Tag: Frankie Luvu

Good, bad and ugly from Commanders’ at bye week

The good, bad and the ugly from Washington’s first 13 games.

The Washington Commanders were the NFL’s biggest surprise through the first half of the season. At 7-2, Washington led the NFC East before a Week 10 meeting against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Commanders had many chances to win the game but made too many mistakes, losing 28-27. The loss started a three-game losing streak that allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to take over first place in the division.

Washington snapped the three-game skid on Sunday with a dominant 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans. As the Commanders head into their bye week, they are 8-5, with four games remaining.

What’s gone right for Washington through 13 games? What’s gone wrong? Remember, the Commanders won four games last season, so there isn’t much bad to say. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have the team ahead of schedule.

It’s time to review the good, bad, and the ugly from Washington’s first 13 games.

The good

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jayden Daniels: The No. 1 takeaway from the 2024 season is the Commanders have their quarterback. There’s nothing more important than finding that guy. Washington has searched for a quarterback for years, even before Kirk Cousins’ three record-breaking seasons from 2015-17. Daniels was in the MVP conversation through the first half of the season. His worst performances came in back-to-back games against Philadelphia and Dallas, but Daniels still hasn’t looked like a rookie this season.

The leading contender for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Daniels is getting the job done with his arms and legs. He’s completing 70% of his passes and has 21 combined 21 touchdowns. The great quarterbacks make those around them better. Daniels is doing that as a rookie.

The offense as a whole: Kliff Kingsbury has pushed all the right buttons for much of the season. Washington has consistently ranked in the top five for total offense, scoring offense, and rushing offense. The offensive line was expected to be a weakness, but it has been a pleasant surprise. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin is having a terrific season and has already set a new career-high for touchdown receptions. Washington’s rushing attack has thrived with a combination of Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Several individual defensive players: Washington’s defense has improved throughout the season. The Commanders still need help, but many of the new additions have proven beneficial. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., safety Jeremy Chinn, and rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil have all been excellent this season. After the bye, the Commanders should see cornerback Marshon Lattimore for the first time.

The bad

Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs by Michael Davis #24. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Run defense: The Commanders have overachieved through the first 13 games. Their pass defense is surprisingly good, considering Washington’s issues at cornerback. Part of the reason for the success against the pass is because everyone can run on the Commanders. Washington has the No. 27 run defense in the NFL, allowing 137 yards per game. Those numbers certainly do not dramatically improve in-season. If the Commanders make the playoffs as they are currently projected to do, good teams will expose their inability to stop the run.

Austin Ekeler’s concussions: In the Week 4 win at Cincinnati, Ekeler suffered a concussion. He missed the following week but returned. Unfortunately, in the Week 12 loss to Dallas, He suffered his second concussion of the season and was placed on injured reserve. Ekeler must sit out four games, making him eligible to return in Week 18. It was a scary injury for Ekeler, who offered details on his condition this week. He could miss the remainder of the season. 

The ugly

Washington Commanders place kicker Austin Seibert (3) reacts after missing a potential game-tying extra point. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Loss to Dallas: The Commanders were double-digit favorites over the Cowboys in Week 12 and got behind early before finally deciding to come alive with five minutes remaining. Then, the next few minutes of that game were the wildest of the season. After Daniels led a touchdown drive, the Commanders missed a tackle on the kickoff, allowing Kavontae Turpin to return it 98 yards for a touchdown. Washington had one last shot with 30 seconds remaining but 86 yards to go. Unbelievably, Daniels finds McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown, and kicker Austin Seibert misses the extra point. It was a disastrous loss for Washington. The Commanders made mistake after mistake and, combined with bad luck, blew a very winnable game.

Commanders lead Titans at halftime: Four quick first-half takeaways

Four first-half takeaways from the Commanders in the first half vs. Titans.

The Washington Commanders (7-5) entered Week 13 on a three-game losing streak, badly needing a win before next week’s bye. On the other side, the Tennessee Titans, who were coming off an upset road win over the Houston Texans.

Tennessee began the game on offense, with Washington’s defense quickly setting the tone. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was everywhere, forcing a quick punt. Three plays in, Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a 40-yard touchdown, and the rout was on.

