Tag: Percy Butler

Commanders PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. Seahawks in Week 10

Which Commanders performed the best in Sunday’s crushing loss? Which ones struggled? The grades are in.

The Washington Commanders lost another heartbreaker on Sunday, falling 29-26 to the Seattle Seahawks on a 43-yard field goal as time expired.

Washington quarterback Sam Howell was excellent again, completing 29 of 44 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns. Unfortunately for Washington, its offense struggled in the second and third quarters before finishing strong. By that time, the Commanders defense, which was playing a bend-but-don’t-break style through the game, broke in the fourth quarter.

Which Commanders, outside of Howell, stood out vs. the Seahawks? Which players had a bad day?

The grades are in, per Pro Football Focus. Let’s examine the best and worst performers from Week 10.

Commanders Del Rio knows his unit can reduce the big plays

Jack Del Rio talks the importance of eliminating the big plays.

Jack Del Rio saw a good effort against the Patriots Sunday; then suddenly, the Commanders gave up two big plays.

“I thought we did a good job defensively last week. We had two plays that got away from us. One in the pass, one in the run. And other than that, we played real, real well.”

Indeed, the Commanders defense limited the Patriots on the way to a 20-17 victory. The two big plays?

Washington led 10-7, and the Patriots, from their own 16, had a 1st & 10. Lining up three eligible receivers tightly on the right side, Mac Jones faked a handoff and then found JuJu Smith-Schuster running across the field from tight right to the left side wide open. Smith-Schuster made the catch at the 23 and was pushed out of bounds on the 36, a 20-yard gain.

On the very next play, Washington ran a stunt, and linebacker Jamin Davis did not plug the closest gap to the right of tackle Daron Payne. New England’s Rhamondre Stevenson exploded through the hole into the secondary. He was met by safety Percy Butler, but he missed the tackle on Stevenson, who then raced 64 yards for a go-ahead Pats touchdown.

In two plays, the Commanders defense had surrendered 84 yards and a touchdown.

So, when defensive coordinator Del Rio was asked Thursday what is keeping this unit from rating as highly as the defensive unit last season in 2022.

“Yeah, explosive plays allowed. That’s been the big problem. We’re playing solid in a lot of areas, but the explosive plays allowed. Many of them kind of gift-type situations are the ones that keep us from ranking well and being able to beat our chest and say, look at our rank right here, which doesn’t mean a whole lot. I think what really means the most is give your football team a chance to win, play complementary football, and make sure we’re getting the ball back for our offense as often as possible.”

One player who was giving up some explosive plays prior to last week was rookie corner Emmanuel Forbes, Jr.  However, last week, Forbes played well enough that PFF graded Forbes as the highest Commanders defensive player last week. The performance pleased Del Rio.

“I think he’s just working at it. You know, he’s a good young player. We believe in him. He’s just gotta grind and work. That’s what he has done, and that allowed him to get himself back in the game, and then he played well.”

 

Commanders place safeties Jeremy Reaves, Darrick Forrest on IR

It creates an opportunity for a pair of recent draft picks.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera met with the media Monday and announced two injuries.

Safeties Darrick Forrest and Jeremy Reaves were both placed on the reserve injured list after suffering injuries in Thursday night’s 40-20 loss to the Chicago Bears.

“Just to give a couple of quick updates on some injuries from Thursday night,” Rivera said to begin his press conference. Darrick Forrest had a shoulder, and Jeremy Reeves had a knee, and we’ll be moving both those guys to IR. Pending further examinations, we’ll be able to determine the length.”

When asked about the specifics on the injuries, Rivera offered the following.

“Shoulder injury and knee injury. Once we get a little bit more from the doctors, we will probably be able to give you guys more in the next day or two.”

Forrest has started at safety since the start of the 2022 season, while Reaves is a backup safety but makes his presence felt on special teams. Reaves was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler on special teams last season.

While this is difficult news for the Commanders, there are a pair of young players waiting in the wings with prime opportunities.

“That’s a role that Percy [Butler] and ‘Quan’ [Martin] will be looking at,” Rivera said of Forrest’s starting safety role. 

Butler is a second-year safety from Louisiana who was a fourth-round pick in 2022. He has seen plenty of action through the first five games. Martin is a rookie second-round pick who has yet to play a defensive snap.

