Tag: Jamison Crowder

Quick facts from the Commanders’ Week 15 win over the Saints

Some quick facts and numbers from the Commanders’ win over the Saints.

The Commanders survived and that’s about all they did late, holding on dearly for a 20-19 win over the Saints at Caesars Stadium in New Orleans.

Here are some of the quick facts from the ninth win of the Commanders’ season:

  • It was ugly, and they were holding on for dear life, but it was the Commanders’ 9th win of the year. The first time that has happened since the 2015 season. Ron Rivera often mentioned how they were division winners in 2020, but it was a losing 7-9 season.
  • The Commanders were 9 for 17 on third downs today and 1-1 on fourth down.
  • The Commanders ran 74 offensive plays to only 51 for the Saints. However, their drives were killed by giving up an obscene eight quarterback sacks.
  • Today, the Commanders were called for nine penalties for a loss of 84 yards. The most crucial was a Dyami Brown reception which would have allowed the Commanders to run the clock down to less than a minute, but a holding penalty negated it.
  • Today was the tale of two games: Washington dominated the first two and one-half quarters by a 17-0 margin. However, in the last one-and-one-half quarter, the Saints outscored the Commanders 19-3.
  • Jayden Daniels completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards, two touchdown passes, and no interceptions, but he was sacked eight times!
  • For the third game this season, the Commanders allowed 0 first-half points. The last time they accomplished this feat was in the 2015 season.
  • Terry McLaurin had seven receptions for 73 yards and two touchdown receptions, which gave McLaurin 11 receiving touchdowns this season, a career-high.
  • Terry McLaurin’s two first-half touchdown receptions was the second time he has done this in 2024. The last time a Washington player caught two touchdowns in a half was Jordan Reed in 2015.
  • Dominating the first half, the Commanders had a 13-2 lead in first downs, were 6-9 on third downs while the Saints were only 1-6, and had outgained the Saints 165-38. However, they only led 14-0.
  • Veteran wide receiver Jamison Crowder missed most of the season on injured reserve. Returning today, he contributed three receptions for 27 yards.
  • With the loss of KR/ RB Austin Ekeler, Luke McCaffrey today stepped in and had three returns for 30+ yards.
  • TE Zach Ertz made a nice one-handed grab but was injured on the tackle. He was ruled out with a concussion and did not return. If he can’t return next week vs the Eagles, this could be huge.
  • Saints QB Jake Haener passed for only 49 first-half yards and was replaced by Spencer Rattler, who passed for 135 second-half yards, a passing touchdown, and was only a two-point conversion away from pulling out the Saints’ comeback win.
  • Today’s win clinched Washington’s first winning season since the 2016 team finished 8-7-1.

 

Quinn anxious for Commanders’ injured players to return, play at home

Dan Quinn optimistic about some injured players returning soon.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn is hoping to get some new players out on the field.

Quinn began his Wednesday presser with the local media, saying some injured players—backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, rookie linebacker Jordan Magee, and defensive end Efe Obada—are now ready to begin the 21-day return-to-play window.

However, it was just the opposite news for wide receiver/returner Jamison Crowder (calf), who is headed to the injured reserve list. This means Crowder will be out for at least four weeks.

Quinn also said in his introductory comments that with three of the first four games on the road, he and the team are excited and looking forward to “coming home and hopefully creating a home-field advantage. It’s as fun as you could possibly imagine when a stadium’s going crazy for the team. And so, we’re certainly wanting to capture that.”

Mariota had a strange preseason. He only played a series in the preseason opener against the Jets and did not play again in the final two preseason games. His first injury was a groin injury, and then a chest injury which landed him on IR, missing the first four games. Jeff Driskel is currently the number two quarterback.

Magee, a fifth-round draft choice out of Temple, injured his knee (meniscus) in the first preseason game, requiring a procedure, and has missed the first games.

Obada suffered two fractures in a leg in the home game against the Giants in November of 2023.

The players can practice with the team for 21 days before a decision is made about adding them back to the 53-man roster.

When Quinn was asked about whether any of the players were ready to return to the active roster soon, Quinn responded, “We really have to wait. These guys have been out for a while, and so that’s why you have the extended time to get them ready to play. And so that’s where we will go into, and each one will be its own individual case, too.”

