Tag: WR Noah Brown

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.”

Top Commanders’ starter misses Friday’s practice: Questionable vs. Saints

Could the Commanders be without a key defensive starter vs. Saints?

This time of year, every NFL team has several players battling various injuries, bumps, and bruises.

There are no exceptions; the truth is that some teams have more injuries than others. In the last two games, the Commanders have lost running back Austin Ekeler and wide receiver Noah Brown for the remainder of the regular season.

During his weekly Friday press conference, head coach Dan Quinn was asked if anyone would be listed as out or questionable for the game. Quinn responded, “Noah [Brown], and then yeah, we’ll have the rest of it later, but Noah will be the one.”

Actually, on Friday, there was one more name worth mentioning that Quinn did not say. Starting defensive tackle Daron Payne (injured back) did not practice, and he was, consequently, listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s game in New Orleans against the Saints.

Slightly injured players are most often given a day off/rest day earlier in the week. They then practice on Friday in preparation for the upcoming game. Consequently, Payne’s not practicing on Friday raises questions about Sunday.

The former Alabama DT had his best year in 2022 when he registered 64 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 11.5 QB sacks, and 20 QB hits. He was rewarded with a four-year deal in March of 2023.

In 2023, those numbers decreased to 53 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four quarterback sacks, and 11 quarterback hits.

Thus far, Payne has played in all 13 games this season and recorded 33 tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, and five quarterback hits.

Brown was listed as “out” for the Saints game. The prevailing thought is that the Commanders will place Brown on injured reserve if they decide to make a roster addition on Saturday.

Commanders WR K.J. Osborn ready to help immediately

K.J. Osborn immediately jumped in and is ready to help the Commanders.

Commanders’ new addition, wide receiver K.J. Osborn, has arrived and has hit the playbook.

WUSA9 in Washington reported that Osborn communicated he was picked up by the Commanders Wednesday afternoon, caught a flight Wednesday night, arrived around midnight, and was up by 5 a.m., getting to work on his Commanders’ playbook.

Catching only seven passes and one touchdown with the Patriots, who are 3-10, Osborn has a very upbeat attitude after being signed by the Commanders, who are 8-5 and in the seventh-seed NFC Playoff position.

Osborn was at the Commanders’ Ashburn facility for Thursday’s practice. “It’s different. I mean, I think it’s up to me right now to get to learning the playbook, to catch up to these guys. They have put in a lot of work, going back all the way to OTAs. This group has been together.”

Acknowledging that he must take responsibility for working hard and learning the playbook, Osborn believes that current Commanders will accept him if they see his hard work and preparation. He talked of how he needs to be “putting my head down and grinding.”

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who no doubt misses Noah Brown and Austin Ekeler in his offensive schemes, believes in Osborn.

“He’s a guy who can play inside, outside and give you a lot, and so we got to see how he fits in with us and try to get him up to speed.”

Seeing Brown was in some categories either the second or third leading receiver for the Commanders this season, another injury could make this an urgent situation. Kingsbury added, “From what I’ve seen on tape, he’s definitely a guy that we can use.”

Brown suffered an internal injury, reported to be a kidney injury, against the Titans as the Commanders rolled to a 42-19 victory, raising their record to 8-5 and also snapping their three-game losing streak.

The Texans actually released Brown on the final roster cutdowns to a 53-man roster. The Commanders grabbed Brown quickly, and he made a significant contribution to the Commanders this season.

 

Where does Rich Eisen have the Commanders in his power rankings?

Where does Rich Eisen see the Commanders after a week off?

Rich Eisen presented his weekly NFL power rankings, reminding many viewers that it is a week-to-week league.

Last week, following the Commanders’ tremendous display of rushing offense in their 42-19 convincing win over the Tennessee Titans, Eisen had the Commanders ranked No. 10

This week, Eisen began with the Rams after their high-scoring home win over the Bills. Eisen thus has the Rams now as his No. 10 team.

Consequently, with the Rams offense getting in gear and the Commanders having lost Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown in consecutive games, Eisen has dropped the Commanders out of his top 10 power rankings.

Commanders fans need not get upset. If the Commanders defeat the Saints in New Orleans this week and then the Eagles in Washington the following Sunday, Eisen will no doubt easily have the Commanders back in his top 10.

Seeing the Commanders have now dropped out of Eisen’s top 10, here is this week’s top ten according to Rich Eisen:

  • 10. Los Angeles Rams
  • 9. Seattle Seahawks
  • 8. Baltimore Ravens
  • 7. Green Bay Packers
  • 6. Minnesota Vikings
  • 5. Buffalo Bills
  • 4. Pittsburgh Steelers
  • 3. Kansas City Chiefs
  • 2. Philadelphia Eagles
  • 1. Detroit Lions

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.

Dan Quinn: ‘Former Cowboys have been effective Commanders’

Multiple former Cowboys are helping turn around the Commanders in 2024.

When Dan Quinn came to Washington, he knew he needed help on the line of scrimmage.

Sunday, in a Week 12 contest, the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) come to town to face the Washington Commanders (7-4).

Quinn was asked by the media on Wednesday why he wanted to sign former Cowboys such as C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong, and LB Dante Fowler.

