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Here are six matchups to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles when they’re on defense against the Washington Commanders’ offense in Week 3
The Washington Commanders will host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 at FedEx Field to open the 2022 NFC East slate for both teams.
The Eagles are 2-2 against the Commanders over the past two years and hold an 80-78-6 advantage all-time in the longtime series.
With both teams preparing for the contest, we present six matchups to watch when Carson Wentz and Washington is on offense.
Nick Martin is a seven-year NFL veteran.
The Washington Commanders placed starting center Chase Roullier on injured reserve Tuesday and signed veteran center Nick Martin to replace him on the roster.
Martin is a seven-year NFL veteran who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Houston Texans. A second-round pick from Notre Dame in 2016, Martin missed his rookie season after undergoing ankle surgery.
Over the next four years, Martin started all but two games for the Texans at center. The Texans released him in Feb. 2021, and he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Martin appeared in all 17 games with the Raiders but did not record a start.
If healthy, Wes Schweitzer should start at center for Washingon. Schweitzer has started games at center and both guard spots in his three seasons with the Commanders. He injured his hamstring in the Week 1 win vs. Jacksonville but missed the Week 2 game in Detroit.
Martin provides Washington with veteran insurance behind Schweitzer.
We have signed C Nick Martin
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 20, 2022
Chase Roullier heads to injured reserve for the second consecutive season.
The Washington Commanders officially placed center Chase Roullier on injured reserve Tuesday. Roullier injured his leg on Washington’s next-to-last offensive play in Sunday’s 36-27 loss to the Detroit Lions.
On Monday, head coach Ron Rivera met with the media and said Roullier would likely be placed on injured reserve but mentioned short-term IR as a possibility until the term learned more about Roullier’s injury.
However, the team feared the injury was season-ending as it sought outside opinions. Roullier, who missed the second half of last season with a fractured fibula, is dealing with a knee injury on the opposite leg this time. It was initially reported to potentially be an MCL injury, and doctors were also concerned about his kneecap.
John Keim of ESPN provided the latest update:
One note on Chase Roullier: They're waiting for the swelling in his knee to go down before getting the 2nd opinion. Fear has been out 4 the year…Tough blow for Roullier, who worked hard to return from a brutal leg injury in '21. Busted ass, gets back, then another injury. Tough
— John Keim (@john_keim) September 20, 2022
Roullier, 29, was a sixth-round pick out of Wyoming in 2017. He would start seven games as a rookie and has been Washington’s starting center since that time. Roullier earned a four-year, $40.5 million contract extension in Jan. 2021.
Wes Schweitzer would replace Roullier in the starting lineup if he’s healthy. Schweitzer injured his hamstring in the Week 1 win over the Jaguars.
Commanders could lose center Chase Roullier for the season.
Washington Commanders center Chase Roullier can’t escape bad luck. After breaking his fibula in Week 8 last season, Roullier returned to training camp after a difficult rehabilitation process.
In Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, Roullier was injured on Washington’s next-to-last play of the game when a Detroit lineman pushed Roullier into teammate Sam Cosmi, who was on the ground. Roullier’s legs buckled, and he exited the field on a medical cart.
After the game, head coach Ron Rivera said Roullier was dealing with a lower leg injury with no further details provided.
On Monday, during his presser, Rivera briefly discussed Roullier’s situation:
“Chase will probably have to go on short-term IR minimum,” Rivera said.
Initially, that sounded good, but a later report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN sounded much more ominous. Fowler said Roullier “is in danger of missing the rest of the season” due to a significant knee injury.
Washington starting center Chase Roullier is in danger of missing the rest of the season due to significance of knee injury, per source. Surgery considered a viable option but second opinion coming. As @john_keim noted, short-term IR at minimum.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 19, 2022
Ben Standig of The Athletic had more details on Roullier’s injury. He said it was not the same leg as last season’s injury, and doctors were looking at the MCL and the kneecap.
More on Chase Roullier's injury, per source:
* Unrelated to last season's leg/ankle injury
* Knee the issue. Looking at kneecap, MCL. Additional opinions sought, as @NickiJhabvala reported.
* Likely out longer, perhaps much longer, than a 4-week IR stint.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 19, 2022
Wes Schweitzer would replace Roullier, but he missed the Week 2 game with a hamstring injury. Wes Martin would be next, with Jon Toth on the practice squad.
