Tag: TE Cole Turner

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.

 

Second-half observations from Commanders vs Patriots’ preseason finale

Some observations from the second half of Washington’s preseason finale against the Patriots.

The Washington Commanders wrapped up the preseason with a 20-10 victory over the New England Patriots. Here are some observations from Sunday’s second half of the Commanders’ final preseason game.

  1. A play that illustrates how hard it is to evaluate a wide receiver: Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint clearly had his corner defender beaten deep. However, Trace McSorley badly underthrew him, forcing him to slow down. The defender caught up to him, and the pass was incomplete. Had the pass been better thrown, it would have been a 40-yard gain for Rosemy-Jacksaint. Later, Rosemy-Jacksaint made an adjustment to make a nice catch on a pass underthrown by McSorely.
  2. I don’t know if Phidarian Mathis is going to make the squad. However, he just batted down his second pass of the second half. Is the last tackle spot a battle between Mathis and John Ridgeway?
  3. Running back, Michael Wiley took an inside run, bounced it outside, and then displayed the ability to stay in bounds while diving to the pylon. Excellent footwork by Wiley for the 9-yard touchdown.
  4. When I was ready to declare Colson Yankoff the fourth tight end, Cole Turner made a very nice catch with his arms extended. It was clearly Turner’s best catch of the preseason. I have no idea how coaches are evaluating this battle. Last week, I noticed Yankoff really hustling on special teams.
  5. Another area where this is so deceptive is that a decent quarterback would have had a touchdown on three opportunities on this fourth-quarter drive alone. Joe Milton has no sense of touch or how to pass, though he has a huge arm. The Patriots had people wide open for touchdowns three times in that drive, and Milton could not deliver. On the other hand, Commanders’ coaches saw how badly those plays were being defended.
  6. But 34 players did not dress for the Commanders tonight. Martavis Bryant exhibited his size on Sunday night, making contact on the goalline and catching a touchdown pass from McSorley. It’s been since 2018 since he played in an actual NFL game. I have no idea what coaches are thinking here, other than maybe how thin they think the receiver room might actually be?

First-half observations from Commanders vs Patriots’ final preseason game

Five thought on the first half.

The Washington Commanders hosted the New England Patriots on Sunday in their third and final preseason game. Here are some observations from the first half of the Commanders’ game against the Patriots.

  1. Jeff Driskel played the entire first half, completing 12 of his 18 attempts for 73 yards. He did have a bad interception, where he stared down his receiver and threw directly into coverage, which he never saw.
  2. Cole Turner had another pass go off his hands, and it was intercepted by the Patriots’ Joe Giles-Harris. This is Turner’s third season, and it has not been impressive in the last two weeks. We will see if Colton Yankoff gets that fourth tight end spot on the roster.
  3. I’m not sure about Noah Igbinoghene. Early on, I thought he would surely make the roster, but he missed two tackles in the first half.
  4. Armani Taylor-Prioleau is trying to make the roster at offensive tackle. But one play sticking in my mind is when he was taken and pushed all the way back to Driskel, forcing Driskel to abandon passing the ball and stepping up and being tackled at the line of scrimmage.
  5. KJ Henry was completely unblocked when he nailed Jacoby Brissett, appearing to cause Brissett shoulder pain. Henry had good penetration on two other plays, disturbing the Patriots’ offense.

Some Commanders’ bright spots against the Jets

We look at some of the Commanders’ bright spots vs. the Jets.

The Commanders lost to the Jets on Saturday, 20-17, at MetLife Stadium.

However, what were some of the bright spots?

Jeff Driskel

Third quarterback Jeff Driskel made some nice plays, passing and running. He completed 7 of 15 passes for 87 yards, with a 16-yard run. Was Driskel the second-best quarterback for Washington on Saturday?

Ben Sinnott

Rookie tight end Ben Sinnott and Driskel hooked up for the longest gain on Saturday. It was a 44-yard pass, and Sinnott demonstrated that he might be a tough ball carrier to bring down in the regular season. Sinnott finished with three receptions on three targets for 57 yards.

Jamin Davis

Jamin Davis knew he needed to make some plays. When he first entered the game, he made two stops on running plays, with the runs totaling only three yards. He displayed quickness and energy on the edge. There was one play where he decided to battle OT (Fashanu) and did not seal the edge, resulting in a 24-yard run.

Dyami Brown

Dyami Brown was covered well, yet he made a nice catch for a 42-yard gain. Later, Brown made another nice catch for 13 yards from Driskel. Brown is in his fourth year and the first three have been disappointments. This was a good start for him today if he is to make this team in 2024.

Cole Turner/John Bates

Did you see tight end Cole Turner on Daniels’ touchdown run? Turner lined up on the right side and drove his man to the back of the end zone. Tight end John Bates also took care of his man. Daniels was able to jog in for the score because these two did such a good job on the play.

Tyler Owens

Punt return coverage is a place where players can make an impression with their hustle and or a tackle. Such was the case today for undrafted safety Tyler Owens (Texas Tech). He is 6-foot-2, 213 pounds.

Tress Way

Also, there was a punt return that started right; the returner then reversed his field all the way left, and there was Tress Way. He came up and made the nice, clean tackle. I noticed the bench really reacted to Way’s tackle/effort. Don’t you know the coaches loved that as well when an older punter is hustling?

