Are the Commanders’ recent struggles due to them badly needing a bye week?
The Commanders won’t get their bye until December 8.
Two weeks ago, the Commanders were 7-2, 2-0 in the NFC East divisional games. Today, they are 7-4, having led both of the last two games in the second half but lost both games in regulation.
Jayden Daniels looks tired and lacks the same energy. The offense actually only generated ten points until that final possession, when surely every Commanders fan noticed the Eagles were playing with less intensity, simply seeking to keep everything in front of them, chew up more clock, and end the game quicker.
Daniels played so well earlier in the season that we forgot he was a rookie. Thus, he is going through an NFL season for the first time. Thursday, he missed some open throws that he did not miss early in the season. Yet, in the last two games, we have seen him appear much more human.
Suddenly, Kliff Kingsbury’s offense has significantly slowed, scoring less. But then again, the Eagles are very talented defensively. How much of what is happening to the Commanders’ offense might be because there are now 11 games on film that are being watched closely by NFL opposing coaching staffs?
Thursday, the offense did not come easily. It struggled for the entire game. Did you notice that when Washington trailed 12-10, the Eagles’ defense suddenly made the Commanders’ offense look very weak?
2nd-and-1 at the Eagles 25. Brian Robinson carry gets zero yards.
3rd-and-1 at the Eagles 25. Brian Robinson loses one yard.
4th-and-2, the entire play was a mess with the snap, missed blocks, and Daniels, having no place to go, was hit hard.
What now?
Some of this is the last two teams are better than most opponents this season.
Some of this is that Daniels is injured, beat up, and needs rest.
So, keep perspective: Did you forget Washington has not had a winning regular season since Kirk Cousins was starting in the 2015 and 2016 seasons?
Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is OUT against the Steelers.
The biggest task facing the Pittsburgh Steelers defense this Sunday against the Washington Commanders is slowing down that crazy rushing attack. But the Steelers got a bit of good news when the Commanders game-status report came out on Friday.
Washington will be without starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. Robinson will miss Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, leaving veteran Austin Ekeler as the starter with Jeremy McNichols as his backup.
In their last game, the Steelers run defense got gashed by New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy. They cannot afford to let Ekeler have that sort of game when the team already has to figure out a way to slow down Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Steelers come into this week’s game at 6-2 and coming off of the bye week. The Commanders are one of the hottest teams in the NFL at 7-2 and in control of the NFC East.
Several facts and stats from Commanders’ loss to Ravens.
The Commanders’ inability to stop the Ravens’ offense was the most significant factor in Washington’s 30-23 loss at Baltimore on Sunday.
Perhaps the second most essential component of the day was the absence of running back Brian Robinson Jr. As a result, the Commanders struggled running inside and didn’t have the success running to utilize more effective play-action passing of Jayden Daniels.
Here are some of the quick facts from the sixth game of the Commanders’ season:
The loss snapped the Commanders’ four-game winning streak.
The Commanders lost Jonathan Allen (pectoral injury) and Dorrance Armstrong (shoulder) and were already without starting running back Brian Robinson (knee).
The Ravens outgained the Commanders 484-305.
K Austin Seibert connected on a 55-yard field goal, a new career-long. Seibert had previously made a 53-yard field goal in 2019.
The Commanders’ defense could not keep the Ravens off the field. Baltimore had the ball for 36:08, compared to only 23:52 for Washington.
The Ravens defense refused to allow Jayden Daniels to become a dual-threat quarterback. He gained a season-low 22 yards on six carries, with a long of only 9 yards.
DE Dante Fowler contributed three tackles for a loss, including two quarterback sacks.
WR Terry McLaurin caught two touchdown passes for the third game of his career and for the first time since Week 4 of the 2021 season.
Terry McLaurin only caught four touchdown passes all of 2023. He now has four for the season.
The Commanders had three receivers today totaling over 50 yards in receptions: Zach Ertz (68 yards), Noah Brown (58 yards), and McLaurin (53 yards).
The Commanders came into the game averaging 175 rushing yards. Today, without Brian Robinson Jr., they managed only 52 yards on 18 attempts.
Lamar Jackson was the story of the game, completing 20 of 26 for 323 passing yards.
Commanders’ corner Mike Sainristil ended the first Ravens possession with his first NFL interception. It was also the first Commanders’ interception of the 2024 season, not coming until the sixth game.
The Commanders keying on the Ravens’ running game were still unable to keep them under control. Derrick Henry gained 132 yards on 24 carries and Lamar Jackson contributed another 40 yards.
