Tag: Austin Ekeler

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. discusses injury and if he’ll play in Week 13

Will Brian Robinson Jr. be able to play in Week 13?

It’s been a trying year for Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., who was part of a Washington backfield that included him and Austin Ekeler. Robinson looked forward to the 2024 season with Kliff Kingsbury as the offensive coordinator.

Things started well for both backs. Ekeler made multiple big plays throughout the early portion of the season, while Robinson rushed for over 100 yards in two of the first four games.

Then, injuries happened. First, Robinson dealt with a knee injury that cost him the Week 6 game at Baltimore. Unfortunately, Robinson’s hamstring became a problem, too, exacerbated by the fact it was the same leg as the knee injury. That cost him two more games.

Robinson returned for the Week 11 game at Philadelphia, leading the Commanders with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, Robinson injured his ankle on his first carry of the game.

He departed but returned. He would carry the ball two more times before his day was done.

Washington returned to practice Wednesday in preparation for its Week 13 game vs. Tennessee. Robinson was on the practice field, albeit on a limited basis. Still, it was good news, considering he injured his ankle only three days ago.

After practice, Robinson offered an update on his chances of playing Sunday.

“It was a surprising day today, actually,” Robinson said. “I was actually able to go out, put strength on it, and move around. I felt pretty good for what I was doing today. I’m just looking forward to making some great progress this week, which I expect to do. If all goes well, yes, I will play Sunday. I am glad I was able to go out there today and move around and see where I was at. I think I’m in a great spot.”

What did you expect Robinson to say? Players will always push to play. The Commanders need Robinson on Sunday. They will likely be without Ekeler, who suffered his second concussion of the season at the end of Sunday’s game. Also, the Titans possess one of the NFL’s top defenses.

Commanders give injury updates on Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr.

Dan Quinn gives updates on multiple Washington injuries.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn met with the media on Monday, one day after the team’s disappointing 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

If the loss wasn’t bad enough, the Commanders suffered multiple injuries to three of their most important offensive players.

  • RB Austin Ekeler (concussion)
  • RB Brian Robinson Jr. (ankle)
  • RT Andrew Wylie (concussion)

Quinn offered an update all three players.

“Yes, Austin, [I] had a chance to visit with today, and fortunately, last night did all the scans, and that side came back good,” Quinn said. “It certainly was sore, but he will be in the concussion protocol. But man, it was good to see him. Those are scary moments when those concussions like that take place.”

Head injuries are tough to predict. There is no “minor” concussion. And considering this is Ekeler’s second concussion this season, the Commanders will be cautious with him.

Robinson missed three games earlier this season with knee and hamstring injuries. He returned against Philadelphia in Week 11 and rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Robinson injured his ankle on his first carry against Dallas. He returned to the field after getting an X-ray, carried the football two more times, and did not return.

Quinn said Robinson “came in for treatment today, ankle injury to go. We’ll see how much work that he does during the week, so I’ll have a better sense for you as we get further along.”

If both can’t go, Jeremy McNichols takes over as Washington’s lead back. He has played well this season when given an opportunity. Also, the Commanders would likely bring back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who they released on Saturday to make room for rookie defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Rodriguez played a pivotal role in Washington’s second win over the Giants a few weeks back.

Wylie is also in the NFL’s concussion protocol. If Wylie can’t go, Trent Scott is his backup, but Washington could move Cornelius Lucas back to right tackle with a healthy Brandon Coleman at left tackle.

 

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler suffers concussion vs. Cowboys

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion vs. Cowboys.

The Washington Commanders may have lost more than the game in Sunday’s 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Not only did right tackle Andrew Wylie (concussion) and running back Brian Robinson Jr. (ankle) leave the game due to injuries, Washington lost its other top running back, Austin Ekeler, at the end of the game.

Ekeler suffered a brutal hit on the game’s final kickoff with nine seconds remaining. Ekeler lay motionless for a few minutes before getting up and walking off the field under his own power. Both Washington and Dallas players surrounded Ekeler, concerned for his well-being.

After the game, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Ekeler suffered a concussion.

“[GM Adam [Peters] and I just had a chance to visit with him now, so he’ll do more tests tonight, but it was a concussion,” Quinn said. 

This would be Ekeler’s second concussion of the season. He suffered the first one in Washington’s Week 3 win at Cincinnati and missed the following week’s win at Arizona.

The Commanders released running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. after activating rookie defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste from IT. Washington hopes to get Rodriguez back, but another team could claim the talented second-year back.

Washington could be without Robinson and Ekeler next week against Tennessee, so there will be another move at running back. Jeremy McNichols would step back into the starting role. McNichols has thrived when given opportunities this season.

Quick facts from Commanders’ Week 11 loss to Eagles

Some quick numbers and facts from the Commanders’ loss to Eagles.

The Commanders led going into the final quarter and then were totally outplayed in the last 15 minutes, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles 26-18.

