Tag: garrett gilbert

Taylor Heinicke activated from reserve/COVID-19 list, back at practice

Taylor Heinicke is back.

Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke cleared COVID protocols Thursday and was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. He returned to practice and should be under center for Washington Sunday in the rematch against the Cowboys.

Heinicke was placed on the COVID list last week after testing positive for the virus. The NFL made some changes to the COVID protocols for vaccinated, asymptomatic players, which Washington hoped would aid in clearing Heinicke and Kyle Allen from the COVID protocols in time for Tuesday’s game at Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Heinicke and Allen remained on the reserve/COVID list, leading newly signed Garrett Gilbert to start for Washington.

Also cleared Thursday were linebacker David Mayo and practice squad tight end Temarrick Hemingway. In a corresponding move, Washington released quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who was signed last week.

Allen remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Washington must keep Gilbert on the active roster for a minimum of three weeks since he was signed off another team’s [New England] practice squad.

Washington drops 4 positions in latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington falls four spots in the new USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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After four consecutive wins, the Washington Football Team climbed to No. 15 in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings after a Week 13 win at Las Vegas.

Washington’s four-game winning streak ended with a Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Therefore, the WFT dropped four spots in last week’s power rankings. Despite the loss, Washington remained in the playoff hunt, holding onto the NFC’s No. 7 playoff spot.

After the loss to Dallas, Washington had a tough week, seeing over two dozen players added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, including quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen. Washington was forced to sign veteran Garrett Gilbert last week, who made an emergency start under center for the WFT.

With so many players sidelined, the Eagles took advantage, piling up over 500 yards of total offense in picking up a 27-17 win over Washington.

Considering the circumstances surrounding Washington’s loss, how far would they fall in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings?

In the new power rankings, Washington comes in at No. 23. That’s two consecutive weeks of dropping four positions in the rankings. Here’s what Nate Davis said about Washington ahead of Week 16:

23. Washington (19): Cleveland and Washington were teams most affected by COVID in Week 15. Tuesday’s loss in Philadelphia might very well prove unsurvivable for WFT, which winds up in 10th place rather than in wild-card spot.

You can’t ignore the havoc COVID created on Washington over the last week. Could Washington have defeated the Eagles with Heinicke or Allen? Yes, on any other week, Washington can defeat the Eagles with Heinicke or Allen. But Washington’s defense wasn’t beating anyone on Tuesday night.

Now, Washington must get right in a hurry with a trip to Dallas Sunday.

PFT hosts respect Washington QB Garrett Gilbert

Garrett Gilbert earned the respect of many people Tuesday, including Pro Football Talk.

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“I have to respect and admire the passion, the love, the dedication that guys like this (Garrett Gilbert) are not walking away,” said Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio.

Wednesday morning, Pro Football Talk hosts Mike Florio, and Chris Simms both expressed their respect for Garrett Gilbert and his effort against the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday night when Washington fell to the Eagles 27-17.

“He had his moment last night. And nobody wanted to see him play. (We don’t want this guy. We want Taylor Heinicke. We want Kyle Allen),” continued Florio.

“He had a good enough game, and he had a moment, and now he is going to keep going. He is going to keep going and keep going as long as he physically can.”

Chris Simms echoed Florio, “Good for him (Gilbert). He certainly didn’t look uncomfortable or like a deer in the headlights. What a situation; you barely know the offense, and he came in and really made very few poor decisions. He threw the ball pretty well. I mean, it was all positive. They (Washington) did not lose the game because of him. That is certainly not the case.”

“The defense had some turnovers early, got them a little momentum, but ultimately (like we said), the Eagles are a better team.”

Jonathan Allen again proves why he is the ultimate leader

Jonathan Allen continues to show why is the perfect leader for Washington.

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Jonathan Allen doesn’t want to hear about excuses. The fifth-year defensive tackle from Alabama spoke to the media after Washington’s loss to the Eagles Tuesday and was not pleased with his team’s — or his — performance.

Washington, which had over two dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list at one point, was without its top two quarterbacks Tuesday. That meant veteran Garrett Gilbert, signed last week, was under center for Washington.

Gilbert held up reasonably well, completing 20 of 31 passes for 194, and did not turn the ball over. He made some plays in the passing game without much help from his running game or defense.

The defense, which had been playing well for weeks, especially against the run, surrendered over 500 yards of total offense to the Eagles. Philadelphia rushed for 238 yards.

