Tag: Steven Sims Jr.

When they last met: Commanders and Patriots

The last time these two teams played was the end of the Jay Gruden era.

“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.

New England 33, Washington 7 – Week 4, October 6, 2019

This was the last game in the Jay Gruden era, as the Washington Redskins fell to the New England Patriots 33-7 at FedEx Field in Landover, MD.

Gruden was then fired, as Washington had opened the season losing their first five games of 2019. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan was named the interim head coach and would win in his first game the next Sunday at Miami.

After an exchange of punts, the Redskins from their 35, had receiver Steven Sims line up as a flanker on the left side. Colt McCoy had to Sims on an end around, Sims moving from left to right. Sims broke a tackle at his own 45, and sprinted down the left sideline, putting Washington on top 7-0.

It was the last time Washington would score all day.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw touchdown passes to Julian Edelman (6 yards), Brandon Bolden (29 yards) and Ryan Izzo (10 yards), while kicker Mike Nugent added field goals from 37 and 23 yards. Sony Michel also ran for a 14-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Colt McCoy struggled against the Patriots defense, passing for only 122 yards and being sacked six times. The Patriots outgained Washington 442-223, accumulating 23 first downs while limiting Washington to a mere 11.

The Washington defense limited the Patriots in the first half to only a 12-7 lead. However, the Patriots offense came out dominating Washington in the second half and they outscored their burgundy and gold opponents 21-0.

Commanders, Rivera hoping UCLA rookie earns roster spot

There is excitement that Kazmeir Allen can be Washington’s punt returner.

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It is no secret Ron Rivera is looking for a punt returner in his fourth season.

Thus far in his three seasons, Rivera has used seven punt returners, and it is no secret has liked what he has seen thus far in undrafted rookie free agent from UCLA Kazmeir Allen.

Some caution would be to be reminded that Allen only returned kickoffs in his final two seasons at UCLA. Will he show enough in preseason returning punts that Rivera and the staff will want to go with Allen as the punt returner? Will he unseat Antonio Gibson, being the kick returner as well?

Rivera, in his first season, primarily used Steven Sims, returning 24 punts for an average of 6.7 yards per return with a long of 25 yards. Isaiah Wright, Greg Stroman and Danny Johnson also saw very limited action on punt returns, none averaging 4 yards a return.

In his second season as head coach, Rivera enjoyed the consistency of DeAndre Carter. Carter, though only having a longest punt return of 16 yards in 2021, still managed to average 8.4 on his returns.

However, Washington was unable to re-sign Carter, the native Californian. Born in San Jose and having played his college ball at Sacramento State, Carter chose to return to southern California, signing with the Chargers for 2022.

Last season (2022), Rivera’s third in Washington, saw Dax Milne return 40 punts averaging 7.8 yards a punt, and Alec Erickson (4 for 25 yards). Commanders fans have frankly been unfair to Milne, unfairly judging him as a failure. However, the facts reveal though Milne never broke a long return (19 yards longest), he did finish 12th of those making enough punt returns to qualify.

But yes, Rivera and staff are hoping Allen will bring the bigger returns the team has been lacking in his previous three seasons.

 

Terry McLaurin on Dwayne Haskins: ‘He made me a better man and a better friend’

Terry McLaurin spoke at Dwayne Haskins’ celebration of life Saturday in New Jersey.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin first met Dwayne Haskins in 2016 when Haskins was a true freshman quarterback at Ohio State. At the time, McLaurin was entering his third season with the Buckeyes. The pair formed a fast friendship.

On Saturday, McLaurin spoke at his friend’s celebration of life held in Rockaway Township, New Jersey. Haskins was tragically killed on April 9 when he was struck by a truck in South Florida.

McLaurin on Haskins: “He made me a better man and a better friend.”

In addition to being teammates for three seasons at Ohio State, Haskins and McLaurin were picked by the then-Washington Redskins in the 2019 NFL draft. Haskins went No. 15 overall, and McLaurin went No. 76 overall.

The two would remain teammates for two seasons in Washington.

McLaurin wasn’t Haskins’ only former Washington teammate to speak at his service. Wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., who also came to Washington in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from Kansas, offered the following words about his friend.

Sims reunited with Haskins in Pittsburgh last September.

Haskins’ parents and sister also spoke at his celebration of life service. The family is holding another celebration of life Sunday at his high school, The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

 

Former Washington receiver Steven Sims Jr. finds a new home

Ron Rivera released Steven Sims early enough for him to land with a new team ahead of final cuts. Sims signed with the Bills on Wednesday.

It didn’t take long for former Washington wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. to land with a new team. Sims, who was released by the Washington Football Team on Monday, signed with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday.

