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Sports Illustrated
How the Commanders Can Take Care of a Key Offseason Need Now
With many asking if he had enough in the tank, Washington Commanders linebacker has proven he does, and more.
“Wagner is 34 years old and will turn 35 in July, but he’s still playing at a high level with 99 total tackles heading into this weekend—the 11th-most in the league—while posting an impressive 83.7 grade from Pro Football Focus,” says Bleacher Report. “Linebacker will be an offseason need for the Commanders if they don’t re-sign the 10-time All-Pro, so might as well take care of that now.”
To be clear, the popular sports site isn’t recommending Commanders general manager Adam Peters re-sign Wagner in the offseason. They’re saying Peters needs to extend him now, before the offseason has a chance to bring in questions like, ‘should Wagner retire?’, ‘could another return to the Seattle Seahawks be in the cards?’, or any other intrusive thoughts that might threaten the synchronicity the team is experiencing right now.
With four games left to play and north of a 70 percent chance Washington makes it to postseason play Wagner has clearly been a catalyst for that success. Knowing he’ll be back for another run could help propel this year’s squad even further as they follow a future Hall of Famer who isn’t just helping build a future for other players, but one for himself as well.
Riggo’s Rag
Zane Gonzalez must repay Commanders’ faith after the bye week
[I]n Week 13 versus the Tennessee Titans, Washington won the game convincingly, but the kicker’s performance left much to be desired.
Gonzalez missed two field goal attempts to the dismay of fans at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders got away with it thanks to their blistering start to blow away the Titans with minimal fuss. That won’t be the case when the competition gets tougher down the stretch and during the postseason.
Many thought this would lead the Commanders to an alternative option during their bye week. Instead, those in power signed Gonzalez to the active roster. That’ll be a significant confidence boost when the player needs it most.
Seibert has a couple of weeks left before he can be officially activated back on the roster. That provides a solid audition for Gonzalez to win the job or at least prove to other teams he can still operate effectively in a pressurized setting. Whether he can capitalize on it is another matter.
The Commanders cannot afford any weak links. They’ve put themselves in a strong position with the playoffs firmly in their grasp. Nothing is guaranteed just yet, so Gonzalez must provide assurance and conviction when attempting kicks to help cement Washington’s postseason status.
Commanders Wire
Much has changed for the Commanders over the past week
- The Commanders possessed the ball 40:13, more than double that of the Titans, who had it only 19:47.
- Washington ran the ball 45 times, while the Titans ran it 11 times. The Commanders outrushed the Titans 267-35.
- Against the vaunted Titans defense, Brian Robinson finished with 103 yards on 16 carries. In addition, Chris Rodriguez ran 13 times for 94 yards.
- The Commanders accumulated 29 first downs, holding the Titans to a mere 12, had the advantage in total plays 77-50, and out-gained the Titans 463-245.
On Sunday, against