Tag: WR Luke McCaffrey

Dan Quinn praises two rookies not named Jayden Daniels

Quinn explains what stands out about two members of Commanders’ rookie class.

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn was asked Wednesday about two of his rookies, in particular.

Those two rookies were wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Quinn had already spoken very positively about Jayden Daniels and Brandon Coleman the previous day with the press.

“What I’ve seen early, I’ve also seen lately,” replied Quinn. By that I mean, these guys are like a rare level of competitor. They just don’t back down.”

Jayden Daniels might consider getting the ball to McCaffrey more often each game. You see, he has only been targeted six times, but he does have six catches, averaging 10.3 a reception.

“I knew Mike also had leadership skills early on, where guys would look to him, not just the other rookies in the class. But some of the defensive backs as well. So, that is what I saw. As they are growing into their season, they are just three games in, each of these opportunities are so important.”

Sainristil has been in on 16 tackles in three games (12 solo and four assists). He has also has a pass breakup.

“I think when we look back a few months from now, some of the mistakes that guys make early, they don’t make late. But you do have to fight through some of those with the guys. I have unbelievable belief in them about what they are capable of becoming, and that sometimes happens with the youngest players.”

Indeed, McCaffrey made two very nice plays earlier, picking up first downs, but in the final quarter, he once drove to the stick on third down and then cut off his route just short. So when Daniels passed to him, and McCaffrey was instantly tackled, it was 4th & 1, not 1st & 10.

“You make sure they get the experience, so by the time December and January football comes, they have lived through some of those (experiences). They have some scares to look back on, and they’re really better for that.”

What everyone said after the Commanders’ Week 3 win vs. Bengals

What everyone was saying after the Commanders’ win over the Bengals.

Monday, the Washington Commanders defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33 in Cincinnati, as Jayden Daniels completed 91% of his passes.

Here are some selected postgame quotes regarding the Commanders’ exciting win.

“A lot of guys say things in the NFL. I don’t think we took it personal in the sense that we gotta go prove these guys wrong. You know, probably Kliff felt some type of way. I know DQ might have mentioned it a little bit. You want to have your coaches’ back. You want to have your teammates’ back.” Terry McLaurin on Cam Taylor-Britt’s “a nice college offense” comment last week.

“I don’t regret it,” Taylor-Britt said. “I didn’t mean anything malicious out of the comment. It was made bigger than it was. Yes, I can eat my words, most definitely. We did take an L today.”  Cam Taylor-Britt last said.

“For us to come out here and win a game that probably a lot of people didn’t have us winning, that says a lot about our resiliency and what we are building here.”  Terry McLaurin

“I advocated for the Chicago Bears to hire BOTH Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury this past offseason. That’s what I’m pissed about.” Ryan Woodall, writer Bears Nation Chicago

“Listen to me. We have a quarterback. That young man can play, and we have a kicker too.” Brian Mitchell

“The guys came out here and fought hard. Monday Night Football, prime time, prime time players. Honestly, I’m ecstatic about the vibe, the feeling of seeing these guys come out here, I heard so many people doubting them. They got the W.”  Santana Moss

“He’s a really cool customer. There’s a real poise about him…His ability when to, when not to use his legs. We’ve seen a lot of this in practice. Now it’s carrying over into the games.”  Dan Quinn on Jayden Daniels

“I thought Kliff (Kingsbury) called a great game. All week, all the different looks we would have to go through, especially as we got down into the red zone. We knew the third down and red zone would be a really big part of this. He and the staff had a real clear understanding of what we would have to do.” Dan Quinn

“I think I probably got more sleep today than I have the last couple of months. I was feeling excited, locked and loaded.” Luke McCaffrey

“It’s awesome to see the maturity, the poise he has in the huddle, in the moment, in every single opportunity. He is just calm, ready, prepared. It is just awesome.” Luke McCaffrey on Jayden Daniels

“It was time for him (Terry McLaurin) to make those plays. It wasn’t happening for me, so you know 17 was going to step up and make a play. I am happy to see him get involved. Like I said, for me it was a ground and pound night. I am just happy to get the win.” Brian Robinson Jr.

