Tag: NFC East

Commanders will not face Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in Week 12

Dak Prescott is reportedly done for the season, meaning he will miss both games vs. Commanders.

The Dallas Cowboys are struggling. At 3-5, they are three-and-a-half games behind the Washington Commanders in the NFC East. The Cowboys have dealt with injuries and inconsistent play and look quite a bit different than they did one year ago.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones famously said the Cowboys were “all-in” for 2024 and proceeded to do nothing in free agency. Dallas lost multiple key players and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

This season, the Cowboys have lost star edge rusher Micah Parsons and quarterback Dak Prescott, among others this season. While Parsons is expected back, Prescott’s season is apparently over.

On Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed that Prescott was undergoing season-ending surgery for his partially torn hamstring.

With Prescott potentially out for the season, he will miss both games against the Commanders. Washington and Dallas meet in Weeks 12 and 18.

Cooper Rush is expected to be Dallas’ new starting quarterback. Rush has played well in the past and has led the Cowboys to a win over the Commanders in the past. Dallas could use this as an opportunity to see former top-five pick Trey Lance.

Commanders trade for CB Marshon Lattimore to help combat Eagles passing attack

The Washington Commanders have acquired Marshon Lattimore to help combat the Philadelphia Eagles passing attack

The Eagles and Commanders will meet in a little over a week. Washington had reportedly been shopping for cornerback help to combat Philadelphia’s duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Washington struck just hours before the trade deadline, swinging a deal for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

The Commanders enter Week 10 with the No. 5 pass defense in the NFL, but their starting unit of Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil, and Noah Igbinoghene wouldn’t have a clear advantage against the Eagles’ group that includes Brown, Smith, Jahan Dotson, and others.

Lattimore, who turned 28 in May, is dealing with a hamstring injury and has three more years remaining on his current contract. He has recorded 30 combined tackles and two passes defensed in seven games this season.

Lattimore hasn’t played an entire season since 2021.

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Commanders WR Terry McLaurin on sweeping the Giants: ‘This is a completely new team’

Terry McLaurin talks what sweeping the Giants mean.

The New York Giants have had the Washington Commanders’ number for several years. While both teams have taken turns in the NFC East basement in recent years, the Giants always seem to give Washington trouble, regardless of team records.

Heading into Sunday’s rematch from Week 2, the Commanders were 6-2, and the Giants were 2-6. Still, oddsmakers saw a close game. In the first meeting seven weeks ago, Washington barely won, 21-18, thanks to a last-second field goal.

So, what would happen in the rematch?

It was close, as expected, but the Commanders led from beginning to end before securing their first sweep of the Giants since the 2021 season with a 27-22 win.

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels continued his masterful rookie season by throwing two touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin. McLaurin is a player who has been around for most of those ugly losses to New York. McLaurin had a simple explanation as to why things are now different.

“They had our number the last few years and that’s been a reason why we haven’t had to the success that we wanted to have,” McLaurin said. “But this year, is a completely new team, with a completely new vibe and feel and it just, nothing points to that more than our ability to finish when we had to finish against a team that wasn’t gonna go away.”

McLaurin explained how special winning on the road is, especially winning division games on the road. Regarding his assessment of the 2024 Commanders, he’s correct. A new GM and front office, a new coaching staff, a star rookie quarterback, and over half of the 53-man roster are comprised of new players.

Commanders maintain NFC East lead over Eagles after defeating Bears on Hail Mary pass

Commanders maintain NFC East lead over Eagles after defeating Bears on Hail Mary pass

The Eagles (5-2) had an impressive 37-17 win over the Bengals in Week 8, but they’ll remain in second place in the NFC East after the Commanders (6-2) defeat the Bears 18-15 on a 52-yard Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels, that Noah Brown hauled in as time expired.

Daniels spent most of the week questionable to play with a rib injury but finished Sunday afternoon, 21-38 passing, for 326 yards and one touchdown. His counterpart, No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, was 10-24 passing for 131 yards and no touchdowns.

The win improves the Commanders to 6-2, while the loss drops the Bears to 4-3. The Bears are struggling to keep pace with the Lions, Vikings, and Packers in the NFC North.

Looking ahead, Philadelphia will face the Jaguars in Week 9 and the Cowboys in Week 10 before hosting Washington in a Thursday night showdown on Amazon Prime on Nov. 14 in Week 11.

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Ravens vs. Commanders: Roquan Smith wants to lay down the law on QB Jayden Daniels

Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith is ready for the week 6 challenge vs. Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.