“I mean, what weren’t they doing?” Allen answered when asked what did Philly do in the running game. “At the end of the day, I have to play better. If I play better, I give our team a better chance to win. If our defensive line plays better, we give our team a better chance to win. It’s the [defensive line]; this game is on the [defensive line].”

He’s 100% correct. This game is on the defensive line. Even without Chase Young, this group is the team’s strength. Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat are all former first-round picks. No team in the NFL should rush for over 200 yards and average almost six yards per attempt against Washington.

However, Allen was wrong on one item. There was nothing wrong with how he played. Allen recorded seven tackles from his defensive tackle spot, including another sack. And he did most of this against constant double teams.

But this is why Allen is the perfect leader. He expects the same effort and results from his teammates as he does for himself. He’s not going to allow for excuses to enter Washington’s locker room after a bad performance.

“That’s an excuse,” when asked about COVID-19. “That’s what we’re not going to do today, is make excuses. They just played better than us and not much else to say.”

We appreciate Allen not making excuses. It’s one of the many reasons why he’s so great. Yes, Washington was down so many players Tuesday with injuries and COVID-19, but none of those injuries paved the way for Philadelphia to rush for over 200 yards against Washington. If anything, it was the pass defense that struggled without Kendall Fuller, Kam Curl and William Jackson III for much of the game.

There are no better leaders for Washington than Allen and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. They lead by example. They are honest and demand everyone’s best effort, showing the other players how it’s done. And, even during the most difficult of times, Allen preaches accountability.

Washington is fortunate to have Allen on, and off the field. For once, the WFT got it right in extending one of its young cornerstones.

Ron Rivera, Terry McLaurin praise quarterback Garrett Gilbert

Ron Rivera, Terry McLaurin praise quarterback Garrett Gilbert after Washington’s loss in Week 15.

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Veteran quarterback Garrett Gilbert had the nearly impossible task of signing with an NFL team last week and being thrust into the starting lineup only days later. The journeyman passer held up well in Washington’s 27-17 loss to the Eagles, completing 20 of 31 passes for 194 with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Sure, those aren’t the gaudy video-game numbers fans are used to seeing in today’s game, but considering the circumstances, Washington couldn’t have asked any more from the 30-year-old Gilbert.

After the game, head coach Ron Rivera spoke about Gilbert and was proud of his effort:

I thought he gave a heck of an effort. He made some good decisions and he delivered some good balls. His timing and rhythm was off a little bit, and it showed when we got in a couple of situations that he just hadn’t had enough reps. He was late a couple of times coming back off of his reads and he hung on his reads a little bit longer, but man he made some plays. He fought and he battled, and when a guy does that, you appreciate that.

Gilbert was off-target on several throws, which was expected in live game action. One issue for Gilbert was the consistent pressure in his face, forcing him to reset, throwing off his mechanics. It led to some high throws.

Count wide receiver Terry McLaurin among the Washington players who appreciated Gilbert’s effort:

“I have nothing but respect for Garrett [Gilbert],” McLaurin said.

“For a guy to come from another practice squad to a team where you don’t know anybody – sure, maybe you’ve been in the offense, but to come here mid-week and be expected to not only start at quarterback but to help us try to get into the playoffs, it’s nothing but respect for him. The way he came in, his energy, you felt that when he got here.”

McLaurin caught two passes for 51 yards, including a 46-yarder in the first quarter.

While you never can predict what happens with COVID-19, you presume this would be Gilbert’s only start for Washington. Heinicke and Allen, or at least one of them, should be back by Sunday.

As for Gilbert, he gave Washington a chance, and that’s all you can hope for.

 

Washington QB Garrett Gilbert did some good things in first 2021 start

Garrett Gilbert held up well as Washington’s emergency quarterback Tuesday. Don’t blame him for Washington’s loss.

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After only being part of the Washington Football Team for four days, with no scrimmaging, no preseason, no game-speed action, Garrett Gilbert had some commendable moments Tuesday night against the Eagles.

The 30-year old making his first appearance for his fourth NFL team, connected with Terry McLaurin for this 46-yard gain in the first quarter. Gilbert will become more accustomed to McLaurin’s speed and has the arm, to not under-throw this next time for an even larger gain.

Gilbert completed 20 of his 31 attempts to eight different receivers for 194 yards (only 6.3 yards per attempt). Gilbert displayed some arm strength, apparently catching Adam Humphries off-guard in the end zone as Humphries misjudged the ball’s velocity, and it caromed off of his chest for what should have been a touchdown and an early 14-0 Washington lead.

Garrett displayed some mobility moving to his left finding John Bates for this 29-yard gain, setting up the final WFT touchdown.

