Tag: J.D. McKissic

Eagles vs. Commanders: 5 matchups to watch on defense

Here are five matchups to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles when they’re on defense against the Washington Commanders’ offense in Week 10

The Eagles (8-0) and Commanders (4-5) are set for a much-hated Monday night renewal of one of the NFL’s most intense rivalries.

On offense, Washington offers an exciting mix of talented pass catchers and dual-threat running backs that can test a defense will some holes up front without Jordan Davis in the lineup.

The Commanders will attempt to solve the Darius Slay-James Bradberry connection while using an underused running game to keep Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia offense off the field.

With Monday night fast approaching, here are five matchups to watch.

Commanders’ final injury report for Week 10 vs. Eagles

Cole Holcomb is out against the Eagles, but Jahan Dotson will play.

The final injury report for Week 10 is out and contains some good and bad news for the Washington Commanders.

Let’s start with the good news: Rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson will play Monday night. The first-round pick has missed the past five games with a hamstring injury. Dotson had four touchdowns in the first four games of his NFL career before he was sidelined. His four touchdown receptions still lead the team.

Now to the bad news.

Starting linebacker Cole Holcomb [foot] and his backup David Mayo [hamstring] are out. This is the third consecutive game Holcomb will miss, and veteran Jon Bostic will see plenty of time in his absence. Bostic played well against the Vikings last week, but the Eagles present a different type of test.

Running back J.D. McKissic will miss his second consecutive game with a neck injury. McKissic suffered a neck injury in last season’s Monday night win over the Seattle Seahawks and missed the remainder of the season.

Center Tyler Larsen was limited with a back injury and is questionable. Left guard Andrew Norwell was added to the injury report Saturday with a groin injury and is also questionable.

For the Eagles, cornerback Avonte Maddox will miss the game. Outside of Maddox, the Eagles enter Monday night in good shape.

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Eagles-Commanders: Avonte Maddox, Josh Jobe ruled out for Monday night

The Philadelphia Eagles have ruled out cornerbacks Avonte Maddox and Josh Jobe for the Monday night clash against the Washington Commanders

The Eagles will be without two cornerbacks on Monday night as the team ruled out Avonte Maddox and Josh Jobe for the Week 10 contest against the Commanders.

Cornerback Josiah Scott logged a full practice (ankle), and he’ll get the start in the slot for Maddox.

Commanders’ Week 9 inactive list vs. Vikings

The Commanders announce their inactive list for Week 9 vs. Vikings.

The Washington Commanders have released their inactive list ahead of Sunday’s Week 9 game against the Minnesota Vikings. The inactive list features few surprises, with the Commanders battling a number of injuries.

Here’s the complete inactive list:

  • WR Jahan Dotson
  • RB J.D. McKissic
  • LB Cole Holcomb
  • LB David Mayo
  • G Chris Paul
  • TE Cole Turner
  • DE Shaka Toney

Dotson is missing his fifth consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Holcomb is missing his second straight game with a foot injury. Mayo is Holcomb’s backup and is out with a hamstring injury. McKissic was listed on the injury report with a neck injury, which is concerning since he missed time late last season with neck and shoulder injuries.

Turner missed last week’s game due to a concussion he suffered in the Week 7 win over Green Bay.

8 sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 6

Here are eight sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 6.

Fantasy football managers have made it through the first five weeks of the season and on top of injuries, they now have to deal with bye weeks.

Only four teams are on a bye in Week 6, but there are several fantasy-relevant players on the bench this week. This means we’ll need to find that production elsewhere. This is when those sleepers come in handy.

We will be using The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference. In order to qualify as a sleeper, we are taking a look at quarterbacks ranked outside the top 12, running backs and wide receivers ranked outside the top 24, and tight ends ranked outside the top 10.

Here are eight sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 6:

A look into the Commanders’ 3 final plays

We go in-depth on Washington’s final three plays.

1st & Goal from the Titans’ 2, 19 seconds remaining

Because Washington head coach Ron Rivera challenged an incompletion to Cam Sims early in the drive, the Commanders had no timeouts remaining, basically eliminating the threat of running the ball. You would rather the defense have to at least watch for both a run and pass rather than simply key on the pass.

I want to be understanding that perhaps Coach Ron thought it was worth it for a 20-yard gain. What I don’t know is did he make the decision on his own? Or was Coach Ron told by someone up in the press box, “It is absolutely a catch, so challenge it.”

On the first down play, Wentz dropped back then further and further, never getting set. Bizarrely he lofted a pass that was not close to a Commanders receiver and fortunately was a yard out of bounds. It raises the logical question, “Where was Wentz mentally on this play?”

2nd & Goal from the Titans 2, 13 seconds remaining.