The visiting Washington Commanders will be without the services of their top running back, who was officially ruled out on Saturday afternoon. ,
The Baltimore Ravens have caught a big break on the eve of “The Battle of the Beltway.” The visiting Washington Commanders will be without the services of their top running back, who was officially ruled out on Saturday afternoon.
Brian Robinson, who had been essentially regarded as day-to-day, did not practice on Saturday after also missing practice the rest of the week.
Robinson is the leading rusher on the NFL’s second-leading rushing team (Baltimore is first) with 325 yards. He also leads the team in rushing touchdowns with five.
Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels is the team’s second-leading rusher, with exactly 300 yards.
The last time Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn spoke of Robinson’s injury, he implied it was more short-term and not all that serious.
However, he added, “anytime you’re dealing with an injury, you want to make sure. Is there any longevity to that? We wouldn’t put him out there if that were the case.”
The knee injury appears to have been suffered last week in the win over the Cleveland Browns. Robinson played in the first half but missed the entire second half.
Sunday should be a very high-scoring affair, featuring the league’s top two offenses.
The Commanders win despite not scoring a touchdown.
The Washington Commanders picked up their first win of the 2024 season Sunday, defeating the New York Giants 21-18 on a last-second field goal.
New kicker Austin Seibert, signed last week, drilled a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give head coach Dan Quinn his first win in the burgundy and gold. Seibert made all seven of his field-goal attempts.
The Commanders win despite living in the red zone but never scoring a touchdown. Penalties were an issue for Washington. The Commanders were called for five false starts in the red zone, forcing them to kick field goals.
It began on the first possession of the game. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders inside the five-yard line when fellow rookie, tight end Ben Sinnott was called for a false start on fourth-and-1, leading Quinn to take the three points.
It would be a trend that continued throughout the day.
While Washington’s new kicker scored all 21 points, New York didn’t have a kicker. Graham Gano would injure his hamstring on the game’s first play, chasing Commanders running back Austin Ekeler on the opening kick return. Gano’s absence cost the Giants, who would be forced to go for two-point conversions and could not kick a field goal on their final drive.
The Giants were driving late when quarterback Daniel Jones found rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers open on the sideline. Nabers dropped the ball on fourth-and-4, giving the ball back to the Commanders.
Daniels proceeded to drive Washington down the field, thanks in part to a big completion to wide receiver Noah Brown, putting the Commanders in position for the game-winning field goal.
Daniels completed 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards. He also rushed for 44 yards on 10 attempts. Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. was the star of the day for the Commanders, though, rushing for 133 yards on 17 attempts.
Nabers was excellent for the Giants outside of the one play, catching 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Washington committed 10 penalties for 69 yards, but many were costly red-zone errors.
The Commanders go back on the road in Week 3 with a trip to Cincinnati for Monday Night Football.
Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process.
New Commanders running back Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process on Meadowlark Media’s “God Bless Football” podcast. In his conversations with the Chargers, Ekeler said there was a “misalignment” between his vision and what the team had in mind.
The Chargers came to me and kinda told me what they were looking at in the running back position and it wasn’t what I can offer as a player. There was a misalignment. Yeah, they’re interested, but are you really? If all else fails, bring Austin back in type of thing? Because I don’t want to be in that scenario. If that’s your philosophy and what you’re telling me and I don’t fit that, I gotta look somewhere else.
With the switch to a new offense and a Greg Roman-based rushing attack, it seems like Ekeler is directly referencing the scheme’s more downhill nature compared to what he has played in for most of his career. The Chargers moved pretty quickly in free agency to sign Gus Edwards to a two-year contract.
Ekeler also said he was specifically looking for a team that had a No. 1 running back that he could complement. He compared Brian Robinson and himself in Washington’s backfield to what the Melvin Gordon-Ekeler tandem used to be with the Chargers.
Prior to signing with Washington, Ekeler mentioned that Baltimore and Green Bay had interest in him. The Raiders “went silent” on their interest after losing Josh Jacobs despite GM Tom Telesco being in charge, per Ekeler. Vegas eventually went on to sign Alexander Mattison.
It never seemed likely that Ekeler would be back after being injured last season and showing some signs of decline when he did return. The Kellen Moore scheme never fully fit what he did well in particular. The Roman run game, as mentioned earlier, is an even further departure from what Ekeler’s primary skillset is.
Ekeler also mentioned catching up with former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn as he’s now in Washington as the Commanders’ running back coach. Former Chargers cornerback Michael Davis also signed with Washington earlier this week.
The Commanders ran the ball just 14 times and Brian Robinson Jr. was excellent when he had opportunities.