Nobody on the Baltimore Ravens roster wants to re-establish defensive dominance more than inside linebacker Roquan Smith does.

Smith was emphatic when his unit held all-pro Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to just 10 points in week four and he certainly has his mind set on putting a half to the red hot Washington Commanders pass offense.

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The Ravens still rank No. 1 in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game but issues on the backend have been a blemish to success.

Although all-pro safety Kyle Hamilton chimed in on the defensive shortcomings, it is actually Hamilton’s absence from the third-level, his deployment inside the box that is leaving an unfilled void in the secondary.

Smith and defensive coordinator Zach Orr will be looking to lay down the law on rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ideally, Smith will want to nullify his scramble ability by spying him. However, this will leave the Ravens’ defensive backs in man coverage where they have shown to be inadequate.

Perhaps Smith and Orr can get things figured out this weekend at home.

Ravens not a Commanders’ rival, but a model of success

Are the Ravens and Commanders actual rivals? Not really.

Fans and media will try to make the Ravens and Commanders a rivalry because of its close proximity.

But Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was honest with the press Wednesday, saying he simply doesn’t see the Ravens as a chief rival, and for good reason.

“With rivalries, with Washington, of the NFC East, I think there’s always a connection when cities are closer by,” Quinn said. “But the fact that we’re not in the same division, in the same conference, for me, my first time playing Baltimore as a Commander, my first thought was the [NFC] East first.”

Quinn was then asked if the building had any extra energy for the potential rivalry with the Ravens.

“I think it’s awesome for the fans, but not for the team…You play them (Ravens) every four years, so it’s not like every season twice a year where we just know each other (NFC East rivals) so well. So, I think it’s really cool for the fans, it’s close by. But past that, for us it’s right back to it again.”

Quinn might not view the Ravens as rivals (and why should he), but he does view them as models of a successful NFL franchise.

“The consistency sometimes doesn’t sound like a sexy word, but it’s really important because they’ve shown remarkable consistency as an organization. And so, seeing how they do their business and how they do things, and they just always seem to be a team that’s tough. They got a real identity about them and the way they play and compete. So yeah, we’ve got a lot of regard for them as far as standards go.”

 

Former Washington coach thinks Commanders can win ’11, 12, 13 games’

Former Washington coach believes the Commanders are one of the NFL’s best teams and will remain one.

Former Washington coach Jay Gruden is high on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Gruden, who coached Washington from 2014-19, is not only high on Daniels, but he believes the Commanders are playing at a high level and that it will continue.

During his weekly appearance on “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., Gruden said Daniels is playing at a top-three level right now.

“These guys are as good as anyone you see,” Gruden said via Lou DiPietro of Audacy.

“Some of the elite teams are struggling and have issues, and I don’t know why you can’t see these guys aren’t as good as anybody right now except maybe Minnesota, who is playing the best football on both sides of the ball. With the play of Jayden Daniels, who is a Top 3 QB right now, the way they can run the football, and the defense that is starting to come together hustle and play hard, I don’t see why they can’t win 10, 11, 12, 13 games.

Gruden seems confident that Washington can win the NFC East.

“What these guys have put on tape for the first five weeks, it’s not like they played an easy schedule, and I’m not too sold on the NFC East right now,” he continued. “I don’t see why it’s a stretch to say they can’t go 8-4 the rest of the way and win the NFC East.”

If all goes according to Gruden’s thinking, the NFC East will not have a repeat division winner again. The last time the division had a repeat winner was the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2004.

The Commanders currently sit alone atop the division at 4-1, with the Cowboys (3-2), Eagles (2-2) and Giants (2-3) all trailing.

 

 

Overreaction or reality? Commanders are the NFC East’s best team

Is it too early to call the Commanders contenders in the NFC East?

The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat division winner since the Philadelphia Eagles won four consecutive years from 2001-04 under the legendary Andy Reid.

Since then, the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants have all taken turns atop the division. Dallas won the division last season and, along with the Eagles, entered 2024 as heavy favorites again.

The Washington Commanders have other plans.

Washington won its third consecutive game on Sunday, improving to 3-1, as the Eagles and Giants lost. Dallas won a close game over New York in last week’s edition of Thursday Night Football.

Ahead of the season, no one gave the Commanders or Giants a chance to win the NFC East, even with serious questions about Dallas and Philadelphia. Through four weeks, the Cowboys and Eagles have shown major flaws, while rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has Washington humming along with the NFL’s most dangerous offense.

Could the Commanders win the NFC East in year one of their “recalibration” (don’t call it a rebuild)?