This is a difficult blow to Washington’s offensive line, which struggled Sunday.
Chase Roullier suffered a lower leg injury late in Washington’s loss to Detroit.
As if losing the game wasn’t enough, the Washington Commanders dealt with some injuries in Sunday’s 36-27 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The most significant is starting center Chase Roullier. With one minute remaining in the game, quarterback Carson Wentz drops back to pass on third down and throws downfield and out of bounds.
The play appeared rather innocuous, at least initially, until you see a Washington player on the ground grasping at his leg. As it turns out, that player was Roullier. Roullier was in pass protection when a Detroit defensive lineman pushed him. Roullier didn’t realize that right tackle Sam Cosmi was already on the ground and rolled over the top of Cosmi when he was pushed.
Here’s the play.
How C Chase Roullier was injured. Was on Washington’s last third down … pic.twitter.com/ba90RMt5l9
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 19, 2022
Sunday was only Roullier’s second game back after fracturing his fibula in a Week 8 game at Denver last season. Roullier described the difficult rehab process earlier this year.
After the game, head coach Ron Rivera said Roullier was dealing with a lower leg injury. Rivera didn’t indicate anything further, as the team will likely give Roullier an MRI Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
Losing Roullier would be a devastating blow to Washington’s offensive line. The stalwart center is quietly one of the more consistent players on the team.
Wes Schweitzer is the top backup at center, and he missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Five takeaways from Washington’s 36-27 loss to Detroit feature lots of bad and some positives.
The Washington Commanders fell behind 22-0 to the Detroit Lions Sunday before scoring four second-half touchdowns to make it a game. Unfortunately for the Commanders, the terrible start, along with some coaching decisions and a porous defense, ended any chances at a comeback win, falling 36-27 to the Lions.
Carson Wentz passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, despite being under pressure all day. Washington’s defense allowed 425 total yards, including 191 rushing yards, to the Lions.
Washington falls to 1-1 on the season and faces the Eagles next week.
Here are five quick takeaways from Washington’s loss to Detroit.
In some good news for the Commanders, Chase Roullier returned to action vs. the Chiefs.
The Washington Commanders had some positives and some negative elements in Saturday’s 24-14 loss at Kansas City.
Washington center Chase Roullier was making his return from a fractured fibula. “It was really good. We went out there under fire a little bit with crowd noise. We had to start with silent count, right off the bat. That’s some of the toughest stuff we have to go through with the center and the quarterback. Starting that off, right away, and handling it well, I think we did well.”
It was test for Roullier to see if he was ready for the increased intensity a game brings, as he continues his preparation working his way back toward the regular season opener September 11 at home against the Jaguars. “The rust needs to be knocked off a little bit, but it was good to be back out there with the guys and start making the calls again. “I think this game just built my confidence more and my ability to do that week one and barring any setbacks I think we are going to be good to go.”
One day after coming off PUP, Commanders center Chase Roullier is back pic.twitter.com/rkjK4mXggZ
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) July 29, 2022
The Commanders were down several offensive lineman and tight ends Saturday. Yet Roullier felt the players getting the reps Saturday played fairly well. “It is not ideal when guys are out, but we have some solid guys behind them that are able to step in and play pretty well today. We hope everyone can get healthy, but it was good to get out there and get reps with guys that we are going to have moving forward.”
On the other side of the coin, Washington linebacker Cole Holcomb was not shy to point out where the defense came up short. The Commanders defense permitted the Chiefs to drive 87 yards in 12 plays on their first possession, and then 82 yards in 12 plays the next time the Chiefs touched the ball, both for touchdowns.
“There are some plays that I feel like I could have done better. I feel like we could have done better of taking opportunities of getting off of the field. We didn’t capitalize on them.”
The defense looked lost at times during the drives, unable to enforce pressure on Patrick Mahomes nor cover receivers that were often open. Asked what the defense can do to translate it better into the games, Holcomb replied, “I don’t know. Go back, study the film and learn from the mistakes. That’s all we can do. “
Cole Holcomb's wife let him keep his ~majestic mullet~ for his wedding.
