Tag: RB Austin Ekeler

What has happened to Commanders’ Brian Robinson production?

What happened to Brian Robinson’s production?

Will the Commanders obtain another possible starting running back this offseason?

Al Galdi, on his podcast, discussed the Commanders’ need for running back with The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler on Friday’s episode.

Following discussing if Adam Peters would select a running back in the first or second round, Galdi then asked Fowler directly, “What is your analysis of the Commanders current RB1, Brian Robinson, Jr.? Is he a true NFL RB1, Or not so much?”

“I think he is still talented, Al, I really do,” replied Fowler. “But there is too much of the Clinton Portis, run into the back of the lineman, for me, however.”

“Fowler continued his criticism of Robinson’s running style, “I just think the foot fire, the vision, the creativity as a runner is just not there, especially the last two months of the year.”

“There were a couple of runs against Tampa Bay, a couple against Detroit. There was nothing against Philadelphia. It was Jayden Daniels or nothing in the ground game in the last really month-and-a-half of the year.”

“I think Brian (pause) I don’t know really what is going on internally with him, or maybe defenses have figured something out. He is just not the athlete that can create in the creases for himself. I’ve said it multiple times; I still think he was one of the more underrated backs in football.”

“But as I see more of him, as defenses watch tape and see what they want to do in certain situations, how you work off blocks… Flat out, right now, it is just not good enough for this Commanders’ offense that is going to be one of the premiere offenses in football, moving forward.”

This is certainly not an endorsement of Robinson’s running style. Clearly, the running back position struggled in 2024, as quarterback Jayden Daniels finished the season as the top rusher with 891 yards. Robinson followed with 799, Austin Ekeler (367), Jeremy McNichols (261), and Chris Rodriguez (173).

Day 2 of the draft will involve rounds two and three. Fowler said he very much sees there being several running backs selected on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft.

Quick facts from Commanders’ playoff road win over Detroit Lions

Several quick facts and stats from Commanders’ playoff win over Lions.

The Commanders are unbelievably going to the NFC Championship game after defeating the Lions 45-31 in Detroit.

Here are some of the quick facts from the Commanders’ 14th win of the season:

  • The Commanders entered Saturday’s game as either a 9.5 or 10 pt underdog against the Lions.
  • Washington won the turnover battle 5-0, with four interceptions of Jared Goff and a sack-fumble of Goff.
  • With the win, next week will be Washington’s first NFC Championship game since the 1991 season (33 years).
  • Rookie corner Mike Sainristil collected two interceptions.
  • Second-year safety Quan Martin’s pick-six from 40 yards is the second defensive touchdown for the Commanders this season. It was also the first pick-six of his NFL career.
  • Jayden Daniels completed 22 of 31 for 299 yards, two passing touchdowns, and no interceptions or sacks.
  • RB Austin Ekeler was huge, gaining 47 yards on six carries while also contributing 41 receiving yards on four receptions (88 yards from scrimmage).
  • The Washington defense, which has struggled at times this season, forced five Lions turnovers, sacked Jared Goff twice, and had five tackles for a loss.
  • Though the Commanders struggled terribly to run the ball in recent weeks, tonight, they ran 42 times, gaining 182 yards. Brian Robinson, Jayden Daniels, and Austin Ekeler rushed for 77, 51, and 47, respectively.
  • Last year’s team under Ron Rivera won four games. This year’s team under Dan Quinn is four quarters from the Super Bowl.
  • Sadly for Detroit fans, the Lions remain the only NFC team never to reach the Super Bowl.
  • Jared Goff came into the game tonight 1-4 against Dan Quinn. Tonight, Goff had four interceptions and one lost fumble.
  • The Commanders’ defense had no answer for Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, as he gained 105 rushing yards on only 14 carries and 70 receiving yards on six receptions (175 total yards from scrimmage).
  • The 42 points scored in the second quarter are the most in NFL playoff history (Washington 28, Detroit 14). Before tonight, the Lions had a +128-point differential in the second quarter.
  • The Commanders came up with several big plays: Quan Martin’s 40-yard pick-six, completions to Terry McLaurin (58 yards), Dyami Brown (42 yards), Austin Ekeler (24 yards), John Bates (20 yards).
  • The Lions were in the red zone, about to go up 14-3, when DE Dorrance Armstrong sacked Jared Goff, forcing a fumble that LB Frankie Luvu recovered.

Commanders’ injury situation vs. Buccaneers looks promising

Some injury news ahead of Sunday’s wild-card showdown between the Commanders and Buccaneers.

Dan Quinn, perhaps more than anyone else, knows how important it is to get some players back for the postseason.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore has missed the last two games (Falcons, Cowboys) after tweaking his injured hamstring late in the win over the Eagles three weeks ago.