In his post-practice press conference on Monday, head coach Ron Rivera was asked about the release of Sims.

“We felt it was an opportunity for him to get out there and get hooked up with somebody else,” Rivera said. “It’s a very good (wide receivers) room. We have a lot of guys we have to see. It’s one of those things where he might not have had a lot of opportunities here this week.”

Rivera was right. If you knew Sims was not in your plans, it makes sense for both parties to move on and allow him a chance to land with another NFL team before rosters are finalized next Tuesday afternoon.

Sims lands with a Buffalo team that features one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Stefon Diggs. However, Buffalo’s current slot receiver, Cole Beasley, is on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It will be interesting to see where Sims slots in once Beasley returns.

Sims finished his career in Washington by playing in 28 games, recording 61 receptions for 575 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2019 and scored a receiving touchdown in last season’s playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Washington releases wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.

Steven Sims Jr. was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and looked to have a promising future before struggling in 2020.

The Washington Football Team has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trim its roster to 80 players.

Washington made its first move on Monday morning, releasing third-year wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.

Sims was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and impressed the former coaching staff throughout that season. He appeared to be Washington’s slot receiver of the future, at least according to then-interim coach Bill Callahan.

He caught 34 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown in 2019. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown that season.

Sims took a step back in 2020 under Ron Rivera and the new coaching staff. He appeared in 12 games and finished with 27 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown. His best performance, arguably, came in the wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he caught four passes and a touchdown.

Sims was also Washington’s primary punt returner in 2020. He struggled in that role, averaging 6.7 yards per return, and sometimes had trouble catching punts cleanly.

Sims didn’t help himself in Friday’s preseason loss to the Bengals by not coming up with a Kyle Allen pass in the second half.

Washington likely released Sims now to give him a chance to stick somewhere else before the season. Sims should be on someone’s roster as he proved he could play at this level.

Washington’s offensive snap counts from Week 2 preseason win over Bengals

Here is a look at the snap counts for every player on Washington’s offense.

The Washington Football Team picked up its first preseason win on Friday with a 17-13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

With Washington down one point in the fourth quarter, rookie running back Jaret Patterson scored from one yard out to give Washington its decisive points.

Washington quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played one quarter, completing seven of 13 passes for 96 yards. As a team, Washington had 70 offensive plays in its win over the Bengals.

So, who led the Football Team in snaps?

We look at the snap count for every player on offense, broken down by position groups.

Steven Sims Jr. is making his case for Washington’s roster

Washington fans shouldn’t count out Steven Sims Jr. just yet.

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It feels like each day of training camp, we talk about a different wide receiver standing out. There is always Terry McLaurin, who stands out every day.

Perhaps the most intriguing battles on Washington’s roster isn’t who will start at quarterback, but which receivers will round out the Football Team’s pass-catching corps?

Enter a familiar name into the equation: Steven Sims Jr.

The former undrafted free agent from Kansas burst onto the scene in 2019. Then-interim coach Bill Callahan said Sims would be Washington’s slot receiver for “a long time.”

Unfortunately for Sims, things didn’t go as planned in 2020 under the Football Team’s new coaching staff.

Sims played in 12 games for Washington last season, recording just 27 receptions for 265 yards and a touchdown. His best performance came in the playoff game against Tampa Bay, where he caught three passes and a touchdown.

Now, Sims is fighting for his future in Washington after a disappointing season.

“This year, we’re wiping all that away,” Sims said about his 2020 season, per Zach Selby of washingtonfootball.com. “It’s a new year moving forward. I worked all offseason focusing on things.”

Sims has shown flashes of the 2019 version of himself throughout training camp, reminding everyone he belongs in the NFL, whether it is in Washington — or somewhere else.

Curtis Samuel being sidelined in the first week of camp has been a blessing for Sims, and he’s taking advantage of every opportunity.

“I’ve been taking it back to the basics,” Sims said. “Just trying to make this roster, whether it’s the sixth man in the receiving room or the fourth man. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter to me.”

What would help Sims in his quest to make the roster is special teams. Sims can return punts, but he struggled there a year ago. If he can have a strong summer returning punts, both in practice and in the preseason, it could go a long way in helping his case.

For Sims, this preseason is a lot like 2019, when a strong summer helped push his way onto the roster.

Can he do it again in 2021?

 

Washington will have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver

The competition at wide receiver has been outstanding in training camp so far. Washington will be forced to make some tough choices over the next month.

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One year ago, you could argue that wide receiver was the weakest position on the Washington Football Team. Second-year pro Terry McLaurin was special — but there was little else.

Boy, how things change.

Washington signed Curtis Samuel in free agency to serve as the team’s No. 2 wideout. Samuel was coming off a career year and can line up all over the place on offense. The WFT also added reliable but injury-prone veteran Adam Humphries.