"She was like dude it's your thing I think everybody would be ashamed if you cut it for the wedding." pic.twitter.com/XOwM68cOkz
— NBC Sports Commanders (@NBCSCommanders) August 20, 2022
Holcomb appeared to imply the defensive unit did not execute together at times during those two Kansas City touchdown drives. “We have to put it all together. You can’t have a rush without coverage, and you can’t cover without a rush. We have to learn how to play off each other.”
Holcomb praised Mahomes; yet spoke of the defense taking responsibility to bounce back during a drive and get a stop. “You have to take a next play mentality. He is a top tier quarterback. He is going to make his plays. You have to try to limit it as much as possible, but you can’t let it get you frustrated. You gotta keep going with a next play mentality.”
Chase Roullier returns to action.
The Washington Commanders get starting center Chase Roullier back for their second preseason game on Saturday vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Roullier, who broke his fibula in Week 8 last season vs. Denver, began training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list but was activated shortly thereafter.
Roullier’s return has been gradual as he did not play in Washington’s first preseason game last week against the Carolina Panthers. Roullier discussed his rehab process earlier this summer.
Roullier will be back in the startling lineup at center against the Chiefs. Joining him for this game will be left tackle Cornelius Lucas (who recently returned to practice), left guard Saahdiq Charles, right guard Aaron Monteiro and right tackle Sam Cosmi. Only Roullier and Cosmi are projected starters for the Commanders in 2022.
Roullier will likely only see limited snaps in his return.
Washington’s top three guards, Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner, and Wes Schweitzer, are battling nagging injuries.
One NFL.com writer offers his training camp takes for the Commanders.
No position in sports is scrutinized more than the quarterback position. And if you are a fan of the Washington Commanders, the quarterback position is always a daily story.
That statement is more accurate than ever in 2022, with Carson Wentz firmly entrenched as Washington’s QB1. The talk always centers around Wentz for anyone who attends a training camp practice in Ashburn. If Wentz makes an inaccurate throw, it instantly hits social media. If Wentz has a good day, it’s because he’s throwing against the air.
Quite frankly, all criticism of Wentz is subjective. Different people see different things. However, a constant through two weeks of training camp has been Wentz’s misses. But recent reports indicate perhaps he is turning things around, as he had one of his better practices as a Commander on Tuesday.
Yet, the outlook for Wentz from a national perspective remains bleak.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com recently looked at some big training camp battles, players to watch and reasons some teams should be concerned in his latest training camp column.
He listed the Commanders under “cause for concern” for the following reasons:
The Commanders have struggled to get quality work accomplished because the offensive line is completely overwhelmed by injuries. Furthermore, wide receiver Curtis Samuel has been in and out of practice, while Carson Wentz’s erratic accuracy has been a daily story.
If you were a Washington fan stuck in a remote area with very little Internet access and the only information you received was Rosenthal’s one paragraph, you’d lose all hope. It paints an ugly picture.
Yes, Washington has been banged up on the offensive line. The good news is Chase Roullier is back, Cornelius Lucas appears close to a return and Trai Turner’s injury doesn’t appear serious. Also, Samuel is healthy, whether you believe it or not.
Regarding Wentz, sure there are reasons for concern. But those reasons already existed before training camp. The 2022 season is a make-or-break year for Wentz, regardless of how accurate he is in training camp.
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Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield continues our position lists with the NFL’s 12 best centers.
It starts with the snap.
In both my writing and my coaching, I try and impress upon those around me just how odd you have to be to play the quarterback position. You need to be a little…different. Convinced in your belief that you and you alone can be the only player tasked with making a decision with the football on a given play.
And yet, that is not exactly the truth.
After all, it starts with the snap.
Centers in the NFL today have a lot on their plate. They are tasked with helping to set protections and blocking schemes up front. They are tasked sometimes with identifying blitzes and making sure the offensive line is all on the same page. Then they have to make sure the quarterback gets the ball cleanly — otherwise people like me are going to point fingers when the ball hits the turf — all while the Aaron Donalds of the world are trying to drive them backwards.
It is not easy.
Here are the best centers in the game heading into the 2022 NFL season, along with the rest of our positional lists, leading up to the top 101 players in the NFL today.
The NFL’s top 12 slot defenders
The NFL’s top 12 outside cornerbacks