Quinn is undoubtedly glad to have a few players back and healthy again. Washington will face the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday night in an NFC playoff game in Tampa.

Quinn told the media Friday, “Yeah, we’re pumped to have him back into the mix. He’s had really good week of practice.”

Perhaps not wanting to spend too much time on one player returning, Quinn immediately offered up that two other players have returned recently, and it is very important to have them back as well.

“So just guys like him (Lattimore) [DT] Jon [Allen] and [RB] Austin [Ekeler] It’s good to have these guys back after injuries. They all make a big impact here.”

Of course, the media wants to know about Lattimore because of his matchup history against Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans. Also, GM Adam Peters indeed gave up draft choices to get Lattimore from the Saints in mid-season. “We’re really pumped to get him back. He’s been chomping at the bit to get going, so he hit all the markers that we needed to see, so we’re pumped to have him back.”

Quinn was also asked about defensive tackle Daron Payne. Payne has not been out with an injury, but he has been moved in recent weeks to play both inside tackle and outside defensive end.

The first-year Commanders head coach responded by only mentioning that Payne was playing inside and not playing outside again this week.

“Yeah, I think that’s when we talk about matchups for the game; you’re right about it. The inside, the interior part of the game, offensive line, interior, defensive line interior, I think absolutely on both sides. That might be the game within the game and on both sides. And so yeah, we’re aware and pumped for that.”

 

Commanders make roster moves on eve of finale vs. Dallas

Austin Ekeler is back, and other moves for Commanders ahead of Week 18.

Dan Quinn expressed optimism to the media this week that one particular player might be coming back this week.

Sure enough, on Saturday, the Commanders made a couple of roster moves, the most noticeable of which was activating running back Austin Ekeler from the injured reserve.

On November 24, in a home contest against the Cowboys, Ekeler suffered a concussion when returning for a kickoff in the final quarter. The concussion was considered bad enough that the Commanders did not attempt to get Ekeler back the next week.

Instead, they placed Ekeler on IR, meaning he would be out for at least four weeks. Therefore, there would be no temptation to attempt to return too soon.

Consequently, Ekeler missed games against the Titans, Saints, Eagles, and Falcons. This week, Quinn told the media this week that Ekeler looked good and was definitely trending toward being activated soon.

This roster move was officially announced on Saturday. To make room for Ekeler, someone had to be removed from the 53-man roster. Thus, the Commanders chose to place rookie safety Tyler Owens on IR.

It is unfortunate for Owens, but he has been recovering from an ankle injury. Owens appeared in 12 games for the Commanders, with every snap of his participation coming on special teams. He was undrafted out of Texas Tech, and after a good training camp and preseason, he made the 53-man roster.

The Commanders also elevated offensive tackle Bobby Hart and cornerback Bobby Price from the practice squad.

Of interest will be if the Commanders choose to use Ekeler Sunday in a limited role, only in the backfield, choosing not to use him in kickoff return duties Sunday.

 

 

When they last met: Commanders and Eagles

What happened last time the Commanders and Eagles played?

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

Philadelphia 26, Washington 18 – Week 11, November 14, 2024

The Commanders surrendered scores on the Eagles’ last five offensive possessions as the Eagles defeated the Commanders 26-18 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Washington entered the final quarter up 10-6 but was thoroughly outplayed in the final 15 minutes. The Eagles scored 20 consecutive points to take a 26-10 lead, which they held until Washington scored on their last possession, making the final margin 26-18.

Beginning with the Eagles’ final possession of the first half, the Eagles drove 87, 74, 76, 74, and 46 yards in five consecutive possessions, controlling both the ball and the clock and keeping the Washington defense on the field.

Saquon Barkley had fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 23 and 39 yards on his way to 146 rushing yards in 26 carries. A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert led the Eagles with five receptions for 65 and 61 yards, respectively.

Washington’s Jayden Daniels struggled, being sacked three times and intercepted once. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards, compiling a passing rating of only 81.6. Brian Robinson led the rushing attack with 63 yards on 16 carries, while Austin Ekeler collected eight receptions for 89 yards. But Ekeler will not be available for this return game in Washington on Sunday.

Third down was a huge factor in this game. The Eagles converted 9 of 16 third downs, while the Commanders converted only 3 of 12.

One other factor of note: Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin only connected once all game, and that was for only 10 yards.

Commanders’ Dan Quinn discusses injuries and others stepping up

Dan Quinn discusses injuries and roster construction.

Dan Quinn doesn’t want to be crass and heartless when his players are injured.