Here are some of the quick facts from the fourth loss of the Commanders’ season:

  • The most basic fact is that the Commanders were outscored 20-8 in the final quarter. What’s more, they have been outscored 39-11 in the final quarter in the last three games.
  • For the first time this season, the Commanders have lost two consecutive games.
  • When Jayden Daniels threw an interception in the fourth quarter, it was the first Commanders’ turnover in their last six games.
  • Speaking of six games, the Eagles have now won six straight.
  • The Commanders gave up 228 rushing yards on 40 carries by the Eagles, including 146 yards in 26 carries by Saquon Barkley.
  • The Commanders were out-gained by the Eagles 434 to 264, averaging 4.2 per play to 6.2 for the Eagles.
  • The Commanders were only 3-12 on third downs.
  • The Commanders’ ground game was beaten badly by the Eagles 228-93 yards.
  • Terry McLaurin was shut down tonight, not receiving his first target/reception until 10:27 in the final quarter, with one 10-yard reception.
  • The Commanders’ defense held the Eagles out of the end zone in the first half. This was only the second game this season in which the Eagles have not scored a first-half touchdown.
  • With tonight’s 146 rushing yards, Saquon Barkley now has six games this season where he has rushed for 100+ yards.
  • The Eagles entered the game with 19 sacks during their five-game winning streak, and they added three more tonight.
  • Dante Fowler came into the game with 8.5 sacks this season and eight in the last six games. He did not record a tackle or assist Thursday.
  • Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz led the Commanders in receiving yards with 89 and 47 yards, respectively.
  • It was exactly two years ago tonight that the Commanders went to Lincoln Financial Field and upset the 8-0 Eagles 32-21 on Monday Night Football.
  • With his reception, Terry McLaurin became the sixth player in Washington NFL franchise history with 6,000 receiving yards, joining Art Monk, Charley Taylor, Gary Clark, Santana Moss, and Bobby Mitchell.
  • The Eagles entered the game as a 4.5-point favorite, and with the win tonight, they have now defeated Washington six of the last seven times the two teams have faced each other.
  • Tonight’s game was Zach Ertz’s first game in Philadelphia since being traded by the Eagles to the Cardinals in October 2021.

Commanders lead Eagles 7-3 at halftime

Commanders lead the Eagles 7-3 at halftime.

You were sadly mistaken if you were expecting a shootout on Thursday Night Football between the Washington Commanders (7-3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (7-2). At halftime, the underdog Commanders lead the Eagles 7-3.

The Eagles began the game on offense, but Washington’s defense forced a stop, and Philadelphia kicker Jake Elliott missed a field goal. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders went on offense and went three-and-out.

After an Eagles’ punt, Daniels found running back Austin Ekeler for a short gain and the veteran did the rest, going 34 yards and giving Washington a first down at the Philly 24-yard line. Three plays later, running back Brian Robinson Jr. scored from one yard to give the Commanders an early 7-0 lead.

The Eagles missed another field but made one just before halftime, and that’s about it from an offensive perspective.

Neither quarterback looked particularly strong in the first half. Daniels completed eight of 13 passes for 83 yards. He also rushed for eight yards on three carries.

Jalen Hurts completed 10 of 10 passes for 101 yards. Running back Saquon Barkley has 15 carries for 56 yards, but Washington’s defense has done a good job of getting off the field.

The Eagles won the time of possession battle (18:29/11:31). Philadelphia outgained Washington 174-124.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin does not have one target in the first half.

Washington opens the second half with the football.

NFL Network analyst breaks down Patrick Queen’s performance in Week 10

Patrick Queen’s dominant Week 10 performance, highlighted by Brian Baldinger, showcased his elite skills and playmaking ability.

The Patrick Queen redemption tour seemingly started to take shape in the Steelers’ Week 10 contest against the Washington Commanders.

While the Steelers’ initial acquisition of Queen this past offseason was met with excitement from fans and players alike, his performance through the first eight weeks of the season had been inconsistent, to say the least.

However, Queen’s elite Week 10 performance caught the attention of fans and analysts alike, as NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, host of Baldy’s Breakdowns, highlighted what made Queen so special against Washington on Sunday.

Wherever the ball went, more often than not, Queen was following. His speed and spectacular tackling ability were evident on several key tackles on Washington’s QB Jayden Daniels, WR Terry McLaurin, and RB Austin Ekeler.

Queen’s play recognition will surely be of great use in the team’s Week 11 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, where the Steelers will need every physical and mental ability sharply tuned to stop his former teammate, QB Lamar Jackson, from taking over the game.

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Dan Quinn’s ‘brotherhood’ on display after tough Commanders’ loss to Steelers

Commanders stick up for their young teammate.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has had many messages for his team this season. One shines above all: This team is a brotherhood.

Since becoming Washington’s coach, Quinn has discussed that brotherhood several times, including multiple times in the regular season. Quinn explains how close-knit this team is, which reflects him and his coaching staff.

