. Tampa Bay’s defenders apparently took that personally.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix continues to receive praise for his career game on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“There’s something about Bo Nix I like,” Rich Eisen said on Tuesday’s edition of The Rich Eisen Show.

Eisen said the Bucs had what they believed was bulletin board material from Nix’s comments last week.

“I heard Nix saying, ‘If we just beat the Buccaneers, we can use it as a starting point.’ … I heard (what Nix said) did not sit well in Tampa. They were kind of ready to stick it to the rookie, and Sean Payton and Bo Nix hit them in the mouth to start and kept hitting ’em, and then knocked ’em out.”

In the game against the Bucs, Nix went 25-of-36 for 216 yards with no turnovers, adding nine rushes for 47 yards and a score, a far cry from the first two weeks of the season.

“The beat-up moments from the first two weeks lead to him having the fortitude to go on the road (and win),” Eisen said of the QB’s performance.

With the win, Denver improved to 1-2.

“Kudos to the Broncos, man,” Eisen said. “The first road win for a rookie quarterback (of the 2024 season) belongs to Bo Nix.”

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Broncos opponents have gone 8-1 this season

The Broncos are 1-2, but their first three opponents are a combined 8-1 this season. Now, can Denver upset the Jets?

The Denver Broncos have started the 2024 NFL season with a 1-2 record, but the three teams they’ve faced are a combined 8-1. That prompted Nate Davis to opine in his weekly power rankings: “Maybe they’re due a little more respect.”

In their season opener, the Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks (3-0) by six points (26-20) on the road. Through three weeks, Seattle’s defense is ranked fourth in points allowed (14.3 per game) and second in yards allowed (248.7 YPG).

In Week 2, Denver lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) by seven points (13-6) at home. Pittsburgh’s defense ranks first in points allowed (8.7 PPG) and first in yards allowed (229.7 YPG).

On Sunday, the Broncos handed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) their first loss of the season with a convincing 19-point victory (26-7). Tampa Bay’s defense was not nearly as formidable as the squads Denver faced in the first two weeks of the season. The Bucs rank 16th in points allowed (20.7 PPG) and 26th in yards allowed (371.3 YPG).

It remains to be seen if Tampa Bay will be a playoff contender in the NFC this season, but the Seahawks and Steelers appear to be legit, especially on defense. So, where does that leave the Broncos?

On deck this week is a road game against the New York Jets (2-1), who rank eighth in points allowed (17.3 PPG) and seventh in yards allowed (280 YPG). If Denver’s offense manages to move the ball and score points in New Jersey like it did in Florida, Broncos Country will have hope that 2024 won’t be a lost season.

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NFL’s 12 highest-salaried QBs, from Dak Prescott to Kirk Cousins, off to rough starts in 2024

It’s a very small sample size, but the NFL season isn’t long to begin with. So it’s noteworthy how the top-paid QBs are struggling to start 2024. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Small sample sizes are tough to wrap ones head around. On one hand, the NFL regular season is just 17 weeks long. Three weeks are almost 20% of the season. On the other hand, it’s just three weeks. Still, if one can’t take stock entering Week 4 than what’s the point of a stock report?

When looking around the NFL landscape of quarterbacks, probably the hardest single position to play in all of professional team sports, the pay isn’t matching up to the performance in the early going of the 2024 season. At least when it comes to the top third of highest-paid quarterbacks.

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen’s teams are a combined 6-0 on the young season. However, they both sit outside the top 12. The quarterbacks who have all signed in the wake of the mammoth deals signed in Kansas City and Buffalo respectfully are off to a rough start.

From Dallas QB Dak Prescott, who inked a $60 million extension right before the season began, to Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins and his $45 million a year pact, the teams of the top 12 highest-paid quarterbacks have a lowly 12-21 combined record through three weeks.

Limit the scope to the top-five highest paid and it’s even worse. Prescott, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa are a combined 2-10 when starting.

Quarterback Team Record as Starter Average Salary
Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys 1-2 $60 million
Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals 0-3 $55 million
Jordan Love Green Bay Packers 0-1 $55 million
Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars 0-3 $55 million
Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins 1-1 $53.1 million
Jared Goff Detroit Lions 2-1 $53 million
Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers 2-1 $52.5 million
Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens 1-2 $52 million
Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles 2-1 $51 million
Kyler Murray Arizona Cardinals 1-2 $46.1 million
Dehaun Watson Cleveland Browns 1-2 $46 million
Kirk Cousins Atlanta Falcons 1-2 $45 million

For now, this is just an interesting stat.