Quinn expressed how he is looking forward to playing at home on Sunday.
“It’s a huge advantage for the team because as loud as it can get and silent cadences and all that goes with that, it’s just an absolute blast. The energy goes through the roof. So, that’s what we’ll dig for and keep battling for it, and the better that we can play, the more we can create that together, and then it becomes, man, this is a really hard place to play when you tie all of the of the things together.”

Who will handle return duties for Commanders vs. Cardinals?

Who will handle return duties in Week 4 with Ekeler and Crowder out?

The Commanders are in a possibly tough spot Sunday against the Cardinals.

Austin Ekeler and Jamison Crowder were both ruled out this week by Commanders’ Head Coach Dan Quinn. Crowder was the primary punt returner for the 2023 team, while Ekeler has been the leading kickoff returner in 2024.

Even more, Ekeler returned the opening kickoff against the Giants in Week 2 for a touchdown; however, it was called back due to a penalty. Proving it wasn’t luck, in Week 3, Ekeler took the second-half opening kickoff 62 yards.

https://Twitter.com/Ihartitz/status/1835762570126385258

With Ekeler and Crowder unavailable for Sunday, who will return the punts and kicks? Friday, when Quinn was asked about this by the press, here is how the head coach responded.

“Yes, (WR) Olamide (Zacchaeus) will be one. (WR) Luke’s (McCaffrey) been getting back there. On the kick return side, we’ve certainly worked with J-Mic (Jeremy McNichols), Noah’s (Igbinoghene) done that. So in that way, we are not going to replace Austin (Ekeler).”

Quinn then summed up this issue with his philosophy during the long, hot days of training camp and preseason.

“However, when you do have a big, deep crew, you do work a lot of guys. When these situations come up, you need to be ready for it. So through practices and preseason games, gaining that experience is really important.”

Revisiting Jamison Crowder’s iconic game-winning catch over North Carolina in 2012

Ahead of the Duke-UNC football game on Saturday, take a look back at one of the most iconic Blue Devils plays of the century.

The Duke football team hosts the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday with a chance to beat UNC for the first time since 2018, and the Blue Devils hope to channel the same energy Durham saw in 2012.

Entering that edition of the rivalry, North Carolina had beaten the Blue Devils in 21 of the last 22 years, including each of the previous eight contests. And with 19 seconds left in the game, it looked like the streak might continue.

Duke trailed 30-26 and faced a fourth-and-2 from the 5-yard line, needing a first down at minimum to keep the game alive. Quarterback Sean Renfree dropped back and surveyed for several seconds, struggling to find an opening amid the seven Tar Heels in coverage, before throwing a dart to a sophomore receiver named Jamison Crowder right at the goal line.

Crowder caught the ball amid two North Carolina defenders, getting flipped forward as he secured the catch. When he popped up with the ball in hand, however, the Blue Devils took the 33-30 lead with seconds left on the clock.

Renfree finished the game with 276 passing yards and a touchdown, and Crowder caught five passes for 41 yards. The wideout finished that year with 1,074 yards, his first of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He caught 108 passes for 1,360 yards as a junior in 2013, single-season school records that stand to this day, and he just started his 10th NFL season.

Where does Duke wide receiver Jordan Moore stand on his record chase after Week 3?

Duke wideout Jordan Moore was on pace to break the school record for receiving yards through two games. Where does he stand after Week 3?

Duke wide receiver [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag]’s chances to break the school’s single-season receiving yardage record took a small hit against Connecticut on Saturday.

After the senior racked up 233 yards through the first two games of the season, he seemed poised for his third straight 100-yard performance after the opening drive. He hauled in a 45-yard reception on the Duke’s first pass attempt and added an impressive catch for a four-yard touchdown to cap off the drive.

He only caught three passes for 24 yards throughout the rest of the game, however, ending with a season-low 73 yards for the night.

Moore now sits at 306 receiving yards through three games. That puts him on a 12-game pace of 1,224 yards, falling behind Jamison Crowder’s program record of 1,360 (set in 2013). Moore’s 23 receptions also put him on track for 92, well behind Crowder’s record of 108.

The former quarterback would be second in Duke history in both categories at that pace, but his first two games had him ahead of schedule for challenging Crowder’s marks. If Duke makes a bowl game and Moore elects to play, that 13th game bumps his pace to 100 receptions and 1,326 yards, still behind both records.