Then, in the NFL draft, Washington was fortunate when North Carolina wide receiver Dyami Brown fell to the third round. Suddenly, the Football Team had some depth at wide receiver.

Washington would also return some promising younger players such as Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., Kelvin Harmon, Isaiah Wright and Antonio Gandy-Golden. There was also seventh-round pick Dax Milne.

One week into training camp, it’s clear which players are making the 53-man roster. McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Cam Sims and Humphries all feel like locks to make the roster. Humphries could be a surprise cut, but he has a nice rapport with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The biggest question is, how many receivers will head coach Ron Rivera keep?

Most NFL teams keep five or six receivers on the roster. That number could vary depending on which players contribute on special teams.

Washington needs a punt returner. Of those players in camp, Sims Jr., DeAndre Carter, Wright, Milne and Humphries could all get looks at punt returner. Sims has done it before but hasn’t been overly successful.

Carter is the player to watch. The 28-year-old is on his eighth NFL team and can return punts. He’s also had a strong camp as a receiver. That versatility could help him land on Washington’s 53-man roster.

Sims Jr. entered camp squarely on the roster bubble after struggling at times last season. He has looked good this summer.

Sims Jr. has talent. He looked like a future keeper in 2019.

Next is Gandy-Golden. A fourth-round pick last season, Gandy-Golden failed to make an impression before his injury last season. The 6-foot-4 Gandy-Golden is impressive and is another receiver standing out this summer.

A player who is quietly off the radar is Harmon. As a rookie in 2019, Harmon caught 30 passes and looked to be a part of the future as a reliable possession receiver. The previous coaching staff really liked him. Unfortunately for Harmon, he was injured before training camp began last summer and was lost for the season.

He’s back — and catching everything.

Wright caught 27 passes as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2021. He can also return punts.

Milne, the rookie from BYU, has also impressed coaches in camp. He seems like a longshot, more like someone who could begin his career on the practice squad.

What has helped these receivers so far in camp is the absence of Samuel. Nursing a groin injury and also on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Samuel has yet to practice. It has opened the door for others, and they have taken advantage.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the month, Washington has some tough decisions to make at wide receiver. The team is going to cut multiple good players who will latch on somewhere else. It’s likely the preseason could make or break some of these young receivers.

Being in a position to cut good players is a problem Washington is glad to have.

‘He’s the best guy we’ve got’; Ron Rivera tepidly sticks by Steven Sims as punt returner

Steven Sims leads the NFL in muffed punts this season, but Rivera says they’re sticking with him simply because he’s ‘the best guy’ they’ve got.

In a year when a lot of success has come to the Washington Football Team, one of the bigger disappointments has been second-year wide receiver Steven Sims Jr., who flashed as an undrafted rookie last season but has yet to grow into an expected role in his second year.

While Sims may not get many looks on the offense, one place where Washington has continually relied on him is on special teams, where he serves as punt returner. That, too, has been disappointing — Sims leads the NFL with three muffed punts so far this season and has the third-lowest return grade in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. 

These struggles have led to many fans and media members calling for him to be replaced at that position, but Ron Rivera was asked about it on Thursday, and he gave a very tepid response as to why Sims is still the returner.

“The best guy we’ve got” sure isn’t a ringing endorsement, but it explains why Sims is still back there week in and week out. There is some hope that he can continue to get better and learn to secure the ball, but his recent showings don’t give anyone much confidence that things will be different down the road.

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The best is yet to come for Redskins’ WR Steven Sims Jr.

As a UDFA, Sims proved to be a crucial piece of Washington’s offense, and he’s set to flourish under Scott Turner’s new offense.

If you want to understand the value of hitting on an undrafted free agent, look no further than Washington Redskins wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. After being passed up in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Kansas, Sims signed with Washington last offseason and worked his way through the special teams’ ranks, catching the eyes of many coaches thanks to his electric return-game abilities.

He eventually cracked his way into the offense, where the team did what they could to get him the ball in open space and let him go to work, and it paid dividends down the road. He ended his rookie season with six total touchdowns, and he boasted one of the bets target rates on routes in all of the NFL.

Now, with a new offensive coordinator and a scheme that will try to highlight shifty backs and slot WRs who can breakaway down the field in a flash — think Curtis Samuel on the 2019 Carolina Panthers — Sims will have a major chance to continue his growth in Washington and become a dynamic player that people outside of the D.C. area know as well.

He may not have been a hot commodity coming out of college, but with his work ethic and skill-set, he’s done everything he can to become a household name going forward. If you have the chance, buy all the Steven Sims stock that you can. There’s a bright future ahead for him in Scott Turner’s offense.

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