“I went up during the timeout and to Kliff and said, ‘Give me a go route to the boundary for the game. I went up to Kliff and Jayden and said throw me this ball for the game. For them to have that kind of trust in me, I think that’s maybe one of the first times in my career, the game is on the line, I got to call the play and we executed it at a very high level.”  Terry McLaurin

“Terry said, trust me, and, that’s what we did, I trusted him.” Jayden Daniels

“We are going to face some adversity. It is not going to be smooth sailing from the jump. There are going to be ups and downs. But, stay even keel, keep working, keep improving.”  Jayden Daniels

Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury: ‘I called one of my worst plays ever’

Kingsbury took responsibility for one play call he would love to have back.

Not only did the Commanders lose their 2024 opener in Tampa, 37-20, but offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury declared Thursday he had one of the worst play calls of his career.

Kingsbury, meeting with the local press, voluntarily offered, “I called one of the worst plays I’ve ever called in my entire career. He (Jayden Daniels) just took the ball and ran into the end zone. It was like he was not going to be denied there on the goal line. It showed a lot about him in that situation.”

To which play was Kingsbury referring? Washington trailed Tampa Bay 37-14. Daniels had just completed a ten-yard pass over the middle to Luke McCaffrey, taking the ball to the one-yard line. After two unsuccessful attempts, the Commanders faced a 3rd  & goal from the one with 1:16 remaining.

“I called basically a speed option with no check, and they (Bucs) overplayed it to one side. So he (Daniels) just stuck his foot in the ground and got in the end zone.”

Indeed, the replay shows that it was to be an option, right, with Daniels keeping off-tackling to the right or pitching wide right to Brian Robinson. However, the Bucs defense played the pitch perfectly, and Robinson would have been hit for a loss had Daniels pitched it. Compounding matters was that Daniels was not able to even approach going off tackle, as that was clogged up by the Bucs as well.

Therefore, he stopped instantly, planting and attempting to cut back over the right guard. Two Buccaneer defenders met Daniels, who turned his back, was hit, got away, and backpedaled into the end zone for the final touchdown.

“He just found a way in. So it says a lot about what we knew. He likes to compete, and it definitely showed on Sunday. I didn’t give him a check to get out of it (the play). They had about three guys outside on the option. So, he saw that and ran it anyway, cut back, ran a couple of guys over, and got in the end zone.”

Kingsbury, thinking long term, closed by saying, “If I had that one back, I would rather him not get hit like that.

He is right, of course. Why subject your thin rookie quarterback to unnecessary hits in a game you’ve already lost when there are 16 more games to play?

Related article:

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury did Jayden Daniels no favors in Week 1

 

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels praises two of his wide receivers

Daniels likes what he sees from his fellow rookie and the newest addition to the WR room.

When someone is willing to get up extra early to meet you early at work each day, you get to know them.

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has led by example in his first season. We learned that Daniels arrived quite early throughout training camp, as some reports were before 7 a.m., sometimes even earlier.

We also learned that another Commanders rookie had determined he would also come early and work with Daniels. Third-round draft selection (100 overall) receiver Luke McCaffrey thought it wise for himself to also get in the very early morning work with Daniels.

McCaffrey might be the younger brother of Christian McCaffrey, who last year was the AP Offensive Player of the Year. But younger brother Luke knows that if he is to go anywhere in this league, he must earn it himself. Even more, he only played receiver his last two college seasons, converting from quarterback.

“For somebody that hasn’t been playing that position that long, he is a very smart learner, a very fast learner. Very instinctual and smart. Obviously, he played quarterback, so we kind of see it hand in hand. He knows based on the concept, the footwork, the timing he needs. I am happy with his growth so far.”

https://twitter.com/DavisMattek/status/1833951143942131846

Noah Brown is even newer to the team, having been signed the week before the season opener. Brown played college ball at Ohio State with Terry McLaurin. Though Brown only started a few games for the Cowboys, he was there the first two seasons. Dan Quinn was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, so Quinn saw him a lot in practices.