The Commanders have allowed 30 or more points in four consecutive games and play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.

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.

5 defensive players to watch for the Commanders in preseason opener vs. Browns

We identified five defensive players to watch for the Commanders Friday.

It’s been a great summer to buy stock in the Washington Commanders defense. Yes, it’s only training camp, but one of the NFL’s top defenses last season has been impressive and should be even better in 2023.

Defensive end Chase Young is back and healthy. The Commanders also added a pair of premium picks by drafting defensive backs Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

There aren’t a lot of questions surrounding Washington’s defense as it opens the preseason Friday against the Cleveland Browns. It’s doubtful that head coach Ron Rivera will play his defensive starters too much, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see Forbes and Martin get some additional time in their debuts.

We’ve picked five defensive players to watch in Washington’s preseason opener.

Rivera names Percy Butler as a player to keep an eye on

Could Percy Butler be the Darrick Forrest of 2023?

When the Washington Commanders selected safety Percy Butler in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, they had special teams in mind. Butler was a player that NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah called the best “special teams coverage player in the entire draft.”

The 6-foot-0, 194-pound Butler put on a show in his pre-draft testing, running the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds. A three-year starter at Louisiana, Butler blossomed into an All-Sun Belt Conference performer on defense.

The Commanders loved Butler’s athletic profile, his physicality and his versatility when selecting him in the fourth round. As a rookie, Butler could fill a number of roles, such as safety, slot cornerback, or Buffalo nickel. But his main role would be on special teams.

Butler would play in 15 games as a rookie, participating in 66% of the special teams’ snaps. He played just 135 snaps on defense.

Could he see a bigger role in 2023?

If you ask head coach Ron Rivera, then yes, he could.

“You know, another young guy to keep an eye on is Percy [Butler],” Rivera said. “You know, Percy’s a guy that runs very well and plays very fast. So, you’ve gotta find ways to get those types of players on the field.”

Rivera mentioned Butler in response to a question about third-year safety Darrick Forrest Jr. Forrest was a fifth-round pick in 2021, and he played mostly special teams as a rookie. In eight games played, Forrest participated in 82% of the special teams’ snaps and just 26 snaps on defense.

Last season, Forrest impressed throughout the offseason enough to earn a starting spot in Week 1 with Kamren Curl out. Forrest was so good, bringing down a key interception that led the Commanders to a win, that when Curl returned, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio made him a permanent starter.

Butler is a lot like Forrest. He starred on special teams, is athletic and also a hard hitter. While Curl and Forrest have the top two safety spots locked up, there is a role for Butler in 2023.

Could Butler be the 2023 version of Forrest?

The Commanders have an exciting young secondary featuring Curl, Forrest, Butler, Benjamin St-Juste and rookies Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin, paired with veterans Kendall Fuller and Jeremy Reaves.

Washington’s defense should be fun to watch in 2023.

Ranking Commanders 25 most important players for 2023: No. 23

Darrick Forrest is the latest Day 3 draft pick to become a standout for the Commanders.

As we look toward the 2023 regular season, we count down the most important players for the Washington Commanders ahead of training camp. On Monday, No. 24 was running back Antonio Gibson.

We continue our countdown with No. 23, safety Darrick Forrest.

Entering the 2022 NFL season, Forrest was a backup safety and key special teamer. As a rookie fifth-round pick in 2021, Forrest played only eight games. In those eight games, he mainly played on special teams. He played 26 defensive snaps, 20 of which were in Week 18.

In 2022, Forrest stood out in training camp, and it was clear he would impact the defensive depth chart at some point during the season. That came in Week 1. With starting safety Kamren Curl out with a wrist injury, Forrest moved into the starting lineup and played so well that he earned himself a promotion for the remainder of the season.

In the Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Forrest played 96% of the Commanders’ defensive snaps, recorded five tackles, defended two passes, forced a fumble and had a game-changing interception.

It was truly a breakout performance from Forrest. He played 100% of the snaps in Week 2. Curl returned in Week 3, and while Forrest remained a part of Washington’s rotation in the secondary, he didn’t become a permanent starter until Week 10. From that point forward, he played 100% of Washington’s defensive snaps for the final eight games.