Wentz has the arm and could have easily gotten the ball to Curtis Samuel in the right flat in the end zone. But he chose to go to McKissic who was open initially had Wentz decided one half second earlier. BTW, what was Andrew Norwell doing drifting toward the end zone instead of back protecting Wentz?

3rd & Goal from the Titans 2, 9 seconds remaining.

McKissic was in the backfield to the left of Wentz, McLaurin on the left. Three receivers were in a cluster on the right (Bates, Sims, Samuel).

McLaurin broke to the middle but was knocked off of his route. Wentz looked left toward McKissic and apparently chose to throw there despite two defenders being in his area. He did have time to turn and take a second look elsewhere.

Wentz would later say, “I just tried to squeeze it in there to JD. (Long) made a heck of a play. … I thought we had six points when it left my hand.”

Offensive coordinator Scott Turner chose not to throw a fade to either Cole Turner (6-6) or Cam Sims (6-5) on any of the three plays. Either could have been candidates for a high throw into the end zone letting them go up over others and get it.

But it’s always easier in life to second-guess someone else’s decision, isn’t it?

 

Scott Turner talks how Brian Robinson can help Commanders offense

Scott Turner sees big things for rookie RB Brian Robinson Jr.

It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner. First, there were back-to-back games in which the Commanders were held scoreless in the first half, followed by losses to division rivals where Washington combined to score 18 points.

There’s been the play of quarterback Carson Wentz and the offensive line’s injuries and inability to protect Wentz. That’s led to three consecutive losses and the Commanders desperately seeking a win.

Next up for Washington is the Tennessee Titans. And Turner could have a big offensive weapon back for Sunday’s game in rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr.

Robinson was activated from the NFI list Wednesday and is on track to make his NFL debut Sunday, just six weeks after being shot twice in an attempted robbery.

Turner spoke to the media Thursday and was asked if Robinson’s return would help the offense.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s a good player, really good back,” Turner said.

“I mean, you guys are able to see what he can do in the preseason or over the summer during training camp. We’re excited to get him back; the trainers and the doctors will make the decision on when he is actually able to play. You know, that might be this Sunday; we’re still kind of waiting and seeing him. He looked great at practice. He’s not going to come in and just carry the ball 30 times. Like obviously it’s his first time ever playing in the NFL too. He’s a rookie, so there’s going to be a period of kind of getting him going. But I think we’re all excited. I mean, we’re excited about the personal aspect of the story. Just such an amazing thing for him to come back after what he’s been through. But as a player, you know, he’s going to give us some juice and that physical presence and just a good all-around back.”

Robinson had essentially won Washington’s starting running back job in the preseason before he was sidelined. Antonio Gibson has run well at times in Robinson’s absence through the first four weeks, but Robinson brings a different element to the offense, which is why the Commanders are excited.

Robinson’s return also allows Washington to employ Gibson in different roles, such as a receiver where he can make plays in space.

Robinson may or may not play Sunday. If he does play, his snaps will likely be limited. But his presence should give Washington’s struggling offense a good shot in the arm.

Commanders’ Rivera calls Robinson’s return ‘promising’

Ron Rivera talked about Brian Robinson’s return and how the Commanders can use both Robinson and Antonio Gibson.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera feels Brian Robinson Jr. looks promising.

Rivera spoke with the media Wednesday including much about Brian Robinson.

“It was good to have him out there. He looked solid. I mean, he has a little bit of ways to go. Conditioning will be a question. That’s for sure. But just watching him, his retention, his recall looked pretty good. We did some of the things that he does well. He was out there doing them. It looked good. It was all promising.”

On what it means for the team:

“Yes, it will. The biggest thing is we have to take a look at how he handled today, tomorrow morning. Come in, see how he is, see how he feels. That’s always a good indicator when a guy get his first real workout is how he is reacting the next day. As we get into practices again like he did today, then we will see if there is any drop off. We have the GPS tracking that will be able to give us his speeds, just to see where they are. That’s something that we will most definitely take a look at because I know the trainers and the strength and conditioning staff will be looking at those.”

How has Robinson been mentally, spiritually, emotionally since the shooting?

“Well, I think his mental frame of mind is really good. I do. One thing we talked about is about how fortunate he was, and he understands that he gets that and I think it’s kind of given him a little bit more insight as to every moment is precious. Being back out here on the field today, you could see the joy in which he was running around. I mean, he really wanted to do more. We had to slow him down a little bit because what the doctors had prescribed and trainers was go out, do a workout, do a couple of series on the side with the strength conditioning staff and trainers and then when he finished up, they would allow him to come over and work a little bit. He finished up and in great shape. So, he came over, they allowed us to put him in a couple of smattering plays on each period. He took those plays, looked pretty good at it and as I said, because he did so much work, we’ll see how he is tomorrow. But I think right now I think he’s in a good place and for us as a football team, it’s good to see him back out there.”