Friday was the first day Garrett worked with the WFT. Tonight we did see some plays informing us as to why Head Coach Ron Rivera on Friday quickly proclaimed Garrett would start ahead of Kyle Shurmur who has been on the Washington Practice Squad since September 13.

For now, we wait to see if Gilbert will be provided another opportunity to start in Washington’s next game, a Sunday Night Football contest on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.

Washington vs. Eagles game recap: Everything we know

Here’s everything we know from Washington’s 27-17 loss to the Eagles.

The Washington Football Team started fast, opening up with a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, before crashing hard and falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17, Tuesday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

The story of this game should be about Washington quarterback Garrett Gilbert making an emergency start for the WFT with Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen on the reserve/COVID-19 list. However, Gilbert did some things well, considering he’d only been with the team four days.

The story of this game was Washington’s poor defensive play. The Eagles managed to roll up 519 total yards, including an embarrassing 238 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Gilbert received no help from Washington’s running game, as the WFT rushed for only 63 yards.

Now, here’s everything we know from Philadelphia’s 27-17 win over Washington.

Washington worn down by Eagles in 27-17 loss

The Eagles dominated Washington up front in 27-17 victory.

After a quick start, the Washington Football Team faded Tuesday night, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

With the benefit of two first-quarter turnovers, Washington jumped to a 10-0 lead. However, the Eagles ran the ball effectively for the final three quarters, keeping the Washington defense on the field.

In particular, the Eagles’ offense repeatedly looked a step (or two) quicker than the Washington defense throughout the third quarter.

The Eagles came into the game averaging 213 yards rushing their previous four games. Tonight the Eagles rolled up exactly 213 rushing yards… in three quarters! Spotting Washington 10 points, the Eagles then accumulated 20 consecutive points, 413 yards (210 passing, 213 rushing) through three quarters.

Washington Quarterback Garrett Gilbert completed 20 of his 31 attempts for 194 yards without an interception. He was sacked twice, losing 20 yards. The WFT could not generate much of a running game at all, gaining only 63 yards in 21 rushing attempts, which put even more pressure on Gilbert.

Washington had no answer for Jalen Hurts or Miles Sanders. Hurts completed 20 of 26 for 296 yards. His 11.6 yards per attempt simply shredded Washington. Sanders rushed for 131 yards in only 18 carries for an impressive 7.3 yards per carry.

Washington had scored early, when on their first possession the Eagles facing a 3rd & 1 at their own 22, Dallas Goedert dropped an easy Jalen Hurts’ pass. In addition, the ball bounced off of Goedert’s heel into the waiting hands of Landon Collins.

Washington then drove 26 yards in seven plays with Antonio Gibson scoring from one yard for the early 7-0 lead.

The Eagles drove 45 yards before Montez Sweat sacked Jalen Hurts, caused a fumble and Landon Collins recovered, returning it 23 yards before he too fumbled and Matt Ioannidis recovered for Washington.

Gilbert then connected with Terry McLaurin for 46 yards, but Adam Humphries misjudged Gilbert’s touchdown pass attempt, the ball actually bouncing off of Humphries’ chest resulting in Brian Johnson’s 22-yard field goal.

Washington drops to 6-8 on the season and travels to division-leading Dallas Sunday.

Washington cornerback Wiliam Jackson will not return vs. Eagles

Washington is now without both starting cornerbacks.

A thin Washington secondary lost another valuable starter in the first half of the WFT’s Week 15 game at Philadelphia. Cornerback William Jackson III went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Just after halftime, Washington announced Jackson would not return.

Washington entered the game without starting cornerback Kendall Fuller, meaning both of the WFT’s starting corners are now out.

Washington allowed 261 total yards in the first half, including 159 passing yards. The WFT struggled to pressure Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts who had just three incompletions before the half.

Now, Washington’s cornerbacks consist of Darryl Roberts, Corn Elder and Danny Johnson. To compensate, Washington is playing extra safeties as Jeremy Reaves has seen plenty of action thus far. Eagles’ tight end Dallas Goedert has helped the WFT defense with two drops.

4 takeaways from first half as Eagles-Washington play to a 10-10 tie

4 takeaways from the first half as #Eagles-#WashingtonFootball play to a 10-10 tie

The Eagles mentally arrived late for their matchup against Washington and after two ugly plays from Jalen Hurts and Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia trailed 10-0 before they knew it.

The defense finally awakened and Jalen Hurts finally found his rhythm as Philadelphia evened things up 10-10 heading into the second half.

Here are four takeaways from the first half.