Tag: Noah BRown

Commanders make interesting roster move ahead of Week 15

The Commanders make roster moves ahead of Week 15.

The Washington Commanders made roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. That’s typical ahead of gameday, as it allows teams to elevate players from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

One move was expected. Washington placed wide receiver Noah Brown on injured reserve and activated receiver Jamison Crowder. Brown injured his kidney two weeks ago in a win over Tennessee. Head coach Dan Quinn called the injury significant but said Brown would be fine long-term.

Crowder has missed most of the season with a calf injury. He’ll likely serve as the top punt returner ahead of Olamide Zaccheaus.

The most interesting move the Commanders made on Saturday was elevating kicker Greg Joseph to the main roster. Joseph, along with defensive tackle Carl Davis, was elevated.

Washington added the veteran kicker this week when Zane Gonzalez landed on the injury report with a left foot injury. Gonzalez has been the Commanders’ kicker in three of their last four games. He was signed last month when Austin Seibert dealt with a hip injury. After a brief return, Washington placed Seibert on IR.

Joseph’s elevation means the Commanders will carry two kickers on the roster. This may be a “just-in-case” move, and the team wanted to have Joseph available if Gonzalez can’t go.

This is the latest kicker setback for the Commanders. Washington has signed seven kickers this year, beginning with Brandon McManus in March before releasing him in June.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin with a vote of confidence for Dyami Brown

Terry McLaurin believes big things are coming for Dyami Brown.

Terry McLaurin is having a career year for the Washington Commanders. The sixth-year wide receiver is on pace to set a new career-high in receiving yards and has already shattered his record for touchdowns.

McLaurin will join some exclusive company when he picks up 104 receiving yards sometime over the next four games and goes over 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season. But while McLaurin is thriving under new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and rookie Jayden Daniels under center, he sees the growth of another young Commander: Wide receiver Dyami Brown.

Brown, 25, was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, with many proclaiming him as a draft steal. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone as planned for various reasons. Yet Brown has done everything asked of him, even standing out on special teams while he awaited his turn on offense.

Like McLaurin, Brown has seen his fortunes change with Kingsbury and Daniels. This week, Washington’s top offense lost its third-leading receiver, Noah Brown, potentially for the season. This came two weeks after running back Austin Ekeler, the team’s fourth-leading receiver, was lost for at least four weeks due to a concussion.

Dyami Brown has already established a career-high in receptions and receiving yards this season. Brown had a season-high five targets in the Week 13 win over the Tennessee Titans, which could be the beginning of a new trend.

McLaurin has 100% confidence in the fourth-year receiver.

“I’m super proud to see the way that Dyami’s grown over his time here,” McLaurin said on Friday. “You know, I’ve been here pretty much for his whole time, and I’ve seen the way he’s grown and really learned what it takes to be a pro. And the consistency in the work ethic that he’s put in over the last few years has been extremely evident.”

McLaurin acknowledged that Brown hasn’t always received the opportunities but believes that is changing now. Brown has thrived in the screen game for Washington due to his vision and ability to run after the catch. However, he’s best known for his deep-ball ability, which is something to watch moving forward.

The Commanders face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with Brown figuring to have a prominent role.

Commanders vs. Saints injury report: Latest updates, news for Wednesday

The first injury report of the week is out.

The Washington Commanders were back on the practice field Wednesday after a much-needed. The Commanders are on the road in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints.

Head coach Dan Quinn met with the media before practice and delivered some bad news. Wide receiver Noah Brown, who is third on the team in receptions, yards, and targets, is likely out for the remainder of the season with what Quinn called an “internal” injury. On the week’s first injury report, Brown was listed with a rib injury.

In other news, cornerback Marshon Lattimore was a full participant for the first time since his arrival at last month’s NFL trade deadline. Lattimore has missed all four games since the trade but looks on schedule to play for the first time, coincidentally, against his former team, the Saints.

Here’s Wednesday’s full injury report, beginning with the Commanders:

Did not participate: WR Noah Brown, TE Zach Ertz (NIR/rest), DE Clelin Ferrell (knee/rest)

Limited participants: K Zane Gonzalez (left foot), S Quan Martin (shoulder)

Full participants: WR Jamison Crowder (calf), Dante Fowler (groin), CB Noah Igbinoghene (thumb), LB Jordan Magee (elbow), OT Andrew Wylie (concussion), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring)

Here’s the Saints’ injury report.

Did not participate: QB Derek Carr (left hand/concussion), RB Alvin Kamara (illness), LB D’Marco Jackson (ankle)

Limited participants: TE Juwan Johnson (foot), WR Bub Means (ankle)

Full participants: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles)

Commanders claim former Vikings, Patriots receiver off waivers

With Noah Brown out, the Commanders added a veteran replacement.