Washington’s defense forced two turnovers, giving Jayden Daniels and the offense short fields, and Daniels did the rest, running for one touchdown and throwing two to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

Here are four quick takeaways from the first half:

Jayden Daniels looks sharp

Daniels carried the ball six times for 30 yards and rushed for a touchdown. He completed 12 of 13 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He looked much more like the quarterback we saw before the Week 7 rib injury. Daniels didn’t throw downfield a lot in the first half, keeping everything in the short and intermediate area, but he was sharp on almost every throw. He did miss Noah Brown on what would’ve been an easy touchdown. Daniels completed the pass but threw it to the back shoulder, and Brown couldn’t run after the catch—an excellent half of football for Daniels.

Brian Robinson Jr. is back

The Titans entered Sunday with the NFL’s No. 2 total defense. They are good at defending the pass and stopping the run. Robinson, who has missed games with hamstring and knee injuries, injured his ankle last week. He looked completely healthy in the first half, carrying the ball 11 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Washington offense is very different when Robinson is healthy and on the field.

Kliff Kingsbury heard the noise

On Washington’s first series, wide receiver Terry McLaurin lined up on the right side and caught the first pass thrown his way. There was another series where it looked like McLaurin was lined up in the slot. Kingsbury took criticism in recent weeks for not targeting McLaurin enough, or moving him around the formation. In the first half, McLaurin caught five passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

Frankie Luvu was everywhere

As he has done several times this season, linebacker Frankie Luvu was everywhere. Luvu set the defensive tone for the Commanders on the first series and was active throughout the half. He picked up his eighth sack of the season.

Commanders vs. Eagles Player of the Game: LB Frankie Luvu

Frankie Luvu is our Commanders’ Week 11 Player of the Game.

The Washington Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 26-18 on Thursday Night Football’s Week 11 edition.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns, much of it in the second half, to lead Philadelphia to a huge NFC East win over Washington.

While Barkley was terrific for the Eagles, which player shined for the Commanders?

This week’s Washington Player of the Game is linebacker Frankie Luvu. Luvu finished with 10 tackles, behind Jeremy Chinn’s team-leading 12, and had two sacks.

Luvu was everywhere against the Eagles and was a catalyst in Washington’s success against Philadelphia through three quarters. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as Luvu and the defense wore down late in the second half

Luvu’s two sacks give him seven on the season, second only to linebacker/defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.

The Commanders look to get back to their winning ways next week when they return home to face the Dallas Cowboys.

Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong quietly excelling recently

Dorance Armstrong has been getting it done as a pass rusher recently.

The Washington Commanders’ defense struggled early this season. In Week 1, Washington couldn’t stop Baker Mayfield and had no answer for Malik Nabers in Week 2. In Week 3, the Commanders got just enough stops for quarterback Jayden Daniels to outlast Joe Burrow for the upset road win.

However, over the past two weeks, Washington’s defense has improved. Newcomers such as linebacker Frankie Luvu and defensive end Dorance Armstrong have gotten comfortable and emerged as impact defenders for the Commanders.

In last week’s win over the Browns, Luvu had seven tackles, 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Armstrong didn’t receive as much attention for his play, but the former Dallas Cowboy had 1.5 sacks last week, giving him three over the past three games.

While Armstrong hasn’t posted huge sack numbers, his impact is helping others, such as Luvu. His career high is 8.5 sacks, which he set in 2022, playing only 47% of the defensive snaps. Now a full-time starter, Armstrong is positioned to set a new career high in sacks this season.

 

Frankie Luvu on Dan Quinn: ‘The dude is legit’

Frankie Luvu wishes he played for Dan Quinn his entire career.

The Washington Commanders are 4-1 and the talk of the NFL. While most of that chatter has centered around phenomenal rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, there are plenty of noteworthy stories happening in Washington.

New head coach Dan Quinn, who many called a retread, with much of the fan base believing general manager Adam Peters was hiring the second coming of Ron Rivera, has proven to be the perfect coach for the Commanders.

Quinn transformed the culture within weeks, something Rivera had failed to do in four years. Sure, winning helps, but Quinn has the pulse of his team. Every player on the roster believes in what he’s teaching.

One of those players signed with the Commanders in March, wanting to play for Quinn. Linebacker Frankie Luvu has made his presence felt in recent weeks for Washington’s defense and joined Ari Meirov on “NFL Spotlight” to discuss all things Commanders.

