Tag: Jamin Davis playing faster

Commanders LB concern: Cole Holcomb to IR

Cole Holcomb was placed on IR, and he will be out for a minimum of four weeks.

Linebacker Cole Holcomb’s foot injury is not progressing; consequently, the starting linebacker has been placed on injured reserve.

Holcomb the sturdy linebacker out of North Carolina, started the Commanders first seven games of the season. The loss of Holcomb is substantial, evidenced by the fact that though Holcomb has been unable to play in the last four games, the former Tar Heel still leads the team in combined tackles (solo and assists) with 69.

Jamin Davis has continued to develop, or this loss of Holcomb would have been an absolute disaster. Davis has played in all 11 games and is second in tackles with 58 (38 solo, 20 assists).

Placing Holcomb (a four-year veteran) on the reserve/injured list, Friday, the Commanders activated LB Milo Eifler from the Reserve/Injured list. Eifler stands 6-foot-1 weighing 228. Thus Eifler is more mobile than Holcomb, Jon Bostic, or David Mayo.

Eifler has appeared in two games for the Commanders in 2022. He did not play any defensive snaps in the loss to the Cowboys in Week 4 while playing 13 special teams’ plays. In the Week 3 loss to the Eagles, Eifler played 19 special teams’ plays and six defensive plays.

Of note, three weeks ago, the Commanders in response to the Holcomb injury, brought up LB De’Jon Harris from the practice squad. Harris is bigger at 6-foot-0, 245 pounds. In weeks 9-11, Harris has played 19, 20 and 21 special teams snaps. He has yet to play a down on defense for the Commanders this season.

The Commanders will go into Sunday’s contest against the Falcons with Davis, Bostic, Eifler, Harris, Khaleke Hudson and David Mayo at linebacker.

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Commanders LB coach likes development in Jamin Davis

Washington linebackers coach Steve Russ is pleased with the development of Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis.

Washington Commanders linebackers coach Steve Russ likes what he is seeing from Jamin Davis.

“I’ve seen growth really everywhere in his game. It starts with how he prepares mentally. He’s done a great job. I think Cole Holcomb does a really, really good job of preparation. He watches a ton of film and the two of them have started doing that together.

Russ likes the leadership Holcomb has been taking upon himself and feels Davis is benefiting from it.

“I think Cole has been able to help him with that because I think that’s one of Cole’s strengths. So, I’ve seen him improve his preparation. He’s getting more consistent, and that’s what we’re fighting for; it’s consistency.”

NFL linebackers often need to “read” some offensive players. For example, is a guard pulling? Are you a guard and tackle pulling? Is the ball going in the direction of the first movements? Or is it intentional misdirection to get a defense to begin moving in the wrong direction?

“I think also his key reads are starting to improve. That was an issue last year, obviously, and it’s something that we continue to work on all the time. Linebackers are always working on key reads, but especially linebackers that come right outta college because it’s such a shotgun-oriented game in college and you come into the NFL, and sure, there’s a lot of shotgun, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of the teams that we play in that run game is under center.”

“Everybody in the National Football League does what? Can you do it better than everybody else and also, can you understand the why behind it? Because they try to confuse us, right? You look at the offenses, I watched college last night and, and I’m a long time college guy, but they don’t move around as much as the NFL does and that’s all to create defensive confusion.”

Early in the season both Jack Del Rio and Ron Rivera publicly named Jamin Davis as someone on the defense who needed to step up his play.

“I don’t wanna speak for Jamin on that. I know I will say just from my interactions with Jamin is that Jamin’s very prideful. He wants to be a good player. He wants to play well. He wants to play well not just for himself, he wants to play well for his team, for his defense.”