Moore also briefly exited the game early in the fourth quarter after a contested catch effort led to an awkward landing. He looked to be carrying his right arm gingerly as he jogged off the field, but he made his way back into the game later. Head coach Manny Diaz said nothing about his status afterward, so it appears that he won’t miss time. Should he be limited moving forward, however, his chances to break Crowder’s record get even smaller.

The Duke star will need to average 117.1 yards per game if he hopes to catch Crowder by the end of the regular season.

Jordan Moore is well on pace for the best season by a Duke wide receiver in a decade

Through two games, Duke wide receiver Jordan Moore is on pace for one of the most productive wide receiver seasons in program history.

Coming into the 2024 season, the biggest questions for Duke wide receiver [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] revolved around how much of a mark he could leave in the school record books.

In 2023, just his second season playing the position, he finished with 62 receptions, 835 yards, and eight touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils in all three categories. With new offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer indicating that he wanted to throw the ball more this fall, it felt like Moore could be the first wideout since Jamison Crowder in 2014 to reach the 1,000-yard barrier.

Through two games, it feels like Duke football fans might have aimed a little too low.

Moore caught 11 passes for 121 yards against Northwestern on Friday, his second consecutive 100-yard game to start the season. After Week 2, the senior has 18 catches (tied for the most in the ACC) for 233 yards (the fourth-most in the conference).

It’d be a tall task with some of the ACC defenses on the schedule, but projected over a 12-game regular season, Moore is on pace for 108 receptions and 1,398 yards. That would tie Crowder’s single-season catch record and barely break his yardage record of 1,360, both set in 2013.

Moore would only need 1,150 yards this season to finish second on Duke’s single-season leaderboard, meaning he could average 91.7 yards per game over the final 10 contests and still reach that mark. He’d need to average 112.7 yards per game to break Crowder’s single-season record.

The senior also seems like a sure bet to reach the program’s top 10 in career receiving yards. With 1,724 yards to his credit already, he’s currently 13th on the all-time list. He needs 574 more yards to pass Corey Thomas for 10th in school history, and breaking Crowder’s record would move him all the way into sixth.

NFL analyst predicts new career high for Sam Darnold in 2024

Can Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold do something in 2024 he’s never done before and pass for 4,000 yards? One analyst thinks so.

Throwing for 4,000 yards in a season has become somewhat of a standard benchmark for “good” quarterback play in the NFL. Since 2020, at least nine quarterbacks have reached that mark in every season, with 12 quarterbacks surpassing 4,000 yards last season.

New Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was not one of those quarterbacks in either instance. In fact, Darnold has never come close to reaching the 4,000-yard mark in a season, with his career-best total coming as a member of the New York Jets in his second season. That year was Darnold’s best as a professional. He set career highs in every major statistical category, including throwing for 3,024 yards and 19 touchdowns.

That season, Darnold was throwing passes to the likes of Jamison Crowder and Robbie Chosen (then Robbie Anderson) and did so with head coach Adam Gase running the Jets offense. Suffice it to say that Darnold has some significantly better circumstances coming into this season.

Those improved circumstances have Pro Football Network analyst Mike Wobschall predicting a career year for the new Vikings starting quarterback.

Darnold has had some famous struggles during his career and is widely considered a draft bust after being chosen third overall by the Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he’s now stepping into a role as a veteran quarterback with arguably the league’s best wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, one of the best receiving running backs in the league in Aaron Jones, and a head coach, Kevin O’Connell, who got the most out of journeyman quarterbacks Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens last season.

O’Connell’s system and coaching are very quarterback-friendly, and the supporting cast around Darnold is easily the best of his career. If Darnold is able to stay healthy for the entire season, and his flaws are kept mostly in check, Darnold should be able to comfortably reach this milestone.

Who will be the Commanders’ punt returner?

Who will return punts in 2024?

Who will be the Commanders’ punt returner for the 2024 season?

The primary punt returner for last season, Jamison Crowder, is back again with the team, so perhaps the discussion should begin with Crowder?

Crowder returned a career-high 35 punts for Washington in 2023, the third most in the NFL last season. However, he was not in the top ten in punt return yards, and his 7.9 yards per return was only 21st in the league, despite having a long return of 61 yards against the Falcons.

Crowder, who turned 31 in June, also collected 16 receptions in 2023, with one touchdown and 9.9 yards per reception.