CBS Sports listed seven items from Week 4 as either an overreaction or reality. One of those questions was if the “Commanders are going to win the NFC East.”

CBS says that’s an overreaction and gave the following reasoning:

The Commanders even being in the conversation through four games is impressive, especially since they have a first-year head coach in Dan Quinn and a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Washington continues to get excellent quarterback play out of Daniels, who has led the offense to consecutive games scoring 38+ points (first time since 1991). The Commanders are also the only team with multiple games of 200+ rushing yards this season, a transformative offense with Kliff Kingsbury.

While Washington may not be the most complete team, they do lead the NFC East after four weeks with a 3-1 record. The Commanders are going to be a problem in the NFC East, but we’ll have to wait and see what they do against Philadelphia and Dallas. The rebuild is going faster than anticipated.

We mostly agree here. It is impressive what the Commanders are doing, and they’ve found their quarterback. Daniels is phenomenal. But Washington still has far too many questions defensively. Can the Commanders defend the run better? What happens against better passing offenses than the Cardinals?

Washington’s defense took a big step forward Sunday after a horrendous start to the season. The offense will slow down as more film is shared, but that doesn’t mean it will not remain potent. Daniels is a special talent, and he and Kingsbury are an ideal pairing.

For now, it may be an overreaction because there is a long way to go. However, the Cowboys and Eagles have serious questions and both teams feel like they could implode. Meanwhile, things couldn’t be going any better in Washington — for now.

Whether it’s 2024 or somewhere down the line, the Washington Commanders look like contenders. How long has it been since anyone could say that?

Gimme Him: One player Commanders would steal from Giants

It came down to three players for the Giants.

The Washington Commanders (0-1) host the New York Giants (0-1) in their home opener Sunday from Northwest Stadium. It will be rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ first NFC East game.

Ahead of every game, we here at Commanders Wire take the opportunity to hypothetically steal one player away from the upcoming opponent who would help upgrade the Commanders’ roster.

Which player would we choose from the Giants?

It came down to three players: Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers, of course, is Daniels’ college teammate at LSU.

In this exercise, we’re choosing Thomas, the All-Pro left tackle. Lawrence would be a massive addition at defensive tackle, but that’s Washington’s deepest position, even if Lawrence is ahead of them all. Ultimately, this comes down to Thomas and Nabers, with Washington’s need for a left tackle standing out.

The Commanders may have found a left tackle in Brandon Coleman. However, in this hypothetical exercise, Thomas, who is still only 25, slots in as Daniels’ blindside protector for the next several years, allowing Coleman to move to right tackle, solidifying that spot for a decade.

Thomas missed seven games last season but was healthy and looked like his dominant self against the Vikings. Could you imagine if the Commanders had a pair of young offensive tackles to protect Daniels for years to come? The narrative surrounding the team would be different.

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So, Washington fans, would it be Thomas if you could steal one player from the Giants? Or someone else?

 

 

Giants DE Kayvon Thibodeaux dismisses Commanders ahead of Week 2 matchup

New York pass rusher dismissive of Commanders.

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, with many believing he could become the franchise’s next great pass rusher.

Through two seasons, Thibodeaux has been solid. He has started in 31 games for New York, recording 99 tackles, including 18 for loss and 15.5 sacks. Solid numbers, for sure, but nothing that would lead him to be considered one of the NFL’s most-feared pass rushers.

However, in four games against the Commanders, Thibodeaux has 15 tackles and 15.5 sacks. So, while he’s been solid against the rest of the NFL, he’s looked like Lawrence Taylor against Washington.

Thibodeaux spoke with the media on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s Week 2 game between the Commanders and Giants. While he’s looking forward to facing Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, he doesn’t have a lot of respect for the Commanders as a whole.

“I would say, Washington, in particular, they’re not really a rival, but they’re an in-conference…in our same division, so it’s always a great game. We see them twice a year. So, I’m excited; Jayden Daniels is a great QB; he’s from Cali, grew up knowing him, grew up with him, so I understand he’s a great player, and I’m excited to go against him.”

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That’s an interesting choice of words from Thibodeaux. Sure, he’s experienced success against Washington both individually and from a team perspective. The Giants are 2-0-1 against Washington since Thibodeaux entered the NFL.

Much like the Commanders, the Giants have no right to dismiss any other teams. Outside of a fluke 2022 season, the Giants have been historically bad over the past 11 seasons, finishing with two winning records in that span.

If the Cowboys or Eagles wanted to dismiss the Commanders, that’s more understandable. But does Thibodeaux not realize that’s how Dallas and Philadelphia view his New York Giants?