It wasn’t as close as the final score for the Commanders on Sunday.
The scoreboard read 27-10, and those watching at a surface level will take some comfort, but other numbers were much more indicative.
The Commanders only registered 12 first downs, while the 49ers accumulated more than double that with 28.
The 49ers ran 25 more offensive plays than the Commanders, as Washington could only manage 43 to San Francisco’s 68.
The 49ers accumulated 408 yards of offense on Sunday. Meanwhile, Washington could only generate 225 yards.
The 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan understands how a running game helps his quarterback, Brock Prudy. San Francisco ran the ball down the Commanders’ throats 39 times, gaining 184 rushing yards, averaging 4.7 a carry.
Meanwhile, Washington’s offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, continued to stubbornly show everyone he was in charge. Sunday, Bieniemy only had the Commanders run the ball 14 times. 14 rushing attempts? And this guy wants a head-coaching job in the NFL?
Washington was averaging 4.4 yards a carry, and its quarterback Sam Howell had struggled terribly the last month, so the offensive coordinator’s strategy was only to run the ball 14 times!
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Geno Smith
334-6
4
Brock Purdy
314-9
4
Dak Prescott
299-23
3
Jalen Hurts
298-20
2
Matthew Stafford
279-(-2)
3
Running Backs
Rush
Receive
TD
Alvin Kamara
14-51
6-58
2
De’Von Achane
17-73
3-30
2
Derrick Henry
21-102
1-18
2
James Conner
25-105
2
Chuba Hubbard
2-104
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
DK Metcalf
6-134
3
Deebo Samuel
3-22
4-116
3
Nico Collins
9-191
1
CeeDee Lamb
2-30
12-116
1
Tyreek Hill
5-157
2
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Sam LaPorta
9-140
1
Trey McBride
8-89
1
Jake Ferguson
6-77
1
Harrison Bryant
5-49
1
Taysom Hill
13-59
2-15
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Brandon Aubrey
3
4
Matt Gay
1
4
Lucas Havrisik
4
2
Jason Sanders
6
1
Matt Ammendola
1
3
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Chargers
5-1
0
Colts
6-2
1
Dolphins
3-1
1
Falcons
4-3
0
Texans
3-3
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Kenny Pickett – Ankle
QB Derek Carr – Concussion “plus”
WR Tank Dell – Fractured fibula
WR Marquise Brown – Heel
WR Amari Cooper – Head
WR Christian Watson – Hamstring
RB Derrick Henry – Head
RB Emari Demarco – neck
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Ankle
RB Brian Robinson – Hamstring
TE Tyler Higbee – Concussion
Chasing Ambulances
QB Kenny Pickett – He injured his right ankle that will need a surgical procedure to fix. He is expected to miss at least a few weeks and Mitch Trubisky will replace him for this Thursday’s game against the Patriots.
QB Derek Carr – For the third time this year, Carr left the game injured. This time he was blasted when he threw the ball and suffered a concussion while also injuring his shoulder and back. The Lions Bruce Irvin was penalized for roughing the passer and Carr was carted from the field. Carr just had a concussion three weeks ago, so this a serious situation. Jameis Winston will take over until Carr returns.
WR Tank Dell – The Texans phenom fractured his fibula and will miss the rest of the season. It is a sad ending for a season that has been so bright but he should return in 2024 with no lasting problems. Noah Brown just returned after missing two games with a calf injury and should be the replacement. Brown posted two 150-yard performances in Weeks 9 and 10, so he’s already seen success in the offense. He’ll need to step up into a starting role.
WR Marquise Brown – He was already questionable heading into the game with a heel injury, and reaggravated it during the win over the Steelers. If he cannot go when they return from their Week 13 bye, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch would share the workload.
WR Amari Cooper – He was already battling a rib injury heading into the game and was crushed by two defenders while trying to catch a pass. He is reported to have a concussion. He was already meshing well with Joe Flacco when he was hurt. There is no true replacement for Cooper who is clearly the best receiver on the team. Elijah Moore would see an uptick if Cooper remains out and he led the team with four catches for 83 yards.
WR Christian Watson – He had already scored twice on the Chiefs, but at the end of the game he went down clutching at his leg with an apparent hamstring injury. He missed three games to start the season with a hamstring issue as well, so another one is concerning. Dontayvion Wicks would become a starter if Watson remains out, but his production would be replaced by Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed.
