Tag: Jamin Davis

A tale of two games: Commanders beat Broncos 35-33

The Commanders completed an impressive comeback.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

So begins one of the most famous novels of all time, “A Tale of Two Cities“ by Charles Dickens.

Two hours ago, it was the worst of times for the Washington Commanders, trailing the Denver Broncos 21-3 in the first half.

Minutes ago, Washington had held on to defeat the Denver Broncos in Denver 35-33.

How bad was it? When the Broncos led 21-3, Commanders quarterback Sam Howell seemed flustered on the next Washington possession, forcing what was nearly and should have been an interception.

At that point, Denver had 211 yards of offense and the Commanders only 89. The defense was a step slow on nearly every play, as the Broncos were averaging 12.4 yards per play. While Washington was averaging a mere 3.8 a play.

How ugly was this going to get?

The turning point came when Jamin Davis caused Russell Wilson to fumble, and Cody Barton recovered.

The Commanders drove 49 yards and scored when Howell found Logan Thomas on 4th & Goal from the 4. Brian Robinson’s run for two points was good, and it was 21-11.

The defense forced a punt, and the Commanders drove 46 yards and Joey Slye’s field goal as the half expired made it 21-14. The Commanders were back in the game.

Howell found Terry McLaurin from 30 yards, and the Commanders had tied it at 21-21.

Following a Broncos field goal, Washington drove 75 yards for a 28-24 lead. Key plays of the drive were a 27-yard Brian Robinson run and a 36-yard screen pass to Antonio Gibson, with Saahdiq Charles making a key block for Gibson.

A 21-yard screen pass to Robinson and then a 15-yard Robinson run increased Washington’s lead to 35-24.

Montez Sweat and Chase Young made a huge sack on Wilson, forcing a field goal by Denver, and it was 35-27.

The Broncos completed a Hail Mary pass that bounced a couple of times on the game’s last play to narrow the Commanders’ lead to 35-33. But Benjamin St-Juste deflected Wilson’s pass on the two-point attempt, saving the day for the Commanders.

It was a tale of two games, and Washington got the win.

 

5 potential breakout players for the Commanders this season

We look at five potential breakout players for the Commanders in 2023. Who are your picks?

Every season, new stars emerge across the NFL. Some are expected, some are not. Every NFL team has breakout players. Which player for the Washington Commanders will have a breakout season in 2023?

Second-year wide receiver Jahan Dotson is a popular choice. Many outlets call Dotson a potential breakout candidate for 2023, and even Dotson agreed.

Since Dotson is such a popular choice, we look at five other Commanders who could be potential breakout players in 2023.

Commanders sign former Cowboys LB Jabril Cox to practice squad

Commanders sign a linebacker they liked in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Commanders turned to filling out their practice squad.

While most of the players Washington has signed to its practice squad thus far were with the team in the offseason and in training camp, Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network reported a new face is coming aboard.

Third-year linebacker Jabril Cox, a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL draft, is signing with the Commanders instead of returning to the Cowboys’ practice squad.

Washington was high on Cox in the 2021 draft, and he brings depth and upside to the linebacking corps. The Commanders kept only four linebackers on the active roster: Jamin Davis, Cody Barton, David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson. De’Jon Harris was also re-signed to the practice squad.

At 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, Cox has good size. He is also a good athlete. Before spending his final season at LSU in 2020, Cox played four years for North Dakota State, where he won three FCS national championships and was a two-time All-American. He was one of the lone bright spots on that 2020 LSU team that struggled after winning the national championship in 2019.

In two years with the Cowboys, Cox has appeared in 16 games. He tore his ACL in Nov. 2021, missing the second half of his rookie season. One of Cox’s strengths coming out of college was his athleticism and ability in coverage.

Why did Jamin Davis and Cody Barton play so much in the second preseason game?

Rivera talks the progress of his starting linebackers.

The Washington Commanders played their offensive starters for the entire first half of Monday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. However, defensively, Washington sat all but three projected starters: Linebackers Jamin Davis and Cody Barton and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

It made sense why the Commanders chose to give Forbes an extended look. They want the first-round pick to have as many game reps as possible heading into the season opener next month.

But why were Barton and Davis still on the field in the second quarter with other backups?

According to head coach Ron Rivera, it was to get the two familiar with playing with one another. That’s what Rivera said after Monday’s game, which makes plenty of sense, considering the linebacker position requires constant communication.