“He’s tough; a hard worker, very smooth with his route running,” expressed Daniels. This is a big week of practice for us and him. We are just looking to get better.”

https://twitter.com/john_keim/status/1833934108365299839

Daniels was referring to Brown not yet being active. If he can show enough this week that he has learned the offense, he may be activated for Sunday’s Week 2 home opener against the Giants.

Two oddities regarding the Commanders’ depth chart

Some takeaways from Washington’s Week 1 depth chart.

So the Commanders’ defensive depth chart is “unofficial,” they say.

When I was looking through it on Tuesday, I read each name quickly and didn’t notice anything unusual. I caught Michael Davis and Dominique Hampton being listed as the backup not once but twice.

So, I looked a second time at the starters, and this time, I noticed they had listed an extra starter. The Commanders had listed 12 instead of ll as their starters. Why?

Though listed as such, the Commanders are not going to start Clelin Ferrell, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler at the same time. They could, yes, but not if they also start cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, and Mike Sainristil.

https://Twitter.com/Mason_Kinnahan/status/1822802490443641122

This was not an error. The truth is that, for some reason, the Commanders wanted 12 starters on defense and 11 on offense listed. Had they not yet personally informed one of the 12 that he is not starting? Perhaps they felt it best that the player hear it first from the coaching staff and not social media?

Looking at the Week 1 opponent, the Tampa Bay Bucs, I noticed the Bucs list three wide receivers as starters: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan.

Perhaps the Commanders listed three cornerbacks to combat the three Bucs receivers. Does that mean they will alter the depth chart each week accordingly?

Over to the offensive chart, in the minicamps and training camp, Dyami Brown was often praised. Luke McCaffrey, on the other hand, not so much. Yet, the surprise on the chart was that Brown was listed as a backup and McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus as the starters.

Perhaps the key word in the depth charts is “unofficial,” and we should simply view them as a guide from week to week, but not official.

2024 NFL preview: How ready are the Commanders at wide receiver?

How good can Washington’s wide receivers be in 2024?

The receivers group is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, question marks for the 2024 Commanders.

Terry McLaurin returns having caught 79 passes for 1,002 yards, four touchdowns, and 47 first downs, averaging 12.7 yards a reception. McLaurin has persevered and endured inconsistent quarterback play his entire NFL career (2019-2023) with Washington. So, if healthy, McLaurin will again be productive. Terry McLaurin 2023 highlights

All the DMV wants to be optimistic, yet the reality is Washington must replace its second and third receivers from 2023. Curtis Samuel was on the receiving end of 62 passes for 613 yards, four touchdowns, and 26 first downs, averaging 9.9 yards a reception. Samuel departed as a free agent and signed with the Bills.

Jahan Dotson, selected 16th overall by Washington in the 2022 draft, collected 49 receptions for 518 yards, four touchdowns, and 27 first downs, averaging 10.6 yards per reception. Dotson and the offensive coaches were not on the same page in training camp, and he was subsequently traded to the Eagles.

So, where will production come from this receiver group? Dyami Brown has been largely unproductive in his first three NFL seasons. He has flashed, but only a few plays each season. He has also struggled to catch some balls that were certainly catchable.

However, coaches have continued to insist that Brown has worked hard and produced throughout the offseason and training camp. Brown has been publicly praised more than once by Dan Quinn, and apparently, the Commanders believed enough in Brown and rookie Luke McCaffrey that they traded Dotson.

McCaffrey brings some size at 6-2, 198. Coaches believe the rookie has good upside because he converted from quarterback his last two years at Rice and only began playing receiver.

Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle will not be putting up large numbers. However, the two have both shown that they can still make plays and play physical football, and both are willing and able to contribute on special teams.