QB salaries aren’t tiered in order of who is the best at any given moment. It’s a cyclical representation of whether or not a team believes a QB is good enough to steward a trip to a championship.

Quality QBs are so rare, that just the potential to be that guy for a franchise will put him atop the totem pole when his contract is renegotiated. The stark reality of the NFL for the last 25 years is that its very rare for any quarterback to ascend to that status. Between Mahomes and the recently retired Tom Brady, there’s been a Boys Club for Lombardi hoisters. Those two have combined for 10 Super Bowl wins; in that span only 10 other QBs have won championships in that quarter of a century.

If a team wants to play hardball instead of ponying up the cash, they either have to use the franchise tag, which will pay the QB the average of the top five salaries, or see another team give the QB the contract they wouldn’t.

For now, again, these teams aren’t seeing the wins one would hope are associated with such an expensive investment. There’s still 14 more games to go, though, so a check-in later in the season is absolutely warranted.

Commanders elevate two from practice squad ahead of Monday Night Football

Washington elevates two players to the 53-man roster ahead of MNF.

It’s gameday and the Washington Commanders are set to face the Cincinnati Bengals on the Week 3 edition of Monday Night Football.

Ahead of Monday night, the Commanders elevated two players from the practice squad: Cornerback Bobby Price and defensive end Andre Jones Jr.

Price, 26, was signed to the practice squad after the initial 53-man roster was finalized. The Commanders elevated Price to the gameday roster before last week’s game against the New York Giants. He did not play on defense, but did participate in eight snaps on specials teams.

Price’s ascension gives Washington depth, with cornerback Emmanuel Forbes likely out another week.

Jones, a seventh-round pick in 2023, will see his first action of the season. Starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who also leads the Commanders in sacks (two), is out with a knee injury.

Former first-round pick Jamin Davis should see increased snaps at edge rusher against the Bengals after not playing last week.

What channel is Commanders vs. Bengals on today? Time, TV streaming info to watch Week 3 game

Here is all the info you need to watch the Commanders vs. Bengals on Monday Night Football.

The Washington Commanders (1-1) and Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) clash in the Week 3 edition of Monday Night Football in The Queen City.

There are two Monday night games in Week 3, with the Commanders/Bengals scheduled to kickoff 45 minutes after the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.

Washington won its first game of 2024 last week, defeating the New York Giants, 21-18, behind seven Austin Seibert field goals. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for a career-high 133 yards, and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels played mistake-free football. Red-zone penalties helped keep the Commanders out of the end zone.

Cincinnati looks for its first win after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as time expired. The Bengals received positive injury news this week, as wide receiver Tee Higgins will make his 2024 debut.

Here’s how to watch the Commanders game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

What channel is Commanders vs. Bengals game on today? Time, TV schedule

TV Channel: ABC

Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET

Commanders vs. Bengals will broadcast nationally on ABC in Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call the game from the booth at Paycor Stadium, with Lisa Salters reporting from the sidelines.

Where to watch Commanders vs. Bengals on livestream

Streaming options for the game include and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

For FUBO:

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Commanders vs. Bengals predictions, picks, odds

Bengals 31, Commanders 20: The Bengals will jump on the Commanders early, but Washington’s defense will adjust and make some stops. Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson Jr. will help Washington claw back into the game before Cincinnati pulls away in the fourth quarter. Daniels and Joe Burrow will have big games.

ODDS: Bengals by 7.5 points

O/U: 47

All NFL Odds via BetMGM.

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Commanders schedule 2024

  • Sept. 8: at Tampa Bay (L, 37-20)
  • Sept. 15: New York Giants (W, 21-18)
  • Sept. 23: at Cincinnati
  • Sept. 29: at Arizona
  • Oct. 6:  Cleveland
  • Record: 1-1

Bengals schedule 2024

  • Sept. 8: New England (L, 16-10)
  • Sept. 15: at Kansas City (L, 26-25)
  • Sept. 23: Washington
  • Sept. 29: at Carolina
  • Oct. 6: Baltimore
  • Record: 0-2

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What is the Commanders’ biggest roster need ahead of Week 3?

What have we learned is the Commanders’ biggest roster need through two games?