The Washington Commanders will likely be without wide receiver Noah Brown for the rest of the season. On Wednesday, head coach Dan Quinn informed the media that Brown suffered a serious injury in the Week 13 win over the Titans and will be out for “a while.”

“He’s going to be out for a while, and so he had a significant internal injury from the game,” Quinn said of Brown. After expressing how much the team would miss Brown, Quinn acknowledged he’d likely be out for the remainder of the season. 

So, in another move, Washington claimed wide receiver K.J. Osborn off waivers. Osborn, 27, was released by the New England Patriots on Tuesday. Osborn signed with the Patriots in March after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings.

Osborn appeared in seven games for the Patriots this season, catching seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. However, the 2020 fifth-round pick from the University of Miami (Fla.) was coming back three consecutive productive seasons with the Vikings, where he caught 50, 60, 48 passes, respectively. He has 16 career touchdowns.

In his first two NFL seasons, Osborn had some experience returning punts and kickoffs for the Vikings.

After the addition of Osborn, Brown likely heads to injured reserve. This means more opportunities for players such as Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and Olamide Zaccheaus.

But, with Osborn, he gives the Commanders some experienced depth and a player that has been productive recently in the NFL.

Commanders receive difficult injury news ahead of Week 15

Tough injury news for the Commanders ahead of Week 15.

The Washington Commanders are coming off a much-needed bye week. After 13 consecutive games without a break, the Commanders had Week 14 off before returning to play in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints.

Unfortunately, head coach Dan Quinn had some bad news ahead of Wednesday’s practice. Starting wide receiver Noah Brown suffered an injury against Tennessee and will be out “for a while.”

According to Quinn, Brown suffered a “significant internal injury.” Brown left the Week 13 game due to a rib injury.

Brown is third on Washington in targets (56), receptions (35) and receiving yards (453). He’s averaging 12.9 yards per reception and has played in 56% of the Commanders’ offensive snaps this season.

Brown was signed just before the season after the Houston Texans surprisingly released him. The 28-year-old Brown immediately made his present felt for Washington and is best remembered for his ‘Hail Mary’ touchdown reception to defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 8.

Quinn expressed confidence in the other receivers. The Commanders need someone to step up opposite Terry McLaurin, with rookie Luke McCaffrey, Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown all likely to receive even more playing time in the coming weeks. Washington also opened the 21-day practice window for veteran wideout Jamison Crowder, who has been on injured reserve for much of the season.

Brown was not ruled out for the season, but it appears to be a season-ending injury with only four weeks remaining in the regular season.

What Jayden Daniels, Kliff Kingsbury said about targeting Terry McLaurin

It’s clear: Terry McLaurin needs the football more.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is off to the best start of his NFL career. A young franchise quarterback (Jayden Daniels) and a creative offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) have done wonders for McLaurin.

McLaurin has already tied a career-high with seven touchdown receptions and the Commanders have five games left to play.

However, one problem from the past seems to be coming back. Washington hasn’t targeted McLaurin enough, especially earlier in games. The Commanders’ offense operates at a much higher level when McLaurin is involved.

McLaurin is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards. Yet, 27 players have more targets than McLaurin. Over the last four games, Noah Brown, Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler each have more targets than McLaurin for the Commanders.

That needs to change.

Daniels and Kingsbury understand McLaurin’s importance to the offense.

“I mean, I want to get the guys the ball as much as possible,” Daniels said. “Terry’s a dynamic player, but the defense dictates where the football goes. So, I gotta go out there and do my job.”

Daniels is right. The lack of a surefire No. 2 receiver continues to plague Washington. While Noah and Dyami Brown, rookie Luke McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus are nice offensive pieces, none demand the type of coverage to force defenses to stop double-teaming McLaurin.

“I mean, it’s a fine line,” Daniels reiterated about the balance of forcing the ball to McLaurin or taking what the defense gives him. “If they give me an opportunity, we take it, but if not, we don’t want to put the ball in harm’s way for the defense to be able to make plays on it.”

Kingsbury didn’t dive deep into the subject but made it clear that McLaurin needs the ball more.

“Terry’s the guy we have to get the ball to more, get more targets to throughout the game,” Kingsbury said. “There’s no doubt about that.”

The Commanders are trying to snap a three-game losing streak and face an excellent Tennessee Titans defense on Sunday. Will Kingsbury make it a point to get McLaurin involved early?

 

Commanders ‘Hail Mary’ is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

More Commanders’ items make their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After his performance in a Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Daniels completed 21 of 23 (91.2%) passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in Washington’s road win. The football from his final completion in that game is on display in Canton, Ohio, as he established a new NFL rookie record for single-game completion percentage.

