A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East and the NFL in general
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How Dan Quinn’s aggressive play style translates to run defense
Breaking down the positives and negatives of the Commanders aggressive style when it comes to run defense.
The Bucs finished the game with 30 total carries for 112 yards at 3.7 yards per carry. Compared to the passing defense, that’s a strong performance, but I thought the style the Commanders used was noteworthy. In the passing game, head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. are known for their aggressive blitzes and playing plenty of man coverage behind it. Their mentality is if they commit to blitzing properly, they’ll force the ball out quickly and enable aggressive corners to jump underneath throws and create turnovers.
The run defense has largely been overlooked by all of us this offseason, but their philosophy is largely the same against the run as it is against the pass. It needs to be too, because the defense never knows for certain if the offense is going to run the ball or pass the ball, so any blitz or stunt they call needs to be effective against both the run and the pass. For this aggressive style to work, they need to fully commit to it in all aspects of defense, including the run game. You could see throughout the Bucs game that they had committed to it and it generated some nice plays for them as a result.
Here is a good example of an aggressive stunt working effectively against the run. The Bucs are running a wide zone play to their left. The Commanders respond by stunting defensive end Jamin Davis inside of left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Now you can’t just stunt one defender and leave it at that because that would open up a hole elsewhere. Multiple defenders need to be involved in a stunt like this. With Davis stunting inside, slot corner Mike Sainristil works out to the edge to ensure the run can’t bounce outside. Behind them, linebacker Bobby Wagner works towards the edge too, replacing Davis in the gap he initially lines up in.
By having this total commitment to the stunt, Davis can stunt inside freely knowing he has Sainristil and Wagner behind him to protect the gap he’s vacating. That enables him to show off his quickness and athleticism off the snap to dive inside and surprise one of the most athletic tackles in the league as he knives into the backfield and makes the tackle for a loss. It’s a great play by Davis, but it’s one he can only make if the rest of the defense works to back up his aggression.
Later in the game, Dante Fowler had a similar play.
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders’ struggling secondary loses Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to thumb injury
The cornerback will undergo surgery Friday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb and will not play Sunday against the New York Giants.
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. will undergo surgery Friday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb and will not play Sunday against the New York Giants, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
His timetable to recover is unclear; the team will have more information after the surgery. Should it decide to place Forbes on injured reserve, he would have to miss at least four games.
The Commanders may turn to eighth-year veteran Michael Davis or fifth-year vet Noah Igbinoghene to start. Davis, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, signed with the Commanders in March, giving Washington a longer cornerback (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) whose strength is in press man coverage.
“It’s just a next-man’s-up mentality,” said Davis, who played in a similar defense his last few seasons in Los Angeles. “Whoever is in the game, doesn’t matter if it’s him or somebody else, you got to play within the defense and you got to make plays within the defense.”
Igbinoghene, another acquisition in the offseason, was with Quinn in Dallas last season and started the Commanders’ preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
The Commanders may also elevate or sign Chigozie Anusiem from practice squad for reinforcement.
ESPN
Sources: Commanders’ Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to have thumb surgery
Forbes started the season opener and was removed from the game twice, though coach Dan Quinn did not say whether it was health- or performance-related. On one play in the third quarter, Forbes was called for two penalties — face mask and pass interference.
When Forbes exited the game twice Sunday, Washington used Noah Igbinoghene, a first-round pick in 2020, along with Benjamin St-Juste and slot corner Mike Sainristil. Igbinoghene has started five games in his career. The Commanders also have Mike Davis, who started 74 games in his first seven seasons.
Commanders.com
Practice notes | Commanders aiming to fix communication errors before home opener
Whitt gave credit to the Buccaneers, a four-time playoff team, and Baker Mayfield for executing their game plan on Sunday. He also acknowledged that his defense didn’t do itself any favors, as they allowed the Tampa Bay offense to convert 69% of their third downs, score on seven of their nine drives and hit nine plays of at least 15 yards. Miscommunication, among other issues, was at the center of those mistakes. Whitt, and his players, know it’s on them to figure out a solution.
“We gotta do — I gotta do — a better job of demanding it and I hear it the way that it should be said in the walkthroughs and in practice,” Whitt said. “Hopefully, that translates to the game.”
Quinn said during his Monday press conference that the pre- and post-snap communication in the second “wasn’t as strong as it needs to be.”
“We’re gonna establish that we can do this type of communication all the time correctly,” Quinn said.
Washington Wire
D.C. rapper and Commanders’ superfan Wale to perform at halftime of Sunday’s home opener
Wale’s fandom has never wavered. He often visits training camp or attends home games and always supports the Commanders on his social media accounts.
The Commanders will host the New York Giants during their home opener on Sunday, and Wale will perform at halftime.