“I wish I was playing for Dan Quinn my whole seven years in the league,” Luvu said. … “Dude is just a solid, solid coach: a solid, solid person, father. A mentor, every category that you think a “G” should be at, he always says that, ‘Be a G,’ that’s DQ. The moment he hopped on the phone with me and started chatting and telling me he can’t wait for me to get to Washington….The dude is just amazing. All energy, high-energy dude, but it’s real energy, there’s nothing fake about it………..The dude is legit.”

Players loving Quinn isn’t new. All of his former players, including Micah Parsons, love him. The Commanders will eventually run into adversity. How will they handle the first sign of adversity under Quinn? One thing is certain: the Commanders believe in Quinn and the coaching staff, and that’s a refreshing change in Washington.

Quick facts from Commanders’ 34-13 win over Browns

Several facts and stats from Commanders’ 34-13 win vs. Browns.

Here are several of today’s quick facts regarding the Commanders 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns in Landover.

  • The Commanders won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, after losing the season opener. The last time Washington won four straight was in 2021, when Washington was 2-6, won four straight to go to 6-6.
  • With the win, the Commanders are 4-1 for the first time since the 2008 season. But that team fell apart, finishing 8-8.
  • No. 17 Terry McLaurin caught four passes for 112 yards today. It was the 17th game McLaurin has totaled at least 100 receiving yards.
  • With another rushing touchdown today, RB Jeremy McNichols has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
  • With three touchdowns rushing today, Washington has now registered three rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.
  • The Commanders’ defense held the Browns to 1-13 on third downs, while the Commanders were 8-17 on third downs.
  • Washington accumulated 434 total offensive yards, while the Browns only managed 212. The Commanders averaged 6.7 yards a play while limiting the Browns to 3.6 yards a play.
  • The Commanders are reporting that today QB Jayden Daniels has become the first player in NFL history to have had 1,000+ passing yards and 250+ rushing yards in their first five career games.
  • Scoring 34 points on Sunday, Washington has now scored 30+ points in three consecutive games for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 2005.
  • Terry McLaurin reached 400 NFL career receptions. McLaurin, Gary Clark and Satana Moss are the only receivers in franchise history to record 400+ receptions in their first 6 seasons with Washington.
  • Frankie Luvu had 7 tackles (4 solo) a fumble recovery, 2.5 sacks as the Commanders totaled 7 QB sacks. Others who had one were Bobby Wagner (1.5), while Jonathan Allen, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler each had one.

Commanders vs. Browns Player of the Game: LB Frankie Luvu

Commanders’ linebacker Frankie Luvu earned Player of the Game honors in their 34-13 victory over the Browns in Week 5.

[lawrence-related id=103486,103442,103403]The Washington Commanders hosted the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and came away with a resounding victory that saw starting quarterback Jayden Daniels take a seat in the fourth quarter simply to give him a rest. The 34-13 final only tells part of the story, and what you don’t see is the context around how we got there.

This week, Commanders’ linebacker Frankie Luvu set the tone for the defense and earned Player of the Game honors.

Luvu recorded seven tackles (four solo), 2.5 sacks, two tackles for a loss, and three quarterback hits. His energy bolstered the defense’s efforts, holding Deshaun Watson to 125 yards through the air. He also recovered a Watson fumble.

The offense obviously did its thing behind Jayden Daniels and scored 34 points, but the defense has been a point of contention this season, and Luvu took a leadership role today to change that opinion.

A veteran in his seventh year, this is Luvu’s first season with the Commanders. He spent three seasons each with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers before donning maroon and gold, and he’s really coming into his own with his new defense.

Commanders reveal Week 2 captains and a franchise legend will be honored vs. Giants

Captains for Week 2 are in and the team will honor former tight end on Sunday.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn abandoned the traditional method of naming team captains ahead of the season and chose weekly captains.

“We’ll be using game captains, and I’ll also utilize a group of some leaders that will be kind of with me on some decisions that or emphasis that I wanna make with the team,” Quinn said earlier this month. “But, we’ll pick game captains until the postseason, and then we’ll pick postseason captains. That’ll be throughout.”