What was going through Rivera’s own mind seeing Robinson on the field today:

“I was just trying to see if there’s any difference or if he’s favoring anything or if he’s concerned about something. I mean, that’s all part of it. Sometimes the guys come back from injuries and you can see that there’s a little hesitance and if we have any hopes of him playing soon, you can’t have that hesitance. It’s funny because, he started kind of gradually. I didn’t notice anything different, but it’s just kind of a gradual buildup and the more and more he did, the more and more confident I think he got in it. Then there were a couple of running plays today where there was a couple of cuts where he had to stick that leg in the ground and really come off of it and he did. That’s one of the things that when we watched the tape today us as coaches and I know the training staff will be looking for anything that might be something that would be concerning. We’ll see how he goes through those reps that he got. I wanna say of the reps we had, I think he probably got about eight, maybe 10, somewhere in there. He did pop in and take a couple reps for the show team, which we had to tell him, no, no, You gotta keep an eye on him because he was having a lot of fun.”

Did Rivera feel the need to address the team about Robinson’s return?

“No, there was no need to. I mean we’ve seen him around. He’s been out there. He’s back there on the field showing them that, ‘hey, I’m back’. I’m working to get myself ready to play and we’ll see how it goes.”

How do you think Robinson and Antonio Gibson can compliment each other:

“We know Brian’s strengths and in terms of his running style and the type of game he brings. We know what Antonio’s strengths are and I think also, not just his running and you guys have seen it now is him in space catching the ball. A guy that size being with that kind of receiving ability, route running ability presents a challenge for a linebacker matchup, maybe even a safety matchup. So there is an opportunity to have some compliments to it as far as when one guy’s in and then the other guy rotates in, then you throw in a JD McKissick into that mix and you’ve got a good group of backs that rotate through and you try to find the matchups that you can exploit.”

Did you notice Rivera did not mention Jonathan Williams, who really ran hard and strong last week against Dallas? 

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr: ‘I’m the king of adversity’

Brian Robinson Jr. called his first day back at practice “beautiful.”

One of the more uplifting stories of the young NFL season occurred on Wednesday when Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. returned to practice only five weeks after suffering two gunshot wounds in an attempted carjacking.

If you didn’t know, seeing Robinson going through drills, running routes, etc., you would’ve had no idea what he has been through in such a short time. After Wednesday’s practice, an overjoyed Robinson spoke with the media and described his first day back.

“It was beautiful, just getting back on the field, having fun being around my coaches and team again, you know, it was just a beautiful day for me, honestly,” he said. 

Robinson was asked to describe his recovery process:

“Just another line of adversity struck against me, you know, while I was faced against a battle with myself,” Robinson said. “Just had to continue to work, just do better for myself, honestly. It’s been an up and down process, you know, but I’m thankful for all the people I got around me to help me, you know, kind of get back on my feet.”

What were the highs and lows from the past several weeks?

“Just the adversity itself, you know?” he answered. “I guess I’m the king of adversity. I’ve been dealt with so much adversity in my life, you know? This is just another situation where I just got to be stronger than what I’m up against.”

Robinson went on to describe those who he relied on throughout the process, and it was a long list, starting with ownership.

“Everybody around this organization,” Robinson said. “The Snyders, Coach Rivera, [running backs] Coach Jordan, all the players in that locker room, they welcome me with open arms, and I’m thankful for them.”

Now that he’s eligible, will he play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans?

“Just one day at a time,” Robinson answered. “Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you right now.”

Even if Robinson plays Sunday, it’s doubtful he has a significant role. The Commanders will ease him back into the lineup with three capable running backs also on the roster in Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams.

Robinson’s time with the media was emotional, and it’s certainly nice to see him healthy and able to return to the game he loves so much.

WATCH: Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. returns to practice

Brian Robinson Jr. is back.

Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. officially returned to practice Wednesday. Robinson was shot twice in an attempted carjacking on Aug. 28 and began the season on the non-football injury list.

As expected, Washington activated Robinson from the NFI list Wednesday, meaning he could play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, capping off an amazing recovery.

Courtesy of Zach Selby of Washington’s official website, here is Robinson going through drills:

After practice, Robinson met with the media and called his return to practice “beautiful” and discussed coming back from adversity, per Nicki Jhabvale of The Washington Post.

It sounds like Robinson will play soon, but the Commanders aren’t rushing him back on the field. With Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams, Washington has capable backs. Perhaps Robinson receives a few reps against Tennessee Sunday, but that’s far from a guarantee.

Whenever Robinson takes his first official NFL snap, it will be a moment worth celebrating, considering what he’s gone through over the past five weeks.