Now, Forrest is an integral part of Washington’s defense. The Commanders released veteran Bobby McCain in the offseason and spent a first-round pick on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and a second-round pick on Quan Martin. Forbes will be one of Washington’s top three corners, while Martin can play the slot, outside cornerback, or safety. Martin is expected to cover the slot for the Commanders, but much of that will be determined in training camp.

Everyone knew Forrest was a physical presence who could impact the running game. However, Forrest proved he could handle playing deep safety, too. That type of versatility makes him a critical piece to Washington’s secondary.

Percy Butler could be the next breakout player in the Commanders’ secondary

Keep an eye on Percy Butler this summer.

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The Washington Commanders selected former Louisiana safety Percy Butler in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft to fill a hybrid role in the secondary. Not only could Butler play safety, but he could also play the Buffalo nickel position in Jack Del Rio’s defense.

Additionally, Butler was known for his outstanding work on special teams.

What the Commanders didn’t envision in 2022 was second-year safety Darrick Forrest being so good. Washington loved Forrest — a fifth-round pick in 2021 — but after barely playing on defense as a rookie, no one was certain he’d be ready for an expanded role in 2022.

Forrest exceeded all expectations, starting the first two games in place of the injured Kamren Curl. Forrest was so good the Commanders adjusted their secondary and made him a permanent starter. He was outstanding at times, bringing a physical presence to the running game and tying for the team lead with four interceptions.

In the offseason, Washington used a first-round pick on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and a second-round pick on defensive back Quan Martin. Martin can play all over the secondary, with many envisioning him in the slot as a rookie.

So where does that leave Butler?

Quietly, Butler is having a terrific offseason, standing out in OTAs and in minicamp. Butler had an interception on the final day of minicamp Thursday, leading Sam Fortier of The Washington Post to tweet this:

Head coach Ron Rivera mentioned Butler’s name unprompted Thursday when he was asked what to expect from the defense in 2023.

“You see the growth and development, especially out of guys like D-Foe [S Darrick Forrest] and [CB] Benjamin [St-Juste] and those guys in the secondary, they have that much potential for growth,” Rivera said. “You see Percy [Butler] out there and see him running around, and that’s good to see.”

No one asked about Butler. Rivera mentioned him.

If everyone remains healthy, Washington’s secondary has a chance to be really good in 2023. There is finally depth at cornerback with Kendall Fuller, St-Juste, Forbes and Danny Johnson. Martin and Butler can also play cornerback. At safety, there is Curl, Forrest, Butler, Jeremy Reaves and Martin.

Butler is an excellent athlete who plays fast. With one year of NFL experience under his belt, he could be the next Washington defender to enjoy a breakout season.

5 young Commanders with something to prove in Week 18 vs. Cowboys

We name five young players to watch in the season finale against the Cowboys.

From the moment the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, the Washington Commanders were moving on to 2023.

As a result of their embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, the Commanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention once the Packers took care of the Vikings. What a difference a month makes. On Nov. 27, the Commanders were 7-5 and sitting pretty in the NFC playoff race.

Now it’s about evaluating some young players as the Commanders look to 2023. Chief among those evaluations is rookie quarterback Sam Howell. After initially planning to start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback in the Week 18 finale against the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Ron Rivera changed his mind after speaking with players, including Heinicke, and turned to Howell.

By looking at Washington’s injury report this week, Rivera is planning to evaluate much more than Howell.

We’ve picked five Commanders to watch in the season finale who could play an increased role in 2023.

Commanders will be without safety Kam Curl vs. 49ers

Curl is a big loss for Washington, but cornerback Benjamin St-Juste is active.

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The Washington Commanders will be without a critical part of their defense for Saturday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Starting safety Kamren Curl will miss his third game of the season with an ankle injury.

Curl injured his ankle in Sunday night’s loss to the New York Giants and made the trip to California with the team. He tested the ankle on the field before the game and couldn’t go.

Curl was limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and did not practice Thursday and was listed as questionable for the game.

Curl missed Washington’s first two games after he had surgery on his hand in the preseason. The Commanders defense turned things around after a slow start and Curl’s return was a major reason for that improvement.

Head coach Ron Rivera spoke on what Washington would do if Curl couldn’t play. Rookie Percy Butler and veteran special-teams stalwart Jeremy Reaves would both get some time at safety next to Darrick Forrest.

In some good news for the secondary, cornerback Benjamin St-Juste is active.