Podcasts & videos
Before TNF, check out the newest pod previewing the Giants game and reacting to the Emmanuel Forbes injury news https://t.co/fXWDw8ekL5 pic.twitter.com/WOrnGnKZzc
— Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) September 12, 2024
Episode 908 – The truth about Jayden Daniels’ rushing attempts. Key clarifications, including why his real number of carries at Bucs was 14, not 16. Value of QB scrambles. Notable comments from Daniels & Dan Quinn. That & more in preparation for #NYGvsWAS.https://t.co/sKVgyv9DgD
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) September 12, 2024
.@DanPizzuta joins @CraigHoffman to break down what he saw from Jayden Daniels and analyzes the scene from Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury and DC Joe Whitt Jr. Listen here: https://t.co/cFa1GIgMS5
— The Team 980 (@team980) September 12, 2024
Austin Ekeler Mic’d Up for the Season Opener | Washington Commanders
Photos
Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Countdown to the home opener
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during Thursday’s practice as they prepare for the New York Giants.
NFC East links
Big Blue View
Giants at Commanders, Week 2: What to expect when Washington has the ball
Can the Giants’ defense get on track against the Commanders?
Stats that matter
Note 1 – These stats are purely from Week 1 and should be treated as a small sample size. They’ll be updated and more useful as the sample size increases.
Note 2 – Pass and Run Win Rates refer to Pass Rush and Pass Block, and Run Stop and Run Block win rates, respectively. They’re retrieved from ESPN.
Contain Jayden Daniels
It’s been more than a decade since anyone has really feared Washington’s quarterback. Other than a brief period with Alex Smith, the last time a defense had to truly respect the Commanders’ QB was Robert Griffin III before his ACL injury.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels doesn’t quite have RGIII’s raw arm strength, but his ability to throw accurately deep and his raw athleticism are reminiscent of Griffin. He also has the kind of dynamic athleticism that makes a quarterback hard to defend and a defense play true 11-on-11 football.
Head coach Dan Quinn said this week that wants Daniels to limit his running to designed quarterback runs. However, most of Daniels’ rushing yardage came on scrambles, which is to be expected of an athletic rookie. They tend to default to relying on their athletic ability if they’re pressured or reads are muddied. Daniels’ athleticism makes him dangerous and allows him to convert first downs that might not be there otherwise, and that’s something for which the Giants will need to account.
Tackle Brian Robinson
If Daniels was Washington’s biggest threat in Week 1, but running back Brian Robinson was their second biggest threat. Robinson didn’t have many yards on the ground, just 40 yards on 12 carries, but he was tied for the most targets with four. Overall, he had 15 touches for 89 yards and 1 touchdown which is fine but not spectacular.
But what does stand out is that Robinson was one of the most elusive players in football in Week 1. Per NFL NextGenStats, Robinson was fourth in the league in forced missed tackles with 7 on his 15 touches (46.7 percent).
The Giants had big issues with leaky yardage against the Vikings, and not just because of penalties. Aaron Jones gashed the Giants’ run defense for 94 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries (6.7 yards per attempt). That’s bad enough, but a full 74 of those yards came after contact.
Big Blue View
Kayvon Thibodeaux looks ahead after disappointing Week 1 performance
Thibodeaux ready for challenge of containing Jayden Daniels
Thibodeaux had a quiet game with no sacks or tackles. He committed a key penalty that extended a drive that ended in a Minnesota touchdown.
Thibodeaux said Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who rushed 16 times for 88 yards in Week 1, poses a challenge because of his ability to run.
“For an edge guy, you’re already trying to rush the tackle and then chase the quarterback,” Thibodeaux said. “Now you’ve got a 4.3 (speed) quarterback, now you’re rushing the tackle, and you’ve got to assume or hope that he holds the ball. It’s a lot of variables, but you just try to keep going and rush as much as you can.”
Riggo’s Rag
NFC East quarterback rankings, Week 2: Jayden Daniels rises after decent debut
Week 1 is in the books and the NFC East quarterback rankings are clear (for now).
To be quite frank, these NFC East quarterback rankings may turn out to be pretty set in stone without much fluctuation throughout the season. But that is almost entirely dependent on how Jayden Daniels fares.
The Washington Commanders signal-caller would be the only one that could come in and throw a wrench into things. Despite having some solid numbers for a rookie debut in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the No. 2 pick also needs to improve significantly.
Let’s take a look at the NFC East quarterback rankings entering the Commanders’ second game of the season at home to the New York Giants.
NFC East quarterback rankings entering Week 2
4. Daniel Jones
Hasn’t Daniel Jones been on the hot seat long enough? Even before he was only available for six games last season due to his ACL tear – and even before his underwhelming 2024 preseason – he still hadn’t shown as much as the New York Giants hoped from him.
Jones’ opening game this year didn’t help his case. The Giants got pummeled 28-6 by the Minnesota Vikings. He threw for 186 yards, two interceptions, and a lowly 44.6 quarterback rating.
Yikes.
What’s even worse for Giants fans is that he’s signed through 2026. Jones is set to make $112 million more before his contract concludes. This could be the only real reason he is starting. But then again, maybe not, considering they no longer have Tyrod Taylor.
