Daily Slop – 13 Aug 24: Stock up & down following Commanders’ preseason loss to Jets

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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Articles

Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Commanders defense begin to reveal sub-packages in preseason opener

Breaking down some of the defensive sub-packages the Commanders showed in their preseason opener against the Jets

Something I’ve been looking forward to seeing from the Washington Commanders in preseason is their defensive sub-packages. Under the previous regime, the Commanders pretty much lived in the same five packages; base 4-3, nickel, buffalo nickel, dime and cinco (five defensive lineman). It was rare to see them get away from those packages or have much variance within them. New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. both used a lot more personnel packages in Dallas and appear set to do the same here in Washington.

Now we’re unlikely to see too many different things revealed in preseason, but the Commanders do also need to practice some of these different looks and see how they work, what situations they can be used in, and which players fit the different roles within each package. So while they certainly won’t show everything, we will get a few glimpses at just how multiple this defense can be. In the preseason opener against the Jets on Saturday, we saw the starting defense for only one series, but even then we saw multiple different packages. So let’s break those down.

4-2 Nickel

On the first play of the game, the Commanders came out in a basic 4-2 nickel package. This consists of four defensive lineman, two linebackers and five defensive backs. On this occasion, the four defensive lineman were Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell at defensive end, Phidarian Mathis and undrafted free agent rookie Norell Pollard. At linebacker, rookie Jordan Magee played the Mike (middle) role while free agent signing Frankie Luvu played the Will (weak side) spot. Rookie Mike Sainristil started as the nickel in the slot with Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St-Juste on the outside at corner. Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin filled out the defense at safety, with Chinn down in the box as the strong safety and Martin back deep as the free safety.

4-1 Dime

After a false start on second down got the Jets backed up into a second and nine situation, the Commanders quickly changed out of their 4-2 nickel package and shifted to their 4-1 dime package. This is a similar package but instead of having a second linebacker, they sub in an extra safety to play as a lighter, more agile dime linebacker.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Commanders check-in: Who’s up, who’s down three weeks into training camp

The top performers, biggest disappointments and lingering questions of Commanders camp

Strongest group

The box

The additions of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner give the linebacking corps an instant upgrade. Coupled with a defensive line that still features Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen inside and potential hybrid defensive backs such as Jeremy Chinn and Sainristil, Washington’s defense is now loaded with speed and playmakers in the middle of the field.

Weakest group

Offensive tackles

Can’t overstate the concerns with the top four tackles. Coleman (pectoral/shoulder) is a rookie; Wylie was uneven last season; swing tackle Cornelius Lucas is 33, and while he excels as a pass blocker, his limited mobility shows up in the running and screen games; and depth tackle Trent Scott has struggled in all facets with his increased reps.

Positional battles to watch

Final wide receiver spots

McLaurin, Dotson, Brown and Luke McCaffrey seem sure to make the roster, potentially leaving a couple of spots up for grabs among eight options (maybe nine if the Commanders sign Martavis Bryant, who will work out with the team Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the tryout). One of those spots could be determined by special teams ability.

Kicker

If anything is clear, it is that the Commanders’ kicker to start Week 1 isn’t on the roster. Ramiz Ahmed and Riley Patterson have struggled in every outing, missing short and long kicks. The team may keep both until rosters are pared and they have more options on the waiver wire. (Washington is No. 2 in the claiming order.)

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders 53-man roster projection: Intrigue at WR, offensive and defensive lines

The Washington Commanders displayed energy and enthusiasm against the New York Jets. The head coach’s takeaways from the live action and game tape may influence playing time this week when another joint practice-preseason game combination occurs in South Florida with the Miami Dolphins.

All of this leads to the 53-player roster decisions by the Aug. 27 deadline — and our updated projection following a pre-training camp examination of the offensive and defensive depth charts.

Quarterback (3)

Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel

Others: Sam Hartman

One possession defines a small sample size, and one play’s data doesn’t register with deep analysis. There’s no discounting Daniels checking out of a screen pass to go-routes on his initial third down in the opening preseason game of his career. The moxie to audible — without permission — and deliver a pinpoint pass for a 42-yard gain is intoxicating.

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Commanders.com

Practice notebook | ‘Tell the Truth Monday’

[T]he Commanders know more about their roster now than they did a week ago. Now, it’s time to break it down and have an open conversation about it. Head coach Dan Quinn even has a catch name for the day: Tell the Truth Monday.

“It’s good to talk through the game — the pluses, the minuses, all of it,” Quinn said.

Of course, it wasn’t all positive conversations on Monday. While Quinn was pleased with how the safeties – he name-dropped Percy Butler and Jeremy Reaves as standouts – the overall tackling from the defense could use some work. On special teams, there are still plenty of positions still up for grabs, from kicker to several others.

The conversations are blunt but honest, and that’s something the players can appreciate.

