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The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders’ Johnny Newton learning path to greatness one official sack at a time
The Washington Commanders’ rookie defensive tackle dropped quarterback Caleb Williams for an obvious sack in Sunday’s Hail Mary win over the Chicago Bears. Only, the play initially counted as a tackle for loss. Cool, but the second-round pick wanted that first career sack. “I couldn’t even think of an explanation for it,” he said.
News of the statistical fix came three days later.
“Finally!” the smiling Newton exclaimed following Wednesday’s practice.
Credited with a sack or not, Newton’s performance “jumped out” to head coach Dan Quinn and anyone else watching. Now starting after Jonathan Allen’s season-ending pectoral injury, Newton had three solo tackles, three quarterback hits, a fumble recovery — and that coveted sack.
“I felt like my old self, how I played in college,” said the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. “Take it, bottle it and just remember (the feeling).”
Newton might become Payne’s permanent tag-team partner if Allen becomes a salary-cap casualty this offseason and his play continues ramping up. Quinn found strength in Newton’s three-technique performance as the lineman created pressure “from the inside over the guard and over the center.”
The 6-2 Commanders are riding high heading into Sunday’s rematch at the Giants. Newton’s debut came in Washington’s 21-18 Week 2 win over New York. He played 12 snaps in that victory. That number jumped to 35 versus the Bears for a season-high 56 percent. His production increased as well.
“I just had a great game, as everyone saw,” the confident Newton said Wednesday. Still, he acknowledged that his first sack was “a big stress reliever. And once you get that away, you just start rolling.”
Newton knows one strong game could be a blip. That’s why his next step is seeking consistency. Nothing wrong with that goal.
“That’s how the greats go. Being consistently good is how you become great,” Newton said. “I want to be a great player.”
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders rookies are coming through. And not just Jayden Daniels.
General Manager Adam Peters’s first class has been a big hit, with second-round picks Johnny Newton and Mike Sainristil bolstering the defense.
Quinn said Monday of Newton’s performance. “[I]t was good to see the pressure that he was able to generate from the inside, both over the guard and over the center. … He’s the one that really jumped out to me that it was really cool to see.”
Attempts to rebuild the franchise in recent years failed — five of the team’s past eight first-round draft selections have been traded or released — putting a greater onus on Peters and Quinn to nail April’s draft.
Washington’s rookie class shares a playing style and approach that Peters and Quinn sought from the start. They wanted defenders who attacked and played with physicality that, for some, belied their size. They wanted sound tacklers, instinctive cornerbacks and explosive defensive linemen. On offense, they wanted wide receivers and tight ends who played hard even without the ball and linemen who had athleticism and intelligence.
Mike Sainristil opened the season as the unofficial starter at slot cornerback and has since shifted to a true starting role outside. Brandon Coleman, who is returning from a concussion, has rotated with Cornelius Lucas at left tackle. Luke McCaffrey has played the second-most snaps among Washington’s wide receivers, and tight end Ben Sinnott notched his first touchdown in the win over the Carolina Panthers. It happened on a play called “Taylor Swift.”
“You can’t really beat that to start your NFL scoring career,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said last week.
Commanders.com
Practice notes | Commanders move on from Hail Mary, shift focus to Giants
Now, the Commanders have a new challenge in front of them; they must try to turn the page to the New York Giants after creating one of the wildest moments in franchise history.
Most NFL fans are probably aware of how the Commanders took down the Chicago Bears with Noah Brown’s 52-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels. It’s been difficult to avoid, as the national media has shown the play on repeat for the past three days along with the numbers that prove how improbable it was to pull off. For a team that doesn’t want to “ride the roller coaster,” as coach Dan Quinn put it, even they had to take a moment to relish in the rarity of what transpired at Northwest Stadium.
With nine games left and a division rematch coming this weekend, now is now the time to be nostalgic.
“Because of the precise nature that we do to get ready, it does allow you to get right back into it,” Quinn said. “All the things we have to do on a Wednesday and a Thursday and a Friday … We really work hard at that to make sure the process of the week can take care of all the learning, so it doesn’t leave you a lot of time for that.”
Because of how they have been able to move from one game to the next without dwelling on their successes, the Commanders keep giving people plenty to talk about. They’re a top 10 offense in passing yards (9th) and on the ground (3rd) with the third-best scoring unit in the NFL. Their defense has improved from one of the worst in football to become a solid, feisty unit that has allowed just 20.9 points per game and is tied for seventh in sacks.
And if there wasn’t any time for the Commanders to look back on their accomplishments in the first half of the season, there certainly won’t be any in the second half, either. Their previous eight opponents have a combined record of 21-34, whereas their next seven are 24-29 — still a losing record but also brought down by opponents like the Tennessee Titans (1-6) and New Orleans Saints (2-6). Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2), Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) and Atlanta Falcons (5-3) are on the horizon as well.
Commanders.com
Amidst post-win chaos, quick-thinking equipment intern jumps to secure Hail Mary ball
When the Washington Commanders beat the Chicago Bears on a last-second Hail Mary this past Sunday, rational thinking was shoved to the side and emotion took center stage in the immediate aftermath. Yet while dozens stormed the field in unbridled joy, a 22-year-old standing near the end zone on the Commanders sideline was able to snap out of the euphoric haze to make a clear-eyed decision.
“I just had my hands on my head in awe, and I saw everyone running around. I saw Noah [Brown] drop the ball, and my instincts just kicked in,” said equipment intern Drew Sinclair.
Sinclair’s instinct was to sprint to get the precious Hail Mary ball that Brown had dropped as everyone celebrated. In the mayhem of the moment, the intern embodied a value that’s been preached all around him and seized a chance to help his team in a small way.