According to Quinn, Olamide Zaccheaus has impressed throughout the offseason and training camp. He has experience at age 27 and 72 NFL games, catching 104 passes for 1,492 yards (14.3 yards per reception) and 10 receiving touchdowns. Can he produce enough? Well, in 2022, he caught 40 passes at a 13.3-yard average per completion. We shall see, but he earned more praise than Dotson in training camp.

Noah Brown was cut by the Texans and signed by the Commanders. He has had a few injuries, but he has a reputation for being competitive and physical, which the coaches seek.

Brycen Tremayne (Stanford) and Mitchell Tinsley (Penn State) were brought back and signed to the practice squad. Also, of note, this was not the duo’s first NFL offseason, training camp, or preseason.

Logan Paulsen responds to Commanders trading Jahan Dotson

The former Washington TE offers some excellent insight into the trade.

Logan Paulsen is level-headed, reasonable, and really attempts to be fair when evaluating Commanders’ personnel, coaching, and management.

So, what did the former Redskins tight end have to say upon learning the Commanders had traded Jahan Dotson?

Paulsen chatted with Craig Hoffman (The Team 980) an hour following the trade. Here are some selected quotes from Paulsen.

“I wasn’t really surprised. I think a lot of people are surprised when I say that.”

“I like Jahan as a person. I like some of the stuff he does as a receiver. Obviously, I was very high on him coming out in the draft. However, when you watch him, compared to the rest of the receivers in the room, there just seems to be a lack of urgency at times.”

“When you look at his production through practice and through the games, is he really offering that much more than a guy like Luke McCaffrey, who you brought in? When you talk about Luke McCaffrey, one thing you will never say about him is that he’s not urgent. He is one of the most urgent and deliberate players I think I’ve seen as a rookie.”

“This is just my opinion, I haven’t talked to anybody in the building about this specifically. But it appeared to me that Jahan was not engaging with the new culture, the way the other players we just mentioned are and have done (Jamin Davis, Emmanuel Forbes, Phidarian Mathis, McCaffrey).”

“This is a tough thing because I think we all have become fans of Jahan. We all wanted to see him succeed. I was really high on him coming out. But I do think in terms of watching practice and watching the games, it didn’t seem like it was working out for whatever reason.”

Here is the video of the entire discussion.

Who will be the Commanders’ punt returner?

Who will return punts in 2024?

Who will be the Commanders’ punt returner for the 2024 season?

The primary punt returner for last season, Jamison Crowder, is back again with the team, so perhaps the discussion should begin with Crowder?

Crowder returned a career-high 35 punts for Washington in 2023, the third most in the NFL last season. However, he was not in the top ten in punt return yards, and his 7.9 yards per return was only 21st in the league, despite having a long return of 61 yards against the Falcons.

Crowder, who turned 31 in June, also collected 16 receptions in 2023, with one touchdown and 9.9 yards per reception.

Ben Standig reported that five players worked on punt returns during Wednesday’s practice.

That means Kazmeir Allen, Crowder, Jahan Dotson, Olimade Zaccheaus, and Davion Davis were getting those reps.

Last week against the Dolphins, the coaches were definitely trying to give Allen touches. He had two punt returns with a long of 10 yards and two kickoff returns (22 long). He also ran 3-13 with a long of 7 yards. However, he did lose a fumble. They like his explosiveness.

Dotson was a good punt returner at Penn State but has not returned this preseason. He has three short receptions in the two games.

https://youtube.com/shorts/V8v_NLPGM9g?si=QGPySQKTwlNkzdWP

Davis had three punt returns with a long of 10 yards against the Jets. He collected four receptions for 20 yards, including a 12-yarder against the Dolphins.

This leaves Zaccheaus, who had short receptions against the Dolphins (5, 4 yards) but also returned a punt 19 yards against the Jets.

The Commanders tried to get Luke McCaffrey some punt return work against the Dolphins. He could only manage one fair catch, which was perhaps not wanted, being on the 5-yard line.

It’s a job clearly not yet won, and perhaps there will be more than one Commander returning punts in 2024.