“Yeah, I think the line of scrimmage is a big deal and I saw firsthand with Tyler, and Dorance and Dante and what they could do and how they could affect the game,” Quinn said.

Quinn continued that he also saw maturity in those players, which he felt could be an asset in explaining to other players Quinn’s reasoning for some things he wants.

“I knew having some people along those lines to maybe look around the corners as I was just getting started. ‘What Dan’s trying to say here might be X, Y, or Z.’”

Having worked in practice against WR Noah Brown during the 2021 and 2022 seasons for the Cowboys, Quinn wanted him when the Texans released him on their last cuts to their 53-man roster. The Commanders certainly needed a receiver with size.

“Then, the addition of Noah, as well, was somebody that although we didn’t spend years together, I did get a sense of what the worker was, the competitor was. And he really just wanted a chance to compete, and that’s something that he knew he would get the opportunity with us here, saying that was going to be kinda the central theme of what we were going to do. So, that’s kinda the backstory there.”

Consequently, some former Cowboys will lead this Commanders team in its preparation to face the Cowboys Sunday at Northwest Stadium in Landover.

 

Adam Peters continues strengthening Commanders

Adam Peters continues to make all the right moves.

On Wednesday, in his press conference, Commanders’ general manager Adam Peters said, on more than one occasion, that he wanted to do what was good for the team.

Who could dare argue that Peters has done a fantastic job of repeatedly addressing the roster and seeing what changes he can make that are good for the team?

When hired, David Aldridge of The Athletic asked Peters what he thought of the roster. Peters didn’t reply immediately. He paused, took a breath, and replied that there were a few cornerstone pieces to the roster, and he had a lot of work to do.

And work is what Peters has done. He did not tweak Ron Rivera’s roster. Peters overhauled Rivera’s roster. After training camp, when the roster was reduced to 53, 30 were those brought in by Peters since taking the job.


Rather than being satisfied with his efforts,  Peters immediately returned to the driver’s seat and made quite a few decisions in the next week. He signed receiver Noah Brown (cut by the Texans), traded defensive tackle John Ridgeway to the Saints, signed linebacker Nick Bellore (released by the Seahawks), re-signed tackle Sam Cosmi to a four-year contract, and released receiver Byron Pringle; these all before the opener.

Once the season began, Peters released kicker Cade York, but the Jets released kicker Austin Seibert, so Peters quickly grabbed Seibert.

A few weeks later, veteran DT Jonathan Allen was lost for the season, and DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste was placed on injured reserve for at least four weeks. Well, the Jets had just released DE Jalyn Holmes. Instead of promoting a DE from the practice squad, Peters felt that the best thing for the team was to sign Holmes to the active roster. Holmes played only 11 defensive snaps against the Bears, but one of those, he had a quarterback sack.

Two weeks ago, Peters released Jamin Davis, a first-round draft choice by Rivera in 2021. This week, he traded for veteran Saints corner Marshon Lattimore and released DE Efe Obada, making room for Lattimore.

On Wednesday, Peters released WR Mike Strachan. Why? With DE Clelin Ferrell’s knee still not 100%, Peters brought back Obada to the practice squad, doing what he thinks strengthens the Commanders.

Who are the Commanders’ captains for Week 9 vs. Giants?

Who are the Commanders’ captains for Week 9?

What did it mean Friday that Dan Quinn had his cap facing forward during his press conference?

No, I am not making too much of it, but it was quite noticeable that Coach Quinn was not adorning his cap in his usual backward mode.

More significantly, Quinn named the three captains for Sunday’s Week 9 contest at the New York Giants. Quinn said receiver Noah Brown, safety Quan Martin, and tight end John Bates will lead the Commanders on Sunday.

“I just love the toughness these guys have, what they bring. So, it’s fun part of every Friday talking to the team about those three,” said Quinn.

With the cut-down day, all 32 teams had reduced their rosters to 53. The Commanders signed 12 players to their practice squad the following day. The next day, Brown was still available, so the Commanders grabbed him for free and signed him to the 53-man roster.


Brown not only has a Hail Mary-winning touchdown on his 2024 resume, but he also has 17 catches for 258 yards, averaging 15.8 yards a reception. Twelve of those catches have been for first downs, moving the chains, and his lone touchdown is one he will recall for the rest of his life.

Martin was a second-round choice in Ron Rivera’s last draft (2023). Last week, Martin recorded 11 tackles (nine solo, two assists), with one being for a loss. Starting all eight games thus far this season, he has 31 solo tackles and 13 assists.

In his fourth season out of Boise State, some might point to Bates only starting two games this season and only recording three receptions. However, Quinn quickly volunteered regarding Bates, “John, just all the energy he brings. There’s a lot of the dirty work that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. So, all three of those guys, they’ll lead us this week.”

Quinn concluded by expressing it had been a “good week of practice, tough division matchup, and seven weeks ago, good fight. Expect the same good fight, hard, however long it takes. Five quarters, longer mindset. And so that’s where we’re at.”

Perhaps the cap on the correct way indicated Quinn really means business this week (Insert wink)?