Daily Slop – 22 Nov 24 – Joe Whitt: “We played well for 53 minutes, but it’s a 60-minute game”

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Rookie progress report: Luke McCaffrey

Breaking down where WR Luke McCaffrey stands over halfway into his rookie season

One of the players I’ve been asked most frequently about this season is rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey. His stat line has been pretty underwhelming, having only caught 13 passes for 134 yards and no touchdowns. But those stats don’t tell anywhere near the full story of McCaffrey’s season to date. He’s been one of the unluckiest receivers I’ve seen in Washington in recent years. There are various charts and tracking stats that list McCaffrey near the top of the NFL for separation and while it’s not quite the case the McCaffrey is just constantly wide open, the Commanders have missed on multiple opportunities to get him the ball when he has been open for a variety of reasons.

So today I thought I would do a rookie progress report, checking in on where McCaffrey stands just over half way into his rookie season. Let’s start with some of the catches he has made.

Here against the Cardinals, McCaffrey lines up as the point man in a bunch set to the right. The Commanders run a Bow concept, which consists of a basic cross over the middle, a flat route and then a third receiver spotting up in between the other two. McCaffrey runs the basic cross here and the idea is to try and create a high-low read, where if a zone defender attaches to the spot route underneath, McCaffrey can break open behind him but if the defender sinks back to McCaffrey, the spot route will be open. However, the Cardinals play man coverage rather than zone, with McCaffrey matched up on safety Jalen Thompson.

McCaffrey runs a nice route, closing up the gap between himself and the defender quickly and then selling a little fake to the outside before making his cut. He really makes a point of stepping on the defenders toes as he gets close, which helps him sell the fake to the outside even more. The defender reacts to that fake, which enables McCaffrey to separate as he breaks over the middle. Jayden Daniels initially works to his left off the snap but comes back to the right side when he doesn’t like what he sees. McCaffrey’s route is the first one that comes into his vision as he progresses to the right side and he immediately pulls the trigger. From the end zone replay angle, we can see McCaffrey does a nice job reaching out and making a good hands catch away from his body. It’s a sneaky tough catch because McCaffrey is at full extension while running at full speed and the ball is slightly high with a lot of heat on it. But he secures the pass and picks up the first down before the safety makes the tackle.

Working across the middle of the field can be daunting for some receivers because you never quite know where that safety is that could land a big hit. But McCaffrey has shown this year he has no fear in being targeted over the middle and will happily make a catch in traffic.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Jayden Daniels, Commanders back from mini-bye determined to snap 2-game slide

Sunday’s meeting against the franchise’s historic rival, the Dallas Cowboys, is the first chance for this group to rediscover the mojo it displayed after winning seven of its first nine games. Daniels, his teammates and the coaching staff returned to the practice facility this week after the latest loss dropped Washington’s record to 7-4 and 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the NFC East standings.

“It was major,” defensive end Dorance Armstrong said of the respite. “We’ve been grinding nonstop. And now that we had that time off, I think a lot of guys have got their body back right and their mental right. I’m looking forward to going into this big stretch.”

Despite the two recent losses, Washington’s chances for a wild-card berth remain strong. No win total automatically clinches a playoff spot, but based on the current standings, 10 should get it done for the Commanders.

Games against Philadelphia in Week 16 and Atlanta in Week 17 are the only two against teams with winning records currently, and the Falcons (6-5) are coming off a 38-6 loss at Denver. In their seven wins over teams with a combined 21-40 record, Washington outscored foes 220-122.

Using the Week 1 starting lineup — and counting both members of the left tackle rotation — players have missed a total of 18 games. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (pectoral) is the lone primary player out for the season. In contrast, the Cowboys have been without quarterback Dak Prescott, edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks for 18 games total. Prescott is out for the season and Lawrence remains on injured reserve.

Should Lattimore miss another game, numerous matchups elsewhere on Sunday favor Washington. However, the Commanders have upcoming games against the Titans’ Calvin Ridley, Eagles’ A.J. Brown, Falcons’ Drake London and a Week 18 rematch with Lamb. The projected playoff teams all have at least one playmaking receiver.

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Commanders.com

Practice notes | Defense emphasizes finishing in prep for Dallas

[T]here are fewer concerns about the unit heading into the final third of the season. Communication is sharper, the calls are better and yes, there’s plenty of running and hitting from the players. A bottom five defense has since climbed closer to the league average, even performing better than most in areas like passing yards allowed (5th) and sacks (T-12th).

Those improvements have kept Washington competitive against top-tier teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. The only problem is that they start to tail off in the fourth quarter, and that’s when the questions pop up again. It’s been an unfortunate trend for the Commanders, as opponents have either closed the gap or snatched leads from them in the final minutes of regulation.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and his players know that’s something they need to fix.

“We played…well for 53 minutes,” Whitt said of the Commanders’ 26-18 loss to the Eagles. “But it’s a 60-minute game. We talk about finishing and winning moments, and we didn’t get that done.”

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Washington Post (paywall)

The flagging Commanders offense gives Kliff Kingsbury a familiar problem

Kliff Kingsbury’s offenses have dropped off before, but this Washington Commanders swoon seems different.

It’s difficult to isolate one reason the Washington Commanders’ offense has dipped over the past month. The messy, overlapping pile of explanations includes subpar health, continued issues with talent, luck, more difficult competition, a short week and the mental toll of 11 straight weeks without a bye.

But one thing seems clear: There’s no reason to think this is related to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s past midseason regressions.