He was stationed around Washington’s five-yard line to be ready if Austin Seibert needed to kick a last-play field goal. Though that wouldn’t end up happening, Sinclair stayed put. A very long 12.79 seconds later, Jayden Daniels threw the ball. Brown caught it. The ball was on the ground, and all of a sudden coach Dan Quinn’s voice was in Sinclair’s head.
“DQ always preaches, ‘The ball is life.’ We see it everywhere” Sinclair said with a smile. “I saw ball and I got ball…I was just thinking, ‘That’s a pretty meaningful football for this team and for this organization.’”
“I say this at the beginning of every training camp, ‘We do not work for recognition, but we do work worthy of recognition.’ That’s what he did,” Sinclair’s boss Justin Brooks said. “He wasn’t doing it to be recognized. He was doing it to provide a great service, and I’m really proud of him for that.”
With the ball in tow and the field cleared, Washington players and staff headed into the locker room to continue the celebrations. Quinn took a second to shout out Sinclair for his recognition-worthy effort, leaving a lasting impression on the intern.
“I wasn’t expecting it. I was in the back of the huddle listening to him talk. I heard my name, and I was still in awe from the play, and I was like, ‘Oh crap that’s me,’ and I ran into the center,” Sinclair said. “That was one of the best moments of my life, for sure.”
Commanders.com
Eagles sign former Commanders/Ron Rivera draft pick
The Eagles felt they needed another offensive lineman under their roof, so they signed [Braeden Daniels]. Daniels was drafted in the fourth round [of the 2023 draft], and now, in his second season, he has yet to make an active roster during the regular season.
Three other former Commanders were also signed to practice squads on Wednesday.
- The Cardinals (4-4), tied for the lead in the NFC West, signed former Commanders linebacker Milo Eifler.
- The Carolina Panthers (1-7) signed receiver/returner Dax Milne.
- Finally, kicker Riley Patterson was signed by the Jets.
Upcoming opponent
Big Blue View
ESPN draft analyst names this QB perfect fit for New York Giants
Joe Schoen might have to pay a heavy price to make this happen
Anyone who follows the New York Giants knows that the team will almost certainly be in the market for a new quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even the current quarterback, Daniel Jones, seems to know his time is running out.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid thinks the “perfect fit” for the Giants and Brian Daboll is Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Reid says:
With the Daniel Jones era likely ending after this season, Giants general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll will finally get a chance to draft “their guy” at quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Ward provides an exciting package of arm talent, poise and accuracy that the franchise has been seeking for quite some time. Daboll’s scheme works best when engineered by a passer who can take advantage of intermediate and deep throws, which have been lacking in New York’s offense. The playmaking and mobility of Ward would also help mask a lot of the shortcomings of the Giants’ offensive line.
Pairing Ward’s electrifying playmaking with young star receiver Malik Nabers would give the Giants an exciting offensive core to build around.
The problem the Giants are likely to face this offseason is the same one that kept them out of the quarterback market in the 2024 draft when they could not get either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.
Ward may simply be out of their reach.
The Giants have the ninth overall pick. Ward and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado are the only two quarterbacks analysts agree belong at the top of the draft. It’s possible that the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns — all with picks ahead of the Giants — could be in the quarterback market.
To land Ward, GM Joe Schoen might have to both find a willing trade partner AND be willing to offer the kind of overwhelming draft haul the Giants were unwilling to put on the table for Drake Maye.
New York Post
Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor contends he held his own vs. T.J. Watt: ‘I was on an island’
“I was on an island with him for a majority of the game. And he didn‘t do a damn thing. I’m not going to sit here and frickin’ sing his praises,” Eluemunor said after Watt finished with two sacks and a forced fumble. “He didn’t do anything for 3 ½ quarters and had one impact play.”
J.J. Watt, T.J.’s older brother, fired back at Eluemunor as a guest on the “Pat McAfee Show,” saying: “I mean, what are we doing here, man? You gave up a strip-sack that lost the game.”
A film review of 14 plays where Eluemunor was left 1-on-1 to block Watt showed one quarterback hit after the throw, one sack when Daniel Jones left the pocket to scramble and one strip-sack. On the strip-sack, Jones took the blame for missing the signal to motion the tight end over to double-team Watt.
Coach Brian Daboll said the plan at left tackle will be “similar to what it was last week.”
In theory, that means rotating veteran Hubbard and Josh Ezeudu during practices before Sunday’s game against the Commanders.
But Ezeudu was sidelined Wednesday after he had his “knee drained,” Daboll said.
Brian Daboll Previews Giants vs. Commanders | New York Giants
Podcasts & videos
The Bears FAILED Caleb Williams in Washington
Talked to Jayden Daniels’ private QB coach. What he’s seen him do so far — and why it looks the same as it always has. Daniels’ long-formed habits, film watching. Good insight. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/bxsA54j9qU
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 31, 2024
Improved Washington Commanders Defense and Protection of Jayden Daniels Critical vs. New York Giants
What’s behind the Commanders’ recent defensive efficiency? @CraigHoffman investigates: https://t.co/1V8IcYhbvL
— The Team 980 (@team980) October 30, 2024
Riggo and Joe Jacoby
Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants | 2024 Week 9 Game Preview
Adam Rank predicted 6 wins for Washington this season, which would be a perfect prediction if he hadn’t predicted it as the total for the season instead of the first 8 weeks. #RaiseHail
Commanders Record Prediction https://t.co/Lmr3UAX9iT via @YouTube
— Bill-in-Bangkok (@billhorgan2005) October 31, 2024