Tag: sam cosmi

Commanders guard Sam Cosmi enjoyed a breakout season in 2023

There weren’t a lot of bright spots for Washington in 2023. Sam Cosmi was one.

There weren’t a lot of positive things to say about the 2023 Washington Commanders. After beginning the season 2-0, Washington would lose 13 of its final 15 games to finish 4-13.

It was a tale of two seasons for Washington’s offense. Throughout the first half of the season, quarterback Sam Howell was among the NFL’s leaders in passing yards and big-time throws, but he was on pace to shatter David Carr’s 21-year-old record of being sacked the most times in a single season.

In the second half of the year, Howell’s sacks went way down, but his turnovers went up, and he regressed overall. There were issues everywhere. Howell, receivers not getting enough separation, coaches refusing to run the ball and offensive line problems.

On that offensive line, there was one bright spot: Right guard Sam Cosmi.

The 2021 second-round pick moved to guard ahead of last season and became the best player on Washington’s offensive line. While the rest of the group is a question mark heading into the 2024 offseason, Cosmi gives new general manager Adam Peters a building block along the offensive line.

According to Pro Football Focus, Cosmi finished the 2023 season with an overage grade of 80.6. That was No. 5 in the entire NFL.

Even more impressive, Cosmi was good as a run blocker (80.9) and a pass blocker (74.0). PFF credited Cosmi with only one sack allowed in 2023.

The Commanders could look to extend Cosmi heading into the final season of his rookie contract. If that doesn’t happen, his price could keep going up with another impressive season.

Who was the Commanders’ unsung hero in 2023?

Sam Cosmi took a huge step in 2023.

When the Washington Commanders selected Sam Cosmi in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, he was supposed to be their right tackle of the future. Shortly after selecting Cosmi, Washington cut longtime right tackle Morgan Moses and signed Charles Leno Jr., who the Chicago Bears surprisingly released.

Washington’s plan was to start Leno at left tackle and Cosmi at right tackle. Leno worked out reasonably well for the Commanders over the past three seasons, while Cosmi had his ups and downs at tackle. So, over the offseason, former head coach Ron Rivera told Cosmi his future was at right guard, something Cosmi fully embraced.

How did Cosmi handle his first full season at guard? He was excellent. Per Pro Football Focus, Cosmi was one of the NFL’s highest-graded guards and allowed only one sack in 2023. Cosmi looked like a cornerstone player for new general manager Adam Peters.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently named an unsung hero/most surprising player on every NFL team. He chose Cosmi for Washington.

Commanders’ Sam Cosmi: ‘I’m tired of losing’

Sam Cosmi has the right attitude heading into a new regime.

It was a difficult season for the Washington Commanders. Washington went 4-13, and head coach Ron Rivera was fired.

When players cleaned their lockers on Monday, several spoke about their former head coach. While some players appeared frustrated with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, they expressed gratitude and appreciation for Rivera despite his lack of success.

As for the 2023 season, there weren’t a lot of bright spots on the field. One bright spot, though, was right guard Sam Cosmi. A 2021 second-round pick from the University of Texas, Cosmi began his career as Washington’s right tackle. After two seasons of up-and-down play at tackle, the 6-foot-6, 309-pound Cosmi moved to right guard in the offseason.

The offensive line struggled as a whole in 2023, but Cosmi, particularly in the second half of the season, was a force at right guard. Per Pro Football Focus, Cosmi was one of the NFL’s highest-graded offensive linemen in the second half of the season and led all Washington offensive players with an 80.6 grade for the season.

In speaking to reporters on Monday, Cosmi made it clear he wished the Commanders had run the ball more in 2023. Washington finished first in passing attempts with essentially a rookie quarterback while finishing last in rushing attempts.

Cosmi was appreciative of Rivera but is excited about the upcoming changes for Washington in 2024. The Commanders hired a new general manager on Friday, Adam Peters, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers.

Cosmi expressed why change is good.

“Change can be great, to be honest with you,” Cosmi said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m tired of losing. I’m tired of being average, now, below average. I want to win. At the end of the day, everybody does. So, whatever that takes, it’s a brutal business. But you’ve got to perform; I got to perform. Every time I go on that field, regardless of the situation, I have to perform. Everybody in this building has to perform. We all play a part.”

Those are refreshing words to hear from a young Washington player. Cosmi is an ascending player and one Peters will presumably want to build around moving forward. A losing attitude has permeated Washington’s locker room for too long, and that’s something Cosmi wants to change.

Commanders guard Sam Cosmi: ‘I wanted to run the ball more’

Sam Cosmi was one of Washington’s best players in 2023 and speaks out about the offense.