“I think the biggest thing for Cody…….is getting used to the style of play,” Rivera said. “We’re a little different from his time in Seattle, and yet we do some very similar things in terms of coverages. But some of our downhill techniques are some of the things that he’s got to get used to. The first game, you saw him, he was really good with it. The second game, I think he was kind of a little hesitant to really get downhill. One of the mistakes you got to be careful when you try to be right and fit it correctly, and that guy cuts back; now you put yourself in a bad spot.

Barton earned praise from Washington legend Doc Walker, a longtime analyst for the team, when he watched practices earlier this summer. Overall, Rivera is pleased with Barton’s progress.

“He’s done a nice job, I think, assimilating and trying to get a grasp of that. What was really good to watch was his play speed, his quickness to adjust and to make up for that little hesitation. I loved his communication, not just with Jamin but the whole unit. I think he’s really starting to get a good feel for the guys. It’s one of those things that, again, the more he plays, the more reps he gets, the better he’s going to be for us.”

Rivera is really pleased with Davis, the former first-round pick entering the third year of his career.

“Very pleased with Jamin,” Rivera said. “He’s playing faster. He’s more confident. You see his run, hit and tackle. He’s still really good at that. I thought the some of the coverage stuff; he did a nice job of putting himself in position. Really pleased with the progress.”

Considering Davis and Barton are expected to be Washington’s starting linebackers, and Barton is new, the preseason reps are important. Davis took a step forward last season after struggling as a rookie. Washington hopes he takes another step in 2023. If that happens, the Commanders have a chance to be even better on defense.

 

 

Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson’s stock continues to rise

Khaleke Hudson continues to stand out.

There has been a lot of hype around Washington Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson since his Week 18 performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

The 25-year-old fourth-year linebacker earned praise for his effort in the win over the Cowboys. Hudson had primarily played special teams in his first three NFL seasons, but for the first time in his career, he played 100% of the defensive snaps.

Coaches and teammates praised Hudson’s effort in the win.

Throughout the offseason, we kept hearing Hudson’s name. In OTAs, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio couldn’t say enough good things about Hudson.

“Guys like Khaleke Hudson have been really been playing outstanding,” Del Rio said in June. “I think gained a little bit of confidence from that last outing against Dallas. He went out there and played really well, and so he’s coming to the offseason full of energy and getting a lot of reps because Jamin is not going.”

With starting linebacker Jamin Davis sidelined during OTAs as he recovered from a knee procedure, Hudson stood out. Hudson continued that early into training camp, and head coach Ron Rivera noticed.

“Oh, I thought Khaleke has done some really good things,” Rivera said. “He’s flying around. Very positive attitude. Very good approach to everything, and he’s learning more than just the one position now. You know, and in light of some of the things he did last year, especially in the last game of the season. We’ve noticed. We’ve noticed an improvement, and we’ve noticed a guy also just playing with confidence as well.”

So much has been made of Washington’s refusal to add more linebackers in the draft or free agency. We know Washington views the linebacker position differently than most. The Commanders often employ just two traditional linebackers, sometimes one, and Davis has one of those spots. There is also Cody Barton, who signed in the offseason and has continued to impress this summer.

Then you have Hudson. Hudson has proven he can play both spots — and well. That means the Commanders have good depth there, whether Hudson moves into the starting lineup or spells Davis and/or Barton.

Whether he begins the season as a starter or not, Hudson will be a valuable piece to Washington’s potentially outstanding defense in 2023.

Linebacker Cody Barton among the early standouts for the Commanders in training camp

One Washington legend is high on the new linebacker.

The Washington Commanders agreed to terms with linebacker Cody Barton on the first day of the legal tampering period this spring. Washington signed Barton to a modest one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

The Commanders had signed Barton to play Mike linebacker, with last year’s starter, Cole Holcomb, still in play to return. However, once Barton landed with Washington, Holcomb agreed to a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Mike linebacker position was Barton’s to lose in 2023.

While Barton learned the offense in the spring, he now looks completely comfortable through the first week of training camp.

Barton has been active in training camp thus far, particularly when the pads came on this week. Barton stood out, stuffing running lanes behind Washington’s vaunted defensive line. Barton has looked confident and fast thus far.

Barton has also looked comfortable in coverage.

In a recent appearance on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast, former Washington tight end and longtime analyst Rick “Doc” Walker joined to offer his observations on training camp after one week.

Sheehan asked about specific players, including Barton.

