Tag: Bobby McCain

When they last met: Washington and NY Giants

These two teams last met in Week 18 in January. A lot has changed for both teams since that time.

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

Washington 22, NY Giants 7 – Week 18, Jan. 9, 2022

Antonio Gibson accumulated 146 yards in his 21 carries as Washington won their last game of the 2021 season, 22-7 over the Giants at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Gibson enjoyed an 18-yard touchdown in the final quarter putting away the game, and also a 27-yard run in the second quarter, his longest of the day. Jonathan Williams also had a 23-yard run in the third quarter.

Joey Slye was perfect on the day, making his only extra point attempt and all three of his field goal attempts from 23, 43 and 23 yards.

After a low-scoring first half which ended 6-0 on two Slye field goals, safety Bobby McCain picked off a Jake Fromm pass in the third quarter. McCain returned his interception 30 yards for a touchdown, pushing Washington’s lead to 12-0.

Taylor Heinicke and Terry McLaurin connected on a 40-yard pass reception. But other than that, Heinicke only completed 8 of his other 18 attempts for only 120 yards.

McCain actually intercepted a second pass on the day, returning this one nine yards. While Jonathan Allen, James Smith-Williams, William Bradley King and Shaka Toney all contributed .5 of a quarterback sack.

The game being the 2021 season finale for both teams, Washington finished 2021 with a 7-10 record, while the Giants loss sunk them to 4-13. Washington swept the Giants having also won at FedEx Field 30-29 in Week 2.

Bobby McCain is now the Commanders’ slot corner

Darrick Forrest’s breakout season allows Bobby McCain to play in the slot where he has excelled in the past.

Do the Washington Commanders finally have the slot cornerback position settled?

Well, if you listened to head coach Ron Rivera on Friday, it appears that veteran defensive back Bobby McCain, who has played safety since signing with the Commanders in May 2021, is now Washington’s full-time slot corner.

This is not a demotion for McCain. Before coming to Washington, McCain played cornerback and safety for the Miami Dolphins for six seasons. The former fifth-round pick earned a contract extension during his time in Miami, partly due to his effectiveness covering the slot.

However, the Commanders needed him at safety alongside Kam Curl in Washington.

Now, thanks to the breakout season of second-year safety Darrick Forrest, Washington can move McCain back inside, and the entire secondary improves.

“Yes. Going forward, absolutely,” Rivera said when asked if McCain was the slot corner moving forward. “What that’s done is the one thing that putting Bobby there gives you is you give you the guy that can fit the run better than a corner. He’s a little more physical. Bobby’s also a very good blitzer, so if you go back and get an opportunity to watch it, watch how he plays what we call the apex. If you’re the slot receiver and you’re the tackler, I play the midpoint for my run reach, and if I see it’s run, I’ll fit inside the gap, and Bobby fits it downhill, and he reads it pretty quickly, he reads it.”

Rivera explained that, yes, Forrest’s play was the motivating factor.

“Yes,” Rivera said. “We want who we think are the three best run fitters for us on the field and it’s something that [defensive coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] and [defensive backs coach] Chris [Harris] and [assistant DBs coach] Richard [Rodgers] talked about.”

How does McCain feel about this move?

“Oh, he loves it,” Rivera said. “Oh yeah, he does it. It’s funny, but the safety’s like to get up into the box and fit the run. A lot of them do.”

This is the perfect scenario for the Commanders. Kendall Fuller began the 2021 season in the slot. He was better on the outside, and the coaches moved him back. Earlier in his career, Fuller was terrific in the slot.

This offseason, the Commanders moved second-year corner Benjamin St-Juste inside. As it turns out, St-Juste was better on the outside and, like Forrest, is having a breakout season.

McCain moving back inside to the slot makes Washington’s defense even better.

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Commanders safety Darrick Forrest was phenomenal in Week 1

Darrick Forrest was PFF’s No. 1 graded safety in the entire NFL in Week 1.

If you watched the Washington Commanders’ Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, then you couldn’t help but notice second-year safety Darrick Forrest.

Forrest, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was making his first NFL start in place of the injured Kam Curl. In the game, Curl made two big hits, broke up two passes and recorded the game-winning interception.

For his excellence, Forrest earned a 91.5 grade from Pro Football Focus — No. 1 in the NFL in Week 1.

Check out this highlight reel, courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

It’s one game. We’ll try not to overreact. However, when was the last time a Washington safety had a performance this dominant? We don’t even need to say his name. Look, no one is comparing Darrick Forrest to franchise icon Sean Taylor as that’s just silly at this point. But Forrest was impactful whether he lined up deep or played in the box.

Forrest was a force against the run and also broke up two passes in the end zone. Curl is expected back in Week 2 and no later than Week 3. He will return to his safety position and he should, because he is one of Washington’s best young players.