 

A closer look at the Commanders opening touchdown drive

A closer look at the Commanders’ opening drive.

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels only saw action on Washington’s first possession, Saturday, during their 20-17 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

However, with the Commanders gaining 70 yards in 11 plays, concluding with a Daniels 3-yard touchdown run, he was pulled and sat out the remainder of the contest.

The opening drive featured Brian Robinson Jr. running hard, carrying the ball five times, gaining 20 yards.

The only negative for Daniels was on second-and-6 from the 34. He may have been nervous as he badly missed Austin Ekeler, sailing it over Ekeler’s head on an attempted screen pass to the right.

On the very next play, Daniels looked deep and found Dyami Brown for 42 yards to the Jets 24. More significantly, tight end Zach Ertz told Bryan Colbert on the Commanders’ sideline that Daniels “was able to check the play at the line of scrimmage and get us in a better play.” Indeed, the call from the sideline had been for a screen pass.

However, on the play, Daniels had the Commanders in a five-wide out alignment, which necessitates an empty backfield. Meaning that Daniels knew he had to get rid of the ball quickly because there was no running back to help pick up a free pass rusher.

The coverage by Jets corner Jarrick Bernard-Converse was actually good. However, Daniels laid the ball just beyond the reach of Bernard-Converse, and the outstretched Brown made a nice catch.

On first-and-10 at the 12, Daniels hit McLaurin on a swing pass to the right. Had Jahan Dotson kept his feet better, McLaurin would have penetrated much deeper than the 9 for a small gain of three yards.

After a Nick Allegretti false start, Ekeler showed good quickness in a four-yard run to the 3. On Daniels’ touchdown run, be sure to watch on the right side, noticing the job done by tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner. Their efforts resulted in Daniels being able to jog into the end zone for the 3-yard touchdown.

Commanders Zach Ertz ‘extremely excited to be here’

Zach Ertz talks leadership, and his excitement to be in Washington.

“The best teams I have been on have been the hardest working teams.”

Commanders’ new tight end Zach Ertz displayed a businesslike approach Tuesdayas he met with the media on the first day of Organized Team Activities (OTA).

He spoke of head coach Dan Quinn taking ownership of this team from the players, conveying that they would mold this team into their image.

Ertz expressed that Dan Quinn has set a standard and the players will need to hold each other accountable to meet that standard.

Speaking of which, Ertz complimented rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, stating Daniels is working hard behind the scenes to prepare himself for the season.

The 33-year-old tight end made it clear he was not out there holding the hands of the other tight ends. Yet, he also understands he can’t simply be barking out orders either.

“First, you got to have a personal relationship with someone…….I’m just trying to help them in any way I can. It’s something that at this stage of my career, I have taken a lot more pride in now than maybe I did when younger.”

The three-time pro bowler knows he might not have much longer in the NFL. “I am just trying to maximize this team, anyone I can help, not only tight ends, but any skill position.”

Highlights of touchdowns as an Eagle

“The vets have to set the leadership, how this thing is going to go. We’re going to push each other to be the best version of ourselves that we can.”

Nine years as an Eagle and three as a Cardinal have matured Ertz. On Tuesday, he spoke of communication and leadership as the result of interacting with people.

“I want to be as open as possible,” Ertz said. “That is what guys are going to remember. (These) people are not going to remember my stats, my yards, my catches. When I’m done, hopefully, they remember the relationship I have with them. So, that’s what I’m trying to develop.”

The Commanders’ younger tight ends could certainly learn from Ertz entering his 13th season. The tight ends on the current Commanders roster are Ertz, John Bates, Armani Rogers, Cole Turner, Colson Yankoff, and the newly drafted Ben Sinnott.

How was Sam Howell’s night for Commanders?

Overall, it was a good night for the young Washington quarterback.

Sam Howell had some really good moments Friday night in the preseason opener.

Howell started against the Browns in Cleveland and proceeded to complete 9 of his 12 passing attempts for 77 yards and a touchdown for a 119.1 passer rating.

Howell also carried once, gaining eight yards, on a play in which he displayed good feet. He was also sacked once for a loss of -8 yards and a holding call resulted in a safety for Cleveland’s two first-half points.

On Washington’s first possession, facing a 3rd and 6 at the 25 yard line, Howell was forced left but was swift enough, gaining 8 yards for the first down to the 33.

A sack losing eight yards and a holding call and Howell faced a 3rd & 30, resulting in a punt.

The second Commanders possession began deep in the hole at their own 5. Right tackle Andrew Wylie was guilty of holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Howell’s third drive was a beauty, with 10 plays and 80 yards for a touchdown. Howell found Cole Turner for 7 yards, Terry McLaurin for 7 yards, and Turner again for 4 yards.

Perhaps his most significant play of the night was a 4th & 3 at the Browns 39. Why punt when it is preseason? Give your quarterback and offensive unit the opportunity to convert, meaning more offensive plays. Howell rolled right and found Turner for 13 yards to the Browns’ 26.

On the next play, Howell dropped back, looked left and connected with Dotson on the 26-yard touchdown.