The Washington Commanders finished the 2023 NFL season with a 4-13 record, and head coach Ron Rivera lost his job after four seasons. It was the first — and perhaps only year — for Eric Bieniemy as Washington’s offensive coordinator, and the results looked a lot like Scott Turner’s results from one year ago.

According to FTN’s offensive DVOA, the Commanders ranked No. 26 in 2023. In 2022 — Turner’s final season before being fired — Washington ranked No. 30.

So, while the end results were similar, the path to those pathetic results was different.

The Commanders led the NFL with 636 passing attempts in 2023. This occurred with a second-year quarterback, who was a fifth-round pick in 2022. That approach looked solid through the first 10 weeks, as Howell showed great promise outside a few stinkers. Unfortunately, beginning in Week 11, the wheels off for Howell and the offense.

In contrast, Washington ranked dead last in the NFL with 359 rushing attempts. Throughout the season, you could see players’ frustration, although many refused to discuss it publicly. With the season over and Rivera fired, there will be changes for the Commanders. This coaching staff will not be back.

That allowed players to speak more freely on Monday as they were cleaning out their lockers. One of those players was right guard Sam Cosmi.

While many on the offense struggled, Cosmi’s career took off. In his first year at guard, Cosmi became one of the NFL’s most dominant guards in the second half of the season. And not running the ball didn’t sit well with Cosmi.

“I wanted to run the ball more,” Cosmi said. “Me personally, being our O-Line, give us a better chance to be more balanced. I felt like we weren’t balanced. I think we were 30th in the league in attempts and runs. I love running the ball. And I felt like it was nothing but dropback passes. So, I just wanted to be more balanced, to be completely honest with you. Just run the rock, please. That’s all I would have to say with that.”

If you ask any offensive lineman, they’ll agree with Cosmi. And while today’s NFL is more geared toward the passing game, the running game remains critical to success. As Cosmi said, it’s about finding balance. That balance didn’t exist under Bieniemy.

Cosmi then noted that he hopes the next offensive coordinator takes advantage of the team’s talent, specifically mentioning running back Brian Robinson Jr., who Cosmi labeled as “special.”

While not directly a criticism of Bieniemy, Cosmi answered a question honestly and directly. There was no agenda. And it was clear he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

No one will ever know if a more balanced running game would’ve helped quarterback Sam Howell avoid some of his mistakes, but it certainly wouldn’t have hurt.

Studs and duds from Commanders’ season-ending loss to Cowboys

One last edition of studs and duds for Washington’s 2023 season.

The Washington Commanders completed their 2023 season with a 38-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The loss means Washington was swept by Dallas by a combined 83-20 in the two meetings this season.

Much like in their first meeting, the Commanders hung tight with the Cowboys early, but Dallas blew the Thanksgiving Day meeting open in the fourth quarter, outscoring Washington 25-0 en route to the 45-10 win. In Sunday’s game, a blocked field goal and a tipped interception helped the Commanders stay close in the first half when, in reality, it shouldn’t have been.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott had his way against a Washington defense without most of its starters, completing 31 of 36 passes for 279 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Now that the regular season is over let’s have one last edition of studs and duds before the offseason fun begins.

Commanders PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. 49ers in Week 17

The grades are in. Who graded the highest on offense? What about defense? Sam Cosmi stands out again.

No one gave the Washington Commanders a chance in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers. The Commanders entered the game having lost six games in a row with a struggling young quarterback and a 32nd-ranked defense and without three starters along the offensive line and in the secondary.

However, Washington surprised everyone, going toe-to-toe with the 49ers for close to three quarters. Sure, it appeared that San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan looked more interested in leaving the game healthy than unleashing his full offensive arsenal against Washington, but the Commanders competed hard on both sides of the ball.

Washington’s new-look offensive line held up incredibly well against San Francisco’s terrific defensive line.

How did Pro Football Focus grade the Commanders against the 49ers? Let’s review PFF’s top — and bottom — performers from Week 17.

One play Sunday against the Jets revealed something about Sam Cosmi

Sam Cosmi has been Washington’s best offensive player recently. Last week, one play really stood out.

There was one play Sunday against the Jets and revealed something about Sam Cosmi.

It is much easier to play hard when things are going well, your team is ahead in a game. A much tougher test is when you are trailing badly in a game, you are tempted to just go through the motions, hoping to get the game concluded and get out of there without an injury.

Sunday, the Jets were embarrassing the Commanders in the third quarter, leading 27-7. The Commanders had the ball at their own 29-yard line with under 9 minutes remaining in the quarter, having been given a first down when the Jets’ Brandon Echols was guilty of illegal contact and a five-yard penalty.