During his press conference with the media on Wednesday, Quinn was asked about tight end Zach Ertz and safety Jeremy Chinn’s injuries against the Saints on Sunday and how he responded.

“You don’t want to be callous to say, ‘Oh this next man up or that.’ That’s not what we say at all.”

Yet, Quinn said his role is to lead the players to get “back into the mode of the game and responsibilities. And that, as a coach, the good news is that when you’re seeing a player getting up and walking off that they’re with the best of the best in terms of the medical side. And I have certainly been impressed over the weeks of when I’ve seen people respond in action here.”

Quinn elaborated further he appreciates his medical staff and pointed to recent injuries to Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown in how the staff was thorough and diagnosed significant issues, and he respects their work, saying, “And I have certainly been impressed with our team.”

The ‘next man up’ is always a theme. However, because the nature of pro football is so violent, guys are going to go down unexpectedly. Quinn elaborated on how he tries to get everyone on the roster and practice squad to be prepared.

So Quinn takes starters out of practice at various times, inserting reserves into their roles, to see how the players respond.

“So, each player in the game plan, they’re responsible for that for the week. Even if they’re unlikely to play in that game, you just don’t know when a guy gets sick, something happens at a practice and the next person has to be available. So, I think it’s important that of the, like we said, we look at this as not a 53 or even a 48-man roster, but 65 where it’s everybody can be into that.”

Quinn has a rule that, in practice, all players play. “If you really want a competitive team, the pressure has to be on everyone to deliver. You don’t know who could win the game for you. And so, you have to put that pressure on them to get that done.”

Commanders’ Kingsbury: ‘McCaffrey has done everything we’ve asked’

Someone needs to step up. Does Kliff Kingsbury think it will be Luke McCaffrey?

Do you remember the show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

The show was a smash television hit, and Thursday, Commanders’ offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury referred to the million-dollar question.

He talked of the Commanders’ offense now needing to find extra offense, and it was the million-dollar question of from where it was going to be produced.

Listening to Kingsbury, he suddenly presented some of the options that have been running through his head, but he certainly was broad enough, he didn’t actually give away anything to the Saints or Eagles.

“Do we need to have different sets and run the ball more, or can we take more shots now? Is that something that’s going to help us get those yards back and maximize the guys who will be playing. And that’s what we gotta figure out over this next couple game stretch is where does that come from?”

Kingsbury was also correct, noting that Noah Brown and Austin Ekeler both have very physical, aggressive styles in their play.

“It’s hard to replace two guys like that, the production they had and just the type of teammates and the effort they played with. But young guys get the opportunity, and we kind of see where it fits.”

Kingsbury was asked about the Commanders’ third-round selection (100 overall) in the 2024 draft, Luke McCaffrey. “Yeah, I mean he’s a talented young man, we’ve asked him to play inside and outside because he can handle it. And that’s a lot on a young player.”

Kingsbury praised the other receivers, Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown, saying, “It’s a loaded receiver room that there’s a bunch of guys that can do a bunch. I know they don’t get the notoriety that some people talk about, but the way they play, the way they perform, it’s been a good group for us.”

Remember, GM Adam Peters drafted McCaffrey based on his athleticism and intelligence, believing that McCaffrey, who only played the position his last two years in college, was going to grow and develop.

Kingsbury declared he is pleased with McCaffrey thus far, saying, “…he’s done everything we could have asked from him, but other guys have made plays and it’s just a crowded room right now.”

McCaffrey will certainly be getting more snaps this week, so perhaps he will see more targets and receptions against the Saints in New Orleans.

Commanders, Jayden Daniels have lost No. 3 and No. 4 receivers

Jayden Daniels has now lost two of his top four weapons in recent weeks.

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders received some more bad news on Wednesday.

Coach Dan Quinn declared to the media that there had been a significant injury to receiver Noah Brown.

“He’s going to be out for a while and so he had a significant internal injury from the game. And so, that’s going to knock him out for a while. And we love him and his play style, the identity of how he goes. And so, that one hurts.”

Brown contributed to special teams with his physical nature and aggressive play. On offense, Brown was a good blocker on the perimeter, helping with the running game.

Now, about the receiving. Brown used his body well on slants, utilized his size well, and had the ability to beat corners and draw interference penalties.

Daniels, the Commanders quarterback has now lost his No. 3 and No. 4 targets in consecutive games. Against Dallas, he lost running back Austin Ekeler when he suffered a late-game concussion. The following week, Daniels lost Brown in the Titans game.

Yes, Terry McLaurin leads the team with 896 receiving yards, and Zach Ertz is second (501). However, Brown was third (453), and Ekeler was fourth (346).