The truth is that Jones is not a starting quarterback in the NFL other than at the very bottom of the league. With two clear options better than him within the division, it seems as if Jayden Daniels may already have a leg up on him as well.
Only time will tell. But the Giants front office will continue to look at other options next year and beyond.
3. Jayden Daniels
For a rookie debut, Jayden Daniels didn’t do too badly. The Washington Commanders quarterback put up some pretty solid numbers, 17-for-24 for 184 passing yards, along with 88 yards on the ground and two scores. But if we’re being honest, rushing for 16 times in his first game is not a great sign.
We can chalk it up to Todd Bowles’ defensive prowess. At the same time, Daniels looked very tight from the first snap when he threw an errant screen pass to Brian Robinson Jr.
Though he did look far and away the most promising rookie quarterback and a lot more comfortable navigating the pocket than Caleb Williams, the No. 2 overall selection still looked hesitant at times when he needed to release the ball.
Bleeding Green Nation
Kirk Cousins and the Falcons’ offense are broken
Things are going great in Atlanta
When you sign Kirk Cousins you’re signing up for an offense that operates mostly under center and relies on play action. That wasn’t the Falcons offense on Sunday. In 2022, no QB had more play action attempts than Kirk Cousins, and he was on track to top that again prior to getting hurt in 2023. On Sunday the Falcons did not call a single play action pass. Cousins was also under center at the highest rate of any starter in 2022 and 2023, on Sunday he was under center just once. Cousins didn’t attempt a pass of over 20 yards.
Kirk Cousins didn’t really play, he participated. He wasn’t the only Falcon to do so. Right tackle Caleb McGary had a nightmare of a game against TJ Watt, and the Falcons were content to leave him one on one for most of the game. Ray-Ray McCloud had more targets than Drake London and Kyle Pitts combined.
The Falcons’ offense is broken. The Eagles defense has to make them pay for their overpaid QB.
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leaves Thursday’s loss to Bills with concussion
Following his exit, Tagovailoa remained at Hard Rock Stadium in the locker room and did not leave for a hospital. Head coach Mike McDaniel, who spoke with Tagovailoa on the field and in the locker room, said his quarterback was “in good spirits.”
“My thought was concern,” McDaniel of his initial reaction to Tagovailoa’s injury. “I was just worried about my guy. Not something you ever want to be a part of, you hope not to.”
The Dolphins’ franchise signal-caller has a history of concussions, having been sidelined twice before because of them, which made the incident all the more frightening. He’ll undergo further testing on Friday, but a timetable for when he might be available was not paramount in a concerned McDaniel’s mind.
“The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline,” McDaniel said. “We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are. We will get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from there.”
Tagovailoa lowered his head and hit the right arm of Bills safety Damar Hamlin with 4:24 to in the third quarter on a 6-yard scramble to the Buffalo 7-yard line.
Tagovailoa, 26, struggled to immediately get up, with his arm contorted in alarming fashion. He was attended to on the field, including McDaniel running onto the field, and then walked off under his own power and to the locker room.
Pro Football Talk
All eyes turn to Tua Tagovailoa’s status
The latest concussion, at least his third and likely fourth in less than two years, renews the same questions from 2022 about his present, and his future.
It wasn’t the result of Tua falling down and hitting his head. It happened because, in the heat of the moment, he opted not to slide after he’d gained the yardage for a first down. And he wasn’t close to the end zone. The extra territory he was fighting to gain was irrelevant.
Ryan Fitzpatrick suggested on the Amazon Prime postgame show that the Dolphins should immediately place Tua on injured reserve, giving him four weeks to heal. At some point, he’ll be cleared. Presumably, he’ll want to play.
Some (including Tony Gonzalez on the postgame show) have suggested Tua should retire.
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
What Can the Browns Do About Deshaun Watson’s $92 Million?
On Monday, Watson was sued by an anonymous woman who says he sexually assaulted her in her Houston apartment in 2020. Parts of the allegations match closely to behavior described in dozens of lawsuits that Watson settled in 2022 from massage therapists who said he sexually abused them.
Despite the suits and NFL punishment pending at the time, Cleveland traded for Watson in 2022 and signed him to a five-year, $230 million “fully guaranteed” contract.
The nearly $100 million question for the Browns, then, is if there is any way for them to get out of Watson’s contract. (In addition to his legal issues, Watson’s play has been poor in Cleveland.)
The deal also has a clause that says Watson’s contract could be voided if he is “reasonably believed by Club to have engaged in personal conduct that materially and adversely affects or reflects on Club or has his contract terminated for engaging in personal conduct that reasonably judged by Club to materially and adversely affect or reflect on Club.”
The full clause, which was reviewed by ProFootballTalk, implies that if Watson didn’t disclose this particular issue with the team before signing his contract, the team could release him without penalty.
Scenario 1: Cut Him Immediately
Scenario 2: Cut Him After NFL Suspension
No option to part ways with Watson is cheap or easy, even if Watson is suspended.