“The eye in the sky don’t lie,” Sinnott said. “We still got a lot of stuff to improve on. I think the big thing [is] that we kind of heard the truth, just being able to finish that game.”

Even players like Dyami Brown, who caught a 42-yard pass in the first quarter from Daniels, know that there is still plenty of work to do.

“There’s a lot of things that we can work on as far as like little details that we can get together and do just to make things better,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, we saw all we can do, we saw what we have and we just learn from it.”

And as the Commanders look to turn the page to a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, that’s the attitude Quinn wants his players to have.

— Another receiver who stood out was Olamide Zaccheaus, who had a solid game against the Jets with a 19-yard punt return and a 24-yard reception that was wiped away by a penalty. Zaccheaus finds ways to get open, creates separation from defensive backs and knows how to get yards after the catch. He has also gotten more reps as a returner, as he is normally with the group of players catching punts.

— Like Sinnott’s physicality, Jamin Davis’ value might be best seen in games. Davis has spent the better part of camp learning how to play as a defensive end, and while there have been some rough patches in that transition, he’s also shown growth. Quinn said Davis speed stood out to him on Saturday, and that helped the former first-round pick rack up four tackles, including back-to-back stops in the first quarter.

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Commanders Wire

Commanders coach Dan Quinn gives an injury update on quarterback Sam Hartman

“Sam will be out today and tomorrow, and I would say if he and a couple of other guys don’t make it back in time for practice, they wouldn’t play on Saturday; that would be where we’re at,” Quinn said.

The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue.

“But it’s not something that we’re looking at long term, but for he and a couple of the other guys, like Brandon Coleman, Johnny Newton, Sam, it’ll be day-to-day, but if they don’t make it back to practice, we’ll push it into next week.”

While it’s disappointing for Hartman, particularly if he’s forced to miss any preseason time, the prognosis is good.

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Podcasts & videos

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Washington Commanders Training Camp: Dyami Brown Shared Insight Into Pass From Jayden Daniels

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Beltway Football = Training Camp Day 11: Injuries starting to mount, and preparation for Miami joint practice

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Photos

Commanders.com

Commanders vs. Jets, preseason Week 1

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium for their preseason opener against the New York Jets. (Emilee Fails and Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders)

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NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Preseason All-NFC East Team: Offense

Sam Cosmi, Washington Commanders: Don’t worry Washington fans, you have one player on here. Sam Cosmi had a breakout season in 2023 as a full time starter. As the Commanders rebuild under a new head coach and offensive coordinator, they can be happy that they have Sam Cosmi as a foundational piece.

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Blogging the Boys

3 offensive takeaways from Cowboys’ preseason loss

The Cowboys offense did not show a ton on Sunday.

Lance’s Letdown

Given that the other team’s quarterback threw four interceptions, it’s hard to be too critical of Trey Lance’s performance. He didn’t turn the ball over but failed to do much with numerous opportunities, particularly given all of the Rams’ turnovers. For a fourth-year veteran, Lance still looked awfully raw.

You can see why Lance was once a third-overall pick. The athletic ability is clear, evidenced by several pocket escapes and 44 rushing yards. But when it came time to throw the ball, he often forced receivers to make adjustments and make heroic catches. Passes were rarely placed in a way to give his man an easy catch or the chance to do anything with it after.

Hopefully, some of this was rust after spending a year as an emergency QB and his general lack of playing time since entering the league. But if it doesn’t look different over the next two games, Lance is unlikely to have any significant part in the Cowboys’ future.

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NFL league links

Articles

Barstool Sports

Haason Reddick Has Requested A Trade From The Jets Despite Never Playing A Snap For Them

Reddick has a year remaining on his contract and these new contract demands were a big reason the Eagles were willing to move him. You’d think the Jets would have worked out these details during the trade process. You’d be wrong.

I don’t think it’s entirely unfair to call Reddick a bit of a diva here either. Here’s what he said back in April:

SOURCE – “Whatever happens, I’m going to be happy,” edge rusher Haason Reddick said in his introductory news conference with the New York Jets. “I’m going to give my all, no matter what. That’s just who I am as a person.”

Well, none of that ended up being true at all. I usually side with the players in these disagreements. Owners are notoriously greedy and will take advantage of players whenever they can. Look at sports before free agency. Plus, NFL players should always try to get what they can when they can because so many are on non-guaranteed deals. The owners don’t show loyalty, why should the players.

But, Reddick is doing himself no favors here. These situations can be disastrous for the players. Look at Le’Veon Bell. Reddick has already been fined over a $1 million dollars as he sits out.

Despite what simplistic fans of other teams say, the Jets are not cursed. Well, not in a supernatural sense. They just have a shitty owner. There’s no witchcraft here. The Hess family just sold the team to the wrong guy. Woody Johnson hired John Idzik. Woody Johnson hired Adam Gase. Woody Johnson is the thread to hold this ugly sweater together. He’s the “curse”.

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Discussion topics

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