Forrest’s play has earned him a permanent role as a part of the Commanders’ defense. While he was slated to see time at the Buffalo nickel, Forrest showed he can line up anywhere and deliver for Washington.

It will be fascinating to follow Forrest and his progression throughout the rest of this season.

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Commanders Bobby McCain conveys the point of emphasis

Bobby McCain talks Washington’s improved communication in the secondary.

Commanders safety Bobby McCain visited with the press Wednesday, and he was certainly preaching better communication.

McCain relayed communication has certainly been coached.  “It’s just the point of emphasis we made from the start of camp. As long as we are all on the same page, not too many people can beat us athletically. So understanding that it’s got to be all across the back end. Everybody’s got to communicate.”

When asked how that is different from 2021, the seven-year veteran responded, “Teams lose more games than they win in this league and that one thing starts with communication, especially in the back seven, because if you’re not on the same page, you have no chance.”

The former Miami Dolphin believes Kansas City will be a good test, Saturday. “It’ll definitely be good for us. We know what kind of offensive firepower they have. So having a good strong defensive stand will be nice.”

A fifth-round draft choice (145) in 2015, McCain is impressed with some of the younger players developing in the secondary. “One thing I see out of Percy (Butler) and I told him from the first day, you’ll be in this league a long time, as long as you don’t make the same mistakes twice. And he really hasn’t made the same mistake twice. He’s playing a lot faster. The game’s slowing down to him, and he’s understanding the defense really well.”

The former Memphis Tiger believes the Commanders are having a good training camp and will need to “Build off of it and start fast. Understand that just because you’re out here and it’s happening out here, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every Sunday. ”

With the poor performance in 2021, especially on third downs, he stated, “We try to let you guys worry about that, and we just got to worry about going out, playing football…We’ve been talking about it all OTAs all ever since last year. Really just making sure because situational football is all that wins games in this league.”

McCain is seeing second-year safety Darrick Forrest progress as well. “He is so much smarter. You can see the jump, you can see the year-two jump. He’s out there communicating with me and Kam (Curl). He understands, he knows where he needs to fit. He knows his role and he’s been a good ball player, but now you can see he’s playing really fast.”

Asked a second time about third-down defense, “It’s the most important down in football, to be honest with you. Because it’s going to get you off the field and it’s going to keep the guys fresh.”

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Report: Dolphins had interest in bringing back S Bobby McCain this offseason

Fans probably would’ve been thrilled with the move.

When the Miami Dolphins opted to move on from starting safety Bobby McCain in May 2021, the fanbase was understandably upset that the team was set to lose one of their key pieces on defense.

McCain had played in 87 of 96 possible games during his six seasons in Miami and was well-respected, earning the title of team captain.

In 2021, the Dolphins’ safety struggled to open the season but came on strong by the end to help lead one of the better defensive units in the league.

However, this offseason, there was apparently interest from the team to bring McCain back to South Florida, as, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (subscription required), the Dolphins inquired about the safety’s interest in returning to the aqua and orange, but nothing ever came from it.

For McCain, he stepped into Washington’s defense in 2021 and played in all 17 games while setting career-highs in tackles (63), passes defended (nine) and interceptions (four).

The desire to bring McCain back is a little interesting, considering the talent that the Dolphins seem to have at the safety position at the moment with Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones and Eric Rowe manning the top three spots on the depth chart.

It almost makes you wonder if the Dolphins aren’t completely sold on one of their young safeties, or were they looking to bring McCain in for depth? The safety ended up signing essentially a two-year deal worth $10 million with the Commanders this offseason. That seems a little steep for depth which could be why the talks never advanced beyond the interest.

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Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton to visit Commanders

One of the top players in the 2022 NFL draft, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, is visiting Washington.

The Washington Commanders are doing their due diligence on some of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2022 NFL draft. Washington has hosted or will host Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Drake London on top 30 visits ahead of the draft.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is next up on the visit list.

Hamilton, the do-everything safety who some consider the top player in the draft, could fall out of the top 10. Some teams value safety differently, and others may be concerned over Hamilton’s 40 times.

For anyone knocking Hamilton’s 40 times, they have never watched him play. Hamilton plays fast and is an ideal fit for the modern NFL defense. As for where he would fit in Washington, Hamilton could line up in various roles, including the Buffalo nickel.

The Commanders have been busy checking out linebackers and safeties in the pre-draft process. Washington brings back both of its starting safeties in Kam Curl and Bobby McCain but released veteran safety/hybrid linebacker Landon Collins in a cost-cutting move.

Would Washington pass on a wide receiver if Hamilton drops out of the top 10?

Commanders re-sign safety Bobby McCain

The Washington Commanders re-sign defensive back Bobby McCain to a two-year deal.