Brown and Ekeler were also third and fourth, respectively, in receptions, with 35 and 33. How about yards per reception? Brown was second (12.9) and Ekeler fourth (10.5). Brown and Ekeler were also third and fourth in receptions per game and second and fourth in receiving yards per game.

Consequently, please make no mistake: Jayden Daniels has taken a significant hit as we reach the season’s final four games.

Will someone step up and fill the void in Brown and Ekeler’s absence? Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and Olamide Zaccheaus will each contribute in the passing game and as blockers in the run game.

Who will take Brown’s roster spot? The likely candidates to vie for the roster spot are WR Jamison Crowder and TE Colson Yankoff, both on injured reserve currently. Four candidates on the practice squad are TE Cole Turner, WR Michael Strachan, WR Mitchell Tinsley and WR Brycen Tremayne.

On Wednesday, the Commanders also signed receiver K.J. Osborn from waivers. The New England Patriots recently released him. He will bring one more receiver with some experience to compete for Brown’s roster spot this last month of the season.

 

Who is newest Commander, K.J. Osborn?

Getting to know new Commanders WR K.J. Osborn.

The Commanders, having lost their third and fourth leading receivers to injury, signed receiver K.J. Osborn on Wednesday.

Osborn was available because the New England Patriots released him just one day earlier. After playing his first four NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Osborn had signed a one-year deal with the Patriots as a free agent.

Playing in only seven games, Osborn had a very unfulfilling season with the Patriots. He only caught seven receptions for 57 yards and one touchdown, averaging 8.1 yards per catch.

However, with Noah Brown and Austin Ekeler missing from Jayden Daniels’ toolbox, Commanders general manager Adam Peters wasted no time. Choosing not to simply wait and see if Jamison Crowder could make it back to health, Peters went outside the team to look for an answer.

Osborn played college ball at Buffalo and then the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted in the fifth round (176th overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Commanders really need help, and Peters and Dan Quinn are hoping Osborn can be a quick fix. He seems to have been a good teammate and locker-room guy in New England.

After releasing Osborn, Pats Coach Jarod Mayo offered this: “It was a mutual thing,” said Mayo. “Even when he was inactive, he was just a great professional, a great person, and a great leader. It just didn’t work out, and we decided to part ways.”

Osborn has also proven himself to be both courageous and unselfish. A couple of years ago, visiting friends in Austin, TX, Osborn, a passenger in an Uber, pulled over to the side of the road to assist and pull a driver out of his burning car.

Osborn is still only age 27, and with the exception of Crowder, he has more experience than the other Commanders receivers to whom the Commanders would be looking to step up in replacing Noah Brown.

In his last three seasons in Minnesota, Osborn caught 50, 60, and 48 passes for 655, 650, and 540 yards, respectively.

It is also worth noting that Osborn does have some NFL experience returning kickoffs and punts. It is not extensive, but he has returned 14 kickoffs and 11 punts.

Osborn was involved in a 2020 draft trade that saw the Vikings receive Jeff Gladney, Osborn, and D.J. Wonnum, while the 49ers received a draft pick that they used to select Brando Aiyuk.

Commanders expecting two injured players to return vs. Saints

The bye week was good for some injured Commanders.

The Commanders are expecting starting right tackle Andrew Wylie to be ready for Sunday’s game in New Orleans against the Saints.

Wylie suffered a concussion against the Cowboys, sat out the game against the Titans, and appears to have benefited from the extra rest during the bye week.

Cornelius Lucas filled in quite well for Wylie in the Titans game, helping the Commanders rush for 267 yards on 45 rushes, averaging 5.93 yards per attempt.

Some have suggested that Lucas’ play against the Titans was so good that Wylie’s job could possibly be up for grabs. But Wylie is valuable in the screen game and gets down the field well into the second level of the defense. Look for Wylie to remain the starter, allowing the Commanders to use Lucas as a swing tackle.

The other player who missed the Titans game due to a concussion was RB Austin Ekeler. Ekeler will definitely not be back for the Saints game because the Commanders placed Ekeler on the injured reserve list, meaning he will miss four games minimum. The earliest Ekeler could return thus is the season finale in Dallas. However, if Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez continue to play well, don’t expect Ekeler back to face the Cowboys.

Defensive end Clelin Ferrell has battled an injured knee for most of the season. He picked up a sack in both of the first two games but has been slowed by the knee, but he continues to push through, playing ten games this season.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore appears ready to make his Commanders’ debut against the Saints.

Dan Quinn told the press on Monday that Lattimore was running harder during the bye week, hitting all the markers and doing the required work. Quinn also mentioned that Lattimore has done the strength work and passed their tests thus far.