Ben Standig reported that five players worked on punt returns during Wednesday’s practice.

That means Kazmeir Allen, Crowder, Jahan Dotson, Olimade Zaccheaus, and Davion Davis were getting those reps.

Last week against the Dolphins, the coaches were definitely trying to give Allen touches. He had two punt returns with a long of 10 yards and two kickoff returns (22 long). He also ran 3-13 with a long of 7 yards. However, he did lose a fumble. They like his explosiveness.

Dotson was a good punt returner at Penn State but has not returned this preseason. He has three short receptions in the two games.

https://youtube.com/shorts/V8v_NLPGM9g?si=QGPySQKTwlNkzdWP

Davis had three punt returns with a long of 10 yards against the Jets. He collected four receptions for 20 yards, including a 12-yarder against the Dolphins.

This leaves Zaccheaus, who had short receptions against the Dolphins (5, 4 yards) but also returned a punt 19 yards against the Jets.

The Commanders tried to get Luke McCaffrey some punt return work against the Dolphins. He could only manage one fair catch, which was perhaps not wanted, being on the 5-yard line.

It’s a job clearly not yet won, and perhaps there will be more than one Commander returning punts in 2024.

Jamison Crowder wants to have a good showing for Commanders this preseason

The veteran is in a battle to make Washington’s 53-man roster.

Former Redskins and Jets receiver Jamison Crowder is looking forward to Saturday’s preseason opener for the Commanders.

Crowder, drafted out of Duke by Washington in 2015 (105 overall), spent his first four seasons (2015-18) with the Redskins before moving over to the Jets for three seasons (2019-21).

Now age 31, Crowder is trying to make an impression on the new coaching staff, working hard to make the 53-man roster this season.

Having Joe Gibbs and Darrell Green at training camp practice Tuesday was inspiring for Crowder. “It was great to have greats like that who have come through this league and done great things in other areas of life. It was great to have them come out here and talk to the team. You got to take something from what they say and try to apply it to my life. I hope the other guys do that as well.”

New owner Josh Harris is certainly spending money, trying to upgrade facilities to help his players. Crowder noted the AstroTurf field that sat there useless for years, but was recently torn up and moved out by Harris. “I obviously see the changes they are trying to make around here, and now we will be able to better utilize that field…I think it is for the better.”

A successful preseason opener Saturday for Crowder, he says, would be to make a good showing, execute, and avoid injuries. Crowder is fully aware that Adam Peters has drafted Luke McCaffrey, brought back Kazmeir Allen, Brycen Tremayne, and Byron Pringle, and signed Olamide Zaccheaus and undrafted Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.

Peters also signed free agent receiver Damiere Byrd. However, he and Dax Milne have already been waived. Dyami Brown has disappointed and is in his fourth training camp with Washington. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson are clearly the starters.

Crowder last season played in all 17 games, catching 16 passes for 159 yards (9.9 YPR) one touchdown and eight first downs. He was also the primary punt returner (35-278, 7.9 (YPR). His biggest play of the season was a 61-yard punt return in Atlanta against the Falcons.

 

Former Duke football player Jamison Crowder given a 75 overall rating in Madden NFL 25

The last 1,000-yard receiver in Duke football history, Jamison Crowder remains a well-respected NFL player in the newest Madden ratings.

Despite heading into his 10th career season in the NFL, former Duke receiver Jamison Crowder remains a useful addition to an offense.

Madden NFL 25 released its individual player ratings for wide receivers on Monday, and Crowder earned a 75 overall.

The grade makes him the third-highest wide receiver on the Washington Commanders roster behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.

Crowder, who turned 31 last month, finished the 2023 season with 16 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also served as the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 7.9 yards per return.

The developers at EA rewarded him with 87 speed, 91 agility, and 86 stamina.

Across his nine-year professional career with the Commanders, the New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills, Crowder has 431 catches for 4,826 yards and 29 touchdowns. He tallied a career-high 847 yards and seven touchdowns back in 2016, and he caught a personal-best 78 passes with the Jets in 2019.

Crowder’s 3,641 career receiving yards in a Blue Devils uniform remains the second-most in school history, and his 23 career touchdowns sit third on the Duke record books. He set the program’s single-season records for receptions (108) and receiving yards (1,360) as a junior in 2013.