On Sunday, that brotherhood was put to the test. Washington lost a close 28-27 game to the Pittsburgh Steelers, snapping its three-game winning streak. The Commanders made multiple mistakes throughout the game, preventing them from putting the Steelers away, and Pittsburgh made them pay.

But Washington had one more potential chance to win the game. With three timeouts remaining and the Steelers with the ball close to midfield, the Commanders needed three stops. Quarterback Jayden Daniels would have close to one minute remaining to drive the field and put his team in position to kick a game-winning field goal. Anything’s possible, which we learned two weeks ago with the Hail Mary.

Things were going as planned, as Washington made three straight stops. Pittsburgh came onto the field with a fourth-and-1, presumably to attempt to draw the Commanders offside. It worked. The culprit: Rookie defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton.

That allowed the Steelers to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.

Newton was dejected. But in the locker room after the game, teammates had his back.

“Yeah, it’s not, it’s not all on him,” Daniels said of Newton. “That’s what everybody’s gonna see, just that one big play. But it’s not all on him, and we’re all together. No matter what people outside the building are saying, are thinking, man, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s in the building and how we love each other, how we support each other. We have each other’s backs.”

The rookie quarterback continues to prove he’s wise beyond his years.

Head coach Dan Quinn echoed a similar message.

“We have so much belief and love for this guy and so it was a hard mistake,” Quinn said. “It was one to learn from, and as it goes, those are hard ones. Like I said, there’s other plays in the game that come up, that one just happened to showcase it more at the end, and for sure this is the type of player that is hurting from it and you’re gonna learn from it.”

Others, such as Austin Ekeler, also spoke on behalf of their young teammate.

Everyone’s message was clear: The loss isn’t on Newton, and everyone has his back and is ready to turn the page.

 

Huge special teams mistake cost Steelers 7 points

Steelers’ fake punt misfire led to a Commanders TD, shifting momentum to Washington in their toughest game of the 2024 season.

It is safe to say Steelers’ CB James Pierre may be getting the cold shoulder from the Steel City, following what appeared to be a beautifully designed fake-punt call by Pittsburgh’s special teams coach Danny Smith—only for Pierre to drop the pass from special teams ace Miles Killebrew.

On fourth down, deep within the Steelers’ own 20-yard line, the shocking 18-yard pass from Killebrew seemed to catch Washington’s special teams unit off guard, and would have given Pittsburgh a crucial first down. However, due to Pierre’s botched execution, the Commanders took over in the red zone on downs.

A handful of plays later, this decision on special teams ultimately gifted Commanders RB Austin Ekeler a one-yard rushing touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 and shifting momentum away from Pittsburgh.

The special teams unit eventually rebounded in a big way, recovering a fumble off a muffed punt in the second quarter, immediately granting red-zone positioning to the Steelers offense.

Pittsburgh will need all three facets of their game to be near-perfect, as the 7-2 Commanders are their toughest opponent of the 2024 season so far.

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Commanders will be without key offensive starter vs. Steelers

More bad news for the Commanders ahead of Week 10 vs. Steelers.

The Washington Commanders revealed on their final injury report Friday that starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. would miss Sunday’s Week 10 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Robinson has been dealing with a hamstring injury over the last two weeks, which forced him to miss the Week 9 win over the New York Giants. Robinson also missed the Week 6 game at Baltimore because of a knee injury. Head coach Dan Quinn said the knee injury is better, but the hamstring issue is the same leg.

“Same side,” Quinn said. “So that is, I don’t know if it’s a correlation, but it definitely is a factor to it, but the knee’s doing good and so not the same injury. So that’s a good sign.”

Robinson is Washington’s leading rusher with 461 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, and is tied for a team-high with six touchdowns.

Quinn was asked if Chris Rodriguez Jr. factored into Washington’s decision to give Robinson more time to heal.

“Yeah, we’ll huddle up tonight and visit with medical side and [GM] Adam [Peters], myself and then kinda get an assessment about where we’re at and then we can proceed if needed when we go to that. But that’ll be kind of our next operation for this evening,” he answered.

Rodriguez has been elevated from the practice squad three times and led the Commanders with 52 rushing yards last week. Austin Ekeler will likely start, but Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols should also see plenty of time in the backfield.

Brian Robinson Jr. is out for the Commanders

No Brian Robinson today vs. Giants.

When ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted late Saturday that Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. was expected to play Sunday against the Giants, things appeared to be trending in the right direction.

However, Robinson reportedly worked out in front of head coach Dan Quinn and running backs coach Anthony Lynn, and the Commanders didn’t feel he looked right.

Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network posted the following video of Robinson working out.

It’s a tough blow for the Commanders because Robinson has enjoyed some of his best games against New York. He had 133 rushing yards in Week 2 against the Giants.

In anticipation of Robinson potentially being sidelined, Washington elevated second-year running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. from the practice squad. The Commanders will have a backfield trio of Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Rodriguez.