While Kingsbury’s offenses have faded down the stretch nearly every year for a decade, the film shows the Commanders’ struggles have mostly been about execution. Kingsbury’s decisions haven’t been perfect — especially in the running game, in which efficiency is down — but his scheme and play calling do not appear to be the problem.

For his part, Kingsbury suggested he wasn’t aware of the downward trend and wouldn’t change his approach.

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Upcoming matchup

ESPN

NFL Week 12 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, fantasy tips

Cowboys (3-7) at Commanders (7-4)

Cowboys storyline to watch: At 3-7, the Cowboys are looking to avoid their first six-game losing streak since 2015, when they finished 4-12. To do so, they will have to beat their former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, and several former teammates (Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. among them) who joined the Commanders in the offseason. The Cowboys have beaten Washington in five of the past six meetings but bring a different team that will be without at least four opening-day starters because of injuries, though Pro Bowl cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) is expected to make his season debut. — Todd Archer

Commanders storyline to watch: The Commanders need to get their run game untracked after two lackluster showings against stout run defenses in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. If they do so, it unlocks their offense. In Washington’s seven wins, it has averaged 5.2 yards per carry, but in the four losses it’s 3.5. It’s not just about Brian Robinson Jr., who averages 4.7 yards per rush in wins, it’s also about the quarterback runs. In the seven wins, Jayden Daniels has rushed for 5.3 yards per carry. The good news for Washington: Dallas ranks 24th in yards per carry allowed (4.7). — John Keim

Stat to know: Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb has 106 targets this season, which is tied with Garrett Wilson for most in the NFL. But he has had only one game with 100-plus receiving yards after eight such games in 2023.

Injuries: Cowboys | Commanders

Fantasy X factor: Robinson. He logged 17 touches and 14.2 fantasy points against the Eagles in Week 11. Just last week, Dallas allowed the Texans’ Joe Mixon to go off for 35.3 fantasy points. Robinson is in a great spot to deliver for fantasy managers. See Week 12 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Cowboys are 0-5 ATS in their past five games. It’s their longest ATS losing streak since 2020 (eight straight). Read more.

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Upcoming opponent

Blogging the Boys

Things can still get worse for the Cowboys this season, starting with Commanders

The Cowboys early game on Sunday feels like just another reminder of how far behind in the NFC East they really are.

Sunday will be the Cowboys’ first game in this rivalry going up against former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the Commanders’ head coach. Even though the Cowboys have won five of their last six against Washington, it stands as yet another reason for this game to be one of their biggest servings of humble pie all year – just in time for Thanksgiving against another division opponent four days later.

The Cowboys stagnant offseason that has made the 2024 season a colossal waste of time for everyone involved becomes even more numbing when compared to the immediate results the Commanders are getting from their offseason acquisitions and draft class. Jayden Daniels at quarterback is obviously the highlight here, anxious to show the Cowboys first hand they can no longer just rely on having the best QB in the division to win games.

The last Washington win over Dallas at home was by a wide margin at 26-6, but it came in something of a Week 18 throw away game for a Cowboys team on their way to the playoffs in 2022. The last Washington win by ten points or more in this series, in a game where both teams had their starting quarterback, was the 2012 season finale that sent them to the playoffs instead of Tony Romo’s Cowboys.

If most of this just feels like a complex way to say the 2024 Cowboys are historically bad, that’s because it is. All of the simpler ways to describe this team that will not even sniff a playoff berth and their futility have been used up.

As humbling as it is to be talking about the Cowboys as a mere spoiler candidate for a division game in week 12, this is a team no longer trying to sell anyone on playoff hopes and more publicly accepting the reality of this being a disastrous season.

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Blogging the Boys

Cowboys vs Commanders: 2 players Dallas should use more moving forward

The focus throughout the rest of this season has to be on 2025 and beyond.

1) WR Kavontae Turpin

In the coming weeks, the Cowboys need to give Turpin more opportunities on offense to see if he can make an impact as a wide receiver. The 28-year-old is a restricted free agent at season’s end and with all the holes elsewhere on Dallas’ roster, it may be hard to pay the price it would cost to retain him if you only believe he’s capable of being a kick/punt returner and a fifth or sixth option at receiver.

Turpin showed that he was capable of using his game-changing speed on offense. Now it’s up to the Cowboys to find creative ways to use his best asset more consistently.

2) CB/S Israel Mukuamu

With starting slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis out on Monday night, the Cowboys turned to 24-year-old Israel Mukuamu to take his place. During his time in Dallas, Mukuamu has been a bit of a Swiss army knife player on defense, but Monday was a big opportunity for him to show he’s capable of contributing in a bigger way.

While Mukuamu did get beat badly by Texans’ wideout Nico Collins once, he showed some positive signs throughout the game. One of Mukuamu’s best traits is his ability to use his 6’4 frame to get physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage, and he showed that on Monday.

Mukuamu’s 38 defensive snaps were the most he has played this season and it may be a sign of things to come moving forward.

While Jourdan Lewis has been outstanding this season, it’s hard to envision him being back with the Cowboys after this season. Dallas has so many holes on their roster and with the way Lewis has played this year, it’s almost a guarantee some team will offer him more years and money than the Cowboys are willing and able to.

If that is the case, Dallas will need to sign or elevate someone from their current roster to become their starting slot cornerback. While Mukuamu is also a free agent to be, he is significantly younger and Dallas could likely retain him for half of what it would cost to bring Lewis back.

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Podcasts & videos

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WE WANT DALLAS! Cowboys vs. Commanders Preview + Best Moments From the Rivalry | Command Center

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