Second-half observations from Commanders’ preseason loss to Dolphins

10 observations from the Commanders’ preseason loss to the Dolphins.

Mitchell Tinsley did not make the catch that would have been a fourth-down touchdown from the 7-yard line as the Commanders fell 13-6 to the Dolphins.

Here are my Top 10 observations from the second half of Saturday’s game:

  1. The Commanders’ first defensive possession saw bad tackling to 75 yards gained by Miami. However, on third down, rookie defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste came up with a -6-yard sack, forcing a field goal.
  2. On the Commanders’ first offensive possession of the half, Luke McCaffrey and Ben Sinnott (two rookie draft choices) had catches, and Sinnott again displayed toughness in refusing to go down.
  3. When Miami had driven to the Commanders’ 14-yard line, Jamin Davis broke through and executed a sack-fumble, which Andre Jones recovered.
  4. Trace McSorley was in a tough spot, this being only his third day with the team. He fumbled his first snap, was sacked, and threw an incompletion on third down; it was a tough first series.
  5. Rookie Michael Wiley again impressed tonight. He appeared to help in pass blocking and had a 23-yard reception during his three receptions. Wiley is making enough plays that other teams in the NFL now know about him.
  6. Colson Yankoff only had one catch for 6 yards but I spotted him twice on special teams really hustling. Don’t count him out yet. He has next week to also make an impression at tight end.
  7. Kazmeir Allen has the coaches liking his explosiveness. Last week, it was an end-around. This week, he was returning kicks and getting carries in the backfield. But then he fumbled.
  8. Noticed some good corner play in the second half. Noah Igbinoghene and Chigozie Anusiem both charged forward, each converting a tackle for the loss. Tariq Castro-Fields, in the second half, displayed some very capable pass coverage on more than a couple of occasions.
  9. Receiver Davion Davis had Trace McSorley put a pass right in his hands, which would have been a first down, but Davis dropped it.
  10. Dominique Hampton and Tyler Owens, two rookie safeties, exhibited size and aggressiveness. Hampton made four tackles (two solo), and Davis contributed three (two solo) with one for a loss.

New faces, new energy as Commanders enter 2024 training camp

There are lots of new faces this year as the Commanders open training camp.

NFL Football is back!

The Commanders’ rookies reported July 18, while the veterans are scheduled to be coming in July 23.

There was excitement in the air in training camp 2023. The NFL had just approved Daniel Snyder’s sale to the Josh Harris Ownership Group. Fans flooded training camp, and there was a mode of celebration and festivity as Snyder was gone.

This year, training camp will be accompanied by a different type of excitement. This 2024 camp brings a newness.

Gone are Ron Rivera (HC), Jack Del Rio (DC) and Eric Bieniemy (OC).

They were replaced by Dan Quinn (HC), Joe Whitt Jr (DC) and Kliff Kingsbury (OC).

Gone is Ron Rivera the general manager.

The new general manager is Adam Peters. Last fall, the Commanders traded away their starting defensive ends, Montez Sweat and Chase Young, and Peters was provided two additional draft choices. During the draft, Peters traded down in the second round, obtaining two additional second-round selections.

Thus, Peters has a large draft class from his first time running a draft room:

  • Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois
  • Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
  • Mike Sainristil, DB, Michigan
  • Ben Sinnott, TE Kansas State
  • Brandon Coleman OT, TCU
  • Luke McCaffrey  WR, Rice
  • Jordan Magee LB, Temple
  • Dominique Hampton S, Washington
  • Javonte Jean-Baptiste Edge, Notre Dame

After the draft, Peters and his staff were busy accumulating undrafted free agents. The Commanders believe they have claimed some young players who have a real shot at making the Commanders roster. These include:

Michael Wiley, Tyler Owens, A.J. Woods, Austin Jones, Chigozie Anusiem, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Norell Pollard, Sam Hartman, Ben Nikkel, Colson Yankoff and David Nwaogwugwu.

Tomorrow: Adam Peters’ first Free Agent Class