What transpired on first down really caught my attention. Quarterback Sam Howell, back from the center, took the snap out of the air, dropped back two steps, looked left, and immediately attempted a pass to Jamison Crowder. Crowder was running a quick slant from the left side to the left hash marks. Howell missed badly, the pass visibly behind Crowder.

Suddenly two players, a Commander and a Jet, went crashing to the turf. Both players also just as quickly hopped up off of the turf, energized. The Jet was defensive tackle Micheal Clemons (#72) out of Texas A&M. The Commander was right guard Sam Cosmi a former Texas Longhorn.

During the play, the two had been matched up against one another. On this particular play, regardless of the score, Cosmi got into Clemons and drove the 270-pounder off of the ball and into the turf on his back. Clemons was upset and hopped up toward Cosmi.

Cosmi, on the other hand, visibly enjoyed the play and had a hop to his step as well when he gleefully headed back to the huddle for the next play.

It was good to see Cosmi not simply settling for protecting Howell on the play. No, Cosmi wanted to accomplish more on the play, and he exerted more effort to bring about his dominance on the play.

Just a single play, down 27-7. Yes, but it also revealed something of the heart in Sam Cosmi to compete hard despite the score, finding another way to win on that play.

Cosmi has been outstanding recently.

Commanders guard Sam Cosmi is playing at an elite level recently

Sam Cosmi has been a rare bright spot for Washington this season.

It’s difficult to find bright spots for the Washington Commanders in another disappointing season where the team plays no meaningful games in December.

There has been the play of quarterback Sam Howell, who has flashed at times but has struggled lately. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has been Washington’s best offensive player. Outside of those things, the bright spots are few and far between.

The entire defense has been the biggest disappointment for the Commanders. The defense was expected to be the team’s strength and is currently the NFL’s worst unit.

The offensive line is another underwhelming unit. Of course, no one expected the O-Line to be a team strength. However, there has been one bright spot along the offensive line.

Sam Cosmi is in his first season at right guard after beginning his career at right tackle. The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Cosmi is quietly having a breakout season in year three of his career.

Over Washington’s last five games, Cosmi is the NFL’s second-highest-graded guard, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s getting it done as a pass blocker and run blocker.

Cosmi was especially dominant in last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Washington hasn’t had dominant guard play since Brandon Scherff left.

There will be plenty of changes for the Commanders this offseason. There will be a new coach and general manager, and the offensive line could feature as many as three new starters in 2024.

You can pencil Cosmi in as Washington’s right guard in 2024. At a time when the Commanders will be looking for young building blocks, they may have found one in Cosmi.

6 stats and facts to know for Commanders vs. Jets in Week 16

Here are six things to know about the Commanders and Jets ahead of Sunday’s game.

The New York Jets (5-9) host the Washington Commanders (4-10) on Sunday in a game that has more meaning for the 2024 NFL draft than the current playoff race.

New York and Washington were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. Both teams were unofficially done long before last week, and the Jets’ season essentially ended in Week 1 when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost for the year with an Achilles injury. While Rodgers hinted at a comeback this season, that was never feasible.

The Commanders began the season 2-0 and have lost 10 of their last 12 games. They stink and are entering the last three weeks of Ron Rivera’s tenure as GM and head coach.

As we look ahead to Sunday’s game, here are some stats and facts to know for Week 16.

Jonathan Allen named three Commanders having a good season

Allen believes Sam Howell is just going through the growing pains of a young quarterback learning on the job.

“We could make excuses, but we are just not a good defense right now.”

That’s how Jonathan Allen making his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” of 106.7 The Fan, described the Washington Commanders defense, after giving up some more explosive plays that led to Washington’s 28-20 loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams.

When asked about the offense having too many short possessions, forcing the defense to go right back out there on the field, Allen wasn’t taking the bait. He responded, “It is a huge factor; but there have been a lot of times we (the defense) haven’t held up our end of the bargain. There have been times the offense has done their job, and it’s been the defense who hasn’t done our job.”

When asked about how Ron Rivera might be calling the Commanders defense differently than former coordinator Jack Del Rio, Allen responded, “I definitely feel like we have been more aggressive, blitzing our linebackers more.”

Allen didn’t hesitate when asked if there were some guys on the Commanders defense who were playing well. He, without hesitation, declared that safety Kam Curl and rookie defensive end K.J. Henry are both playing well right now.

When asked about offensive players having a good season, Allen quickly supplied the name right guard Sam Cosmi. You may recall that Cosmi was a tackle before moving inside this season.

Regarding Sam Howell’s benching for Jacoby Brissett Sunday against the Rams, Allen expressed, “Sam, being a young quarterback, is going to have growing pains. He is going to have to experience things and struggle to learn.” Allen also stated he is not surprised Jacoby Brissett made some good plays Sunday, citing his experience and years in the NFL.