“Love him,” Walker said.

“Cody is the kind of guy that’s on all really good teams. He’s not a combine guy, but as soon as you put the pads on today, he stands out like a sore thumb. He’s a contact freak. He’s athletic enough and got size. He’s going to be a terror. He’s a terror.”

Jamin Davis entered the 2023 season as the only “sure thing” at linebacker. And the third-year former first-round pick is far from a sure thing. Sure, he improved last season, but the coaching staff wants more from Davis. Davis had a procedure this offseason, leading him to miss OTAs, which left him a bit behind entering training camp.

Davis is also dealing with a legal issue involving a reckless driving concision, opening the door for Barton and Khaleke Hudson to impress.

Ultimately, Washington would love for Barton and Davis to start, with Hudson serving as the third linebacker in 2023.

Head coach Ron Rivera and defensive linebacker Jack Del Rio, former NFL starting linebackers, have often been criticized for what fans felt like ignoring the linebacker position.

Have they finally found their guy in Barton? We won’t know until the games begin, but the early signs are encouraging.

 

Judge rejects Jamin Davis’ revised plea over reckless driving conviction

Davis will be back in court on Aug. 31.

Washington Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis was back in a Loudoun County courthouse Thursday to accept a revised plea bargain on his reckless driving conviction.

However, Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James E. Plowman Jr. would not consider the plea because it wasn’t “substantially and materially different” from the last one, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

A new hearing is set for Aug. 31.

In the revised plea, Davis would serve a maximum of eight days in jail with a minimum of four days served. Here were the full terms of the revised plea deal per Jhabvala:

Davis’s plea agreement reached Thursday included a maximum of eight days of jail with a minimum of four days actually served. It also included a supervised probation that could be extended beyond 12 months, a six-month mandatory suspended license with no ensuing restrictions, a maximum $2,500 fine, 114 hours of community service, the possibility of another four-hour driving course in Loudoun County (he already completed an eight-hour course) and a written essay on reckless driving that Davis would post on his social media accounts.

 

Commanders’ training camp: Takeaways and observations from Day 6

The pads were on for the first time this summer.

The Washington Commanders were back on the practice field Tuesday with fans in attendance. It was also the first time in training camp that the Commanders had on pads.

When the pads come on, it gives those looking to make an impression a chance to shine. It’s also the first time you can see the running game in camp.

For the Commanders, we could finally see if the offensive line could block the defensive line. It’s been an unfair matchup early in camp, but there were no pads.

Here are some notes and observations from Day 6.

Judge rejects Commanders LB Jamin Davis plea bargain in reckless driving case

Jamin Davis missed practice Monday.

Washington Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis could face possible jail time after a Loudoun County judge rejected his guilty plea Monday from a reckless driving incident in March 2022.

On March 28, 2022, Davis was cited for driving 114 mph in a 45 mph zone in Loudoun County. He pleaded not guilty in Loudoun County District Court to reckless driving — which is speeding more than 20 miles above the limit, in excess of 85 mph — but the courts found him guilty, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, a fine and had his driver’s license suspended. Davis had originally requested a jury trial to appeal the conviction but later accepted a plea deal that would require a maximum of eight days in jail.

However, on Monday, the judge rejected the plea, and Davis is set for a scheduling conference on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

The judge rejected Davis’ plea because the area in which Davis was speeding is a heavily trafficked area. In addition, the judge cited Davis’ “not terrible but not clean” record.

Davis had previously been charged with reckless driving on Dec. 19, 2021, after driving 89 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, it was reduced to 84 mph, and Davis paid a $150 fine.

Head coach Ron Rivera said the following about Davis after his press conference Monday.

“He’s going through the legal process, and as he goes through it, we just got to be here and be supportive of him and understand that this is the legal process that he has to go through,” Rivera said.

The Commanders are back on the practice field Tuesday for Day 6 of training camp.

Commanders’ training camp: Takeaways and observations from Day 2

Day 2 of training camp is in the books. Some thoughts and observations from the day.

The Washington Commanders were back on the practice fields in Ashburn for Day 2 of training camp. Owner Josh Harris and minority partners Mitchell Rales and Mark Ein joined Harris. Harris received a celebratory welcome, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.

As for what happened on the field, Washington ramped things up a bit on Thursday. It was another strong day of work for quarterback Sam Howell, who continues to look comfortable in offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s offense, at least early.

Here are our takeaways and observations from Day of training camp.