RB Derrick Henry – Suffered a head injury expected to be a concussion. Henry has been very durable considering his career workload but hasn’t missed time with a concussion. Tyjae Spears will replace him in Miami this week if he remains out.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – The Pats’ running back suffered an ankle injury and while his X-rays were negative, the early speculation is that he may miss multiple games. An MRI will determine the severity of the sprain but it’s highly unlikely that Stevenson plays on Thursday night at the Steelers. Ezekiel Elliott entered Week 13 with a thigh injury but was active and stepped up once Stevenson left near the end of the first quarter. Elliott handled 17 carries for 52 yards and caught a team-high four passes for 40 yards.
RB Brian Robinson – The Commanders’ back was running well against the Dolphins, gaining 53 yards on seven attempts but injured his hamstring and did not return. There was no immediate speculation as to the severity of the injury or if he would miss any games. Antonio Gibson would see the bigger boost in carries and catches, and Chris Rodriguez would also bump up to being the No. 2 back if Robinson misses any time, but the Commanders enter their bye and that gives Robinson more time to heal.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
Where did all the passes go? – It’s that time of the season when passing starts to decline. There were six teams on bye this week, but it is still notable that there were only two passers that topped 300 yards – Geno Smith (334 yards) and Brock Purdy (314 yards). Bet you didn’t see that coming.
RB De’Von Achane – We can’t be certain how long he will stay healthy, but he’s back to form at least for now. After taking last week off and flopping in Week 11, Achane ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards, while scoring twice. His 20 touches topped the 12 given to Raheem Mostert.
RB Austin Ekeler – The stud of 2022 just hasn’t been nearly as effective this year. He just ran for 18 yards on 14 carries and caught just two passes for nine yards. He was on the road, but the Patriots run defense has declined to being only average – until this week.
RB Ezekiel Elliott – The injury to Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to last at least a week or two. The ex-Cowboy star gets a chance to handle a workhorse load until Stevenson returns. Three of their next four games are on the road which is not ideal, nor is scoring zero points at home this week. But Elliott can help an RB-hungry fantasy team reach the playoffs.
TE Kyle Pitts – He led the Falcons in Week 13 with eight targets for four catches and 51 yards. That was versus the Jets defense. The Falcons host the Buccaneers this week for a violent shift in the quality of the secondary. He had a minor boost from the Jets taking Drake London (1-8) out of the game, but it is good to see his name atop the box core for once.
RB Tyjae Spears – Derrick Henry consumed 21 rushes for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a head injury in the loss to the Colts. But Tyjae Spears also turned in 16 carries for 75 yards (4.7 YPC) and caught four passes for 13 yards. He ran well enough that the Titans may not be in a hurry to replace Derrick Henry next season.
WR Jonathan Mingo – The Panthers second-round rookie is picking up steam as the offense appears to intentionally involving him more while relying less on Adam Thielen. This season was over long ago and working on next year by throwing more to the younger players makes sense. Thielen is sighed through 2025 and the Panthers cannot get out of that until after next year, so Thielen still needs to be involved.
QB Joe Flacco – Compared to Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker, the aged Flacco looked sharp passing for 254 yards and two scores in the loss to the Rams. Amari Cooper was lost in the game, and Elijah Moore ended with 12 targets that became four catches for 83 yards to lead the Browns. Flacco needs Cooper to be healthy, but he gets a lighter time for the next two weeks at home against the Jaguars and Bears.
QB Patrick Mahomes – He’s ranked as the No. 14 fantasy quarterback and hasn’t missed any games. Eight of his last nine games did not record more than two passing scores and no games this year had him rushing in a touchdown. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 222 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns which is pretty much the definition of an average NFL quarterback. What I’m trying to figure out is if we can say that he is a… you know,,, “average quarterback”? Can we even say that aloud? Is that even legal? I’m asking for a friend.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Deebo Samuel – You’d think visitors would be less aggressive in the City of Brotherly Love, but not so for Samuel. The 49ers Swiss Army knife caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns at the Eagles, and ran for 22 yards and another score on three carries. Oh yeah, he also gained 60 yards on his two kick returns. He may have several blades, but each one can cut you.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
NFL MVP? Most dangerous non-playoff team? Players in mercy trades? Worst of the Week? It’s time for this week’s “4-Down Territory!”
With 12 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, and the Thanksgiving slate behind us, it’s time for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”
This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:
Who’s the NFL’s Most Valuable Player at this point of the season?
Which current non-playoff team is the league’s most dangerous?
Which player deserves to be traded from his current team as an act of mercy?
What was the Worst of the Week for Week 12?
You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:
This week’s Worst of the Week in the NFL included Diontae Johnson, Jared Goff, the Jets and Patriots, and of course, more horrible officiating!
Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.
But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.
So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.
Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season.