Entering the NFL offseason, you could argue that no NFL team — outside of the Carolina Panthers — had more roster holes than the Washington Commanders.

General manager Adam Peters had his hands full this offseason, added over 20 free agents and drafted nine players in the 2024 NFL draft. While Peters couldn’t address every Washington need, he did address the most important one: Quarterback.

Jayden Daniels has played well through two weeks, often putting the team on his back. However, other positions remain a problem for Washington.

What are the Commanders’ most significant needs? Some would say cornerback, edge rusher, offensive tackle, or wide receiver.

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports recently analyzed all 32 NFL rosters after two weeks, including naming each team’s biggest roster need. For Washington, Edwards said it was offensive tackle.

After taking LSU’s Jayden Daniels as the quarterback of the future, the Commanders also need a left tackle of the future after releasing Charles Leno. Cornelius Lucas and Andrew Wylie saw most of the action as the starting offensive tackles. Each player ranks among the 30 highest beaten rates, according to TruMedia, which essentially illustrates how often the opposition wins the rep.

Edge rusher would be the other area at which they should throw future assets after sacrificing Chase Young and Montez Sweat in the rebuild.

Offensive tackle remains a major need. Even if rookie Brandon Coleman proves to be a future starter, the Commanders will need another starting offensive tackle next offseason. Wylie and Lucas are free agents after the season.

While CBS said offensive tackle, we believe it’s either edge rusher or cornerback. Have you seen Washington’s defense through two weeks? The Commanders may need two starting outside cornerbacks next offseason and certainly need a game-wrecker on the edge.

It’s early, and sometimes, your need list looks much different in January than in September. Over the next few months, it will be interesting to follow the development of some of Washington’s young players at these key positions.

Kingsbury discusses Terry McLaurin, Commanders’ passing game

The offensive coordinator understands the passing game must improve and it starts with him.

“Defensive coordinators are smart; they’re going to try to take him away, there’s no doubt.”

That was how Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury responded during his press conference when asked about Terry McLaurin’s lack of production thus far in 2024.

Thirty-nine receiving yards in two games for McLaurin is tough to imagine, even more to swallow. It has come on eight receptions, which means McLaurin is averaging a paltry 4.9 yards a reception. Re-read that: 4.9 yards is not a carry but a reception.

Kingsbury responded, “That’s my job to find ways to answer that. So far, I haven’t done a great job of it. For me and the staff we have to be better moving forward.”

That was Kingsbury in public, taking the blame on himself. In private, you know he has shown Daniels how he has missed McLaurin being open for some big plays as these two shown here.

Who would have thought that through the first two games, and McLaurin has played the majority of the games, his longest reception would be for only 12 yards?

Since coming to Washington in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, McLaurin has not only led Washington in receiving but has also gained 1,000 receiving yards in each of his last four NFL seasons (2020-23).

Thirty-nine receiving yards for Terry McLaurin? It’s not like the quarterback is injured and unable to throw. Jayden Daniels has completed 40 passes for 410 yards, which averages 20 completions for 205 passing yards a game.

McLaurin really showed himself to be a team leader in his days with the Commanders. But even more, he has arrived on stage at some of the big Washington games and had productive performances.

Interestingly enough, when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels met with the press on Thursday, Daniels acknowledged McLaurin has been a team leader and that this team needs to get him the ball more often. Yet he surprisingly added the comment that if they didn’t, “we are going to keep playing our game, keep moving forward, and just go from there.”

 

Commanders kicker Austin Seibert named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

The dream week continues for Austin Seibert.

It’s been a week for new Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert to remember. Signed last Tuesday to replace Cade York, who struggled in his only game for Washington, Seibert made all seven field goal attempts in Sunday’s win over the Giants. Included among those seven field goals was the game-winner as time expired.

Seibert’s dream week continued Wednesday, as he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 2.

The 27-year-old Seibert was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2019 NFL draft. He has spent time with the Browns, Bengals, Lions, Saints and two stints with the Jets. It was during his second stint with the Jets that Washington paid close attention to Seibert during this summer’s joint practice and preseason game.

Here’s some Seibert highlights from Sunday:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1835740438772302160

Seibert’s seven field goals made in one game is second in NFL history to Rob Bironas, who set the record back in 2007. Seibert is one of 10 kickers to make seven field goals in a game.

Seibert is the seventh kicker in Washington history to win the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.