In Week 1, star wide receiver Terry McLaurin was one of Washington’s three captains, along with defensive end Clelin Ferrell and safety Jeremy Reaves. McLaurin and Reaves have been captains in Washington prior to this season.

It’s Friday, so the Commanders revealed captains for their home opener on Sunday against the New York Giants.

  • C Tyler Biadasz
  • LB Frankie Luvu
  • S/special teams ace Percy Butler

Quinn revealed in his Friday press conference the team went crazy when Butler was revealed as one of the captains. The third-year safety has been excellent on special teams since being drafted in 2022 and has been trusted with more responsibility at safety under the new coaching staff.

The Commanders will also honor Vernon Davis, a Washington, D.C. native and former tight end, as their “legend of the game.”

Davis, who played at Dunbar High in D.C., enjoyed a successful college career at Maryland before the 49ers selected him as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. Davis spent 9 1/2 seasons in San Francisco before he was traded to the Broncos midway through the 2015 season. Davis earned a Super Bowl ring during his short stint in Denver and signed with his hometown Redskins in 2016.

https://twitter.com/Commanders/status/1834603726440436059

Davis played the final four seasons of his NFL career in Washington. Davis caught 583 passes for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns for his career.

Since retirement, Davis has remained busy as an actor, philanthropist and author.

Commanders’ first-half observations vs. Dolphins

10 quick observations from the Commanders’ first half against the Dolphins.

The Commanders trail the Dolphins 10-6 at the half.

Here are some observations of the first half:

  1. Jayden Daniels looked poised and under control. He completed 10 of 12 attempts for 78 yards. He had a nice designed run of 13 yards.
  2. Jeff Driskel showed he has some wheels as well, with a 41-yard run. Driskel has been a pleasant surprise, making plays in the pocket in both games. He completed 7 of 10 for 57 yards.
  3. Was hoping Riley Patterson would kick well tonight and move towards winning the job, but with missing two field goals in the first half, it’s most likely not going to happen.
  4. Dyami Brown has won the confidence of Daniels. Brown received three targets early, catching all three passes for 19 yards.
  5. The Commanders had two runs of 11 yards from Brian Robinson and another 11-yard run from Michael Wiley.
  6. On a 3rd and 2, Austin Ekeler followed a good inside push by the OLine; however, Andrew Wylie was called for holding, setting up a 3rd & 12. That was huge, as it basically killed the drive, forcing a field goal attempt.
  7. Defensively, Jamin Davis had a nice rep when he forced a quick pass, and also leaped to block down the pass.
  8. Frankie Luvu was in on four tackles on the first Dolphins possession. He was very active out there.
  9. Percy Butler was beaten for a touchdown but recovered to get a finger on the ball, deflecting it just enough to save a touchdown.
  10. The Commanders exhibited plenty of Kliff Kingsbury’s uptempo offense.

 

Which Commanders player will have a breakout season in 2024?

Who will have a breakout season in 2024?

Frankie Luvu has taken an interesting path to the Washington Commanders. In 2018, Luvu was an undrafted free agent who signed with the New York Jets. He spent three seasons with the Jets, appearing in 40 games and making three starts.

In 2021, Luvu signed with the Carolina Panthers. While a lot hasn’t gone right in Carolina under owner David Tepper, Luvu was an exception. He played in 16 games with four starts in 2021 before becoming a full-time starter in 2022.

Over the last two seasons, Luvu combined to record 236 tackles, including 29 for loss, 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His success with the Panthers led Washington to give him a three-year deal.

Luvu is set for a big role in head coach Dan Quinn’s defense. Luvu’s versatility and ability to rush the passer could lead to a big season for him in 2024.

How big? Jared Dubin of CBS Sports predicted one breakout player for all 32 teams in 2024. Luvu was his pick for the Commanders.

Luvu got a decent-sized contract in free agency, but it didn’t come near getting him into the top tier of off-ball linebacker salaries. In Dan Quinn’s defense, he has a chance to really shine as a versatile second-level playmaker — especially if Quinn gets creative with his abilities as a blitzer.

In some ways, you could say the 27-year-old Luvu has already broken out. However, he has an opportunity for so much more playing for Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Luvu could be Washington’s top pass rusher in 2024 and will compete with middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to lead the team in tackles.

Everyone is high on Luvu. He could be even better than many initially believed when the Commanders signed him.