The Washington Commanders finally made a move in free agency Tuesday, but it didn’t involve bringing in a player from another team. Instead, Washington is bringing back safety Bobby McCain on a two-year deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The deal is for two years and is worth up to $11 million.

McCain was released by the Miami Dolphins after the 2021 NFL draft. Washington quickly brought McCain in for a visit and signed him shortly thereafter.

McCain played in all 17 games for Washington in 2021, making 16 starts. The Commanders’ secondary struggled early in the season until safety Landon Collins was moved closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing McCain to play free safety and Kam Curl to line up at strong safety. The entire defense improved after the move.

Bringing back McCain is a smart move by Washington. He brings versatility to the defensive backfield and had a strong finish to the 2021 season.

John Keim doesn’t expect Brandon Scherff to return

ESPN’s John Keim discusses free agency and quarterbacks.

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ESPN’s Washington Commanders insider John Keim appeared on Kevin Sheehan’s The Team 980 show Tuesday, stating he is not yet accustomed to writing Washington Commanders. But Keim did say (as I did last night) he saw the survey as actually a positive for the Commanders that 41% already like the name.

Bobby McCain, J.D. McKissic, DeAndre Carter and Joey Slye are free agents Washington would like to retain. Due to his injury history, don’t expect Brandon Scherff to come back at a high price tag. Keim feels there will be a market for McKissic, however, because he is very good out of the backfield. Ricky Seals-Jones and Cam Sims are also good depth guys they would like back. Adam Humphries is wanted; however, he is good enough he could sign elsewhere, being more selective of the quarterback.

Keim is certain Washington coaches will want to play Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis outside, so they will pursue an inside linebacker in free agency or the draft. A good inside linebacker would really make an impact in this defense. Keim genuinely feels Davis can play on the outside better than he did inside.

Who might the Commanders cut this offseason? Landon Collins is simply not feasible unless they lower that cap hit. “I don’t think Landon Collins is going to get that (his current salary) on the open market,” expressed Keim. He played well enough at a hybrid, if he does go to another team, they will likely use him in a similar role.

Keim laughingly said of course they are going hard after a quarterback. Head coach Ron Rivera has stated so multiple times. Deshaun Watson certainly would draw interest from Washington but there are too many questions and his court cases could also go into May.

Understandably Keim insisted it doesn’t make sense why the Raiders’ new coach Josh McDaniel or Seattle would get rid of their starters Derek Carr and Russell Wilson, respectively. There is no clear path to the next quarterback in either case.

Would they be interested in Carson Wentz? Keim thinks so but was quick to add that Wentz is someone they would probably add with a QB draft choice as well.

Washington vs. Giants game recap: Everything we know

Everything we know from Washington’s 22-7 win over the New York Giants.

The Washington Football Team defeated the New York Giants 22-7 Sunday to complete the 2021 NFL regular season. Washington finishes the season with a 7-10 record.

It was an ugly game, but two players specifically stood out for Washington: running back Antonio Gibson and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Gibson went over 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career and scored a touchdown. Meanwhile, McLaurin went over 1,000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season.

Washington’s defense also came to play, limiting a punchless New York offense to 177 total yards.

Now, here is everything we know from Washington’s win over the Giants to end the 2021 season.

 

Gibson runs Washington to win over NY Giants

Antonio Gibson had a big day in leading Washington to a win over the Giants.

The Washington Football Team rushed for a season-high 226 yards on their way to a 22-7 triumph over the last-place New York Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Antonio Gibson led the way gaining 146 yards in 21 carries averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Leading 12-7 Gibson had an 18-yard touchdown run which culminated an eight-play, 72 yard drive. Gibson’s touchdown came with 6:28 remaining and put Washington up 19-7, and with the way the woeful Giants’ offense looked, every person in the stadium knew the game was clinched.

Washington was able to run the ball well in the first half as Gibson accumulated 71 yards in only ten carries (7.1 ypc). However, Taylor Heinicke struggled inside of Giants territory and Washington had to settle for two Joey Slye first-half field goals for a 6-0 lead.

Heinicke had Cam Sims wide open in the end zone on the game’s first Washington offensive possession, but was late throwing the pass, and then threw it high for the 6-foot-4 Sims. Joey Slye then kicked a 23-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.

Leading 6-0, Washington’s Bobby McCain picked off a Jake Fromm pass, running it back 30 yards for the WFT’s first touchdown of the day, pushing the score to 12-0 with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Gibson’s 146 yards were a season-high surpassing his 111 rushing yards gained in a home MNF 17-15 win against Seattle.

Gibson came into the game with 841 rushing yards for 2021; consequently his 146 today gave him 1,037 for the season. Gibson thus became the first Washington running back rushing for 1,000 yards in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2018 (1,042).

The Giants (4-13) closed their season losing their final six games, while Washington (7-10) had been 6-6, and thus broke their four-game losing streak.