Now, Daniels has another piece of his rookie season on display at the Hall of Fame.

The Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears on a 52-yard Hail Mary to end their Week 8 game when Daniels found wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone as time expired. It’s the top play of the 2024 NFL season.

On Thursday, the Hall of Fame posted a message revealing that Brown’s gloves and the pylon from the Hail Mary play at Northwest Stadium are now on display in Canton. Daniels and Brown autographed each item.

Daniels is off to one of the greatest starts for a rookie — at any position — in NFL history. He has helped the Commanders to a surprising 7-2 start.

 

Commanders’ players react to Marshon Lattimore trade

Commanders’ players are all excited about the addition of Marshon Lattimore.

Washington general manager Adam Peters made a significant move on Tuesday, trading for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. With the trade, Peters sent a message to his team that he believes the 7-2 Commanders can contend for the Super Bowl this season.

Lattimore met with the media on Wednesday and expressed excitement about playing for the Commanders and reuniting with some of his college teammates, including Terry McLaurin.

Washington players are also happy about the addition of Lattimore and what it means going forward. They understand Lattimore is an elite player in a position of need, and Peters paid the price to help the current playoff push.

On Wednesday, several players, including Jayden Daniels, Bobby Wagner and Noah Brown, reacted to Lattimore’s addition. McLaurin, Brown, and Jalyn Holmes were teammates with Lattimore at Ohio State.

Jayden Daniels

Bobby Wagner

Noah Brown

Frankie Luvu

Jalyn Holmes

Benjamin St-Juste

Commanders’ DC Joe Whitt says game should not have come down to Hail Mary

Joe Whitt Jr. explains what was going on in his mind during the Hail Mary.

Did you hear what Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt’s reaction was to the “Hail Mary” on Sunday?

Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown via a tipped pass and a blown assignment by the Bears defense, and the result was a 52-yard game-winning touchdown for an 18-15 Commanders win over the Bears.

How did defensive coordinator Joe Whitt feel about it?


“To be honest with you, I didn’t see much of it because I was pissed,” Whitt told the media at his weekly Thursday press conference.

“We had just gave up the touchdown, so I got up and was walking out of the press box, and then I turned around, and I was a little surprised about the play before the play. I thought they gave us a sideline, so we are going to have a chance at this, the Hail Mary”

Whitt said he then looked at the time and realized they were going to have a chance at a Hail Mary. He turned and watched a TV, not the field, and saw the ball was caught. He said he at first stood there because he “was still pissed.”

Whitt said he “went ballistic” and ran down the hall to the elevator. “So I really didn’t get to see the fans’ reactions until later seeing the pictures (replay) of it.”

“I am glad we have J5 (Jayden Daniels). He does an excellent job. But, we shouldn’t put him in that situation as a defense. We should close the game and finish the game in those winning moments.”

More than the defense not making the plays to keep the Bears out of the end zone, Whitt clarified, “I blame myself because we were in a solid (pause) but a better call I should have gotten to, and I didn’t. That is not acceptable.”

Whitt said he knew his defense didn’t come through, putting Daniels in the position of needing to pull off a Hail Mary.

There is a guy who knows not to bask too much in the miraculous.

 

Commanders’ Quinn reflects on crazy win vs. Bears

Dan Quinn reflects on Sunday’s win.

Dan Quinn knows he may never again experience what he saw and felt Sunday against the Bears.

Daniels’ final heave from his own 35-yard line found Noah Brown for the winning touchdown Sunday against the Bears. Dan Quinn spoke Monday to the press about his team playing until the final whistle.

“But as I was writing my notes, I stopped myself,” Quinn said. “First, to talk, not about the first 59 minutes and 58 seconds, but the last 12 seconds. And it was really cool, and I thought it was a really badass example of who this team is.”

The Commanders had indeed dominated thoughout the first half, yet managed only to lead 9-0. The Bears got a 56-yard touchdown run from D’Andre Swift and then two long drives by the Bears, taking the lead 18-15.

So, Quinn talked about the people on this team:

“And the locker room is really full of people, no matter the situation, that refused to tap out. And they fight individually and collectively for one another. And that’s really the secret sauce and the beauty of it all, is this is a room full of fighters that absolutely battle for one another.”

Indeed, Washington worked together, doing their assignments even on a “Hail Mary” attempt, accepting their assigned roles on the play for the good of the team. Jayden Daniels extended the play, the offensive line kept moving their feet blocking, and the receivers joined together to leap, hoping for a tip to Noah Brown.

“So, that’s one of the things that I thought about driving home last night, concluded Quinn. “I wanted to acknowledge again just how cool last night was to be in that arena and to hear our crowd and be a part of it. I don’t do that often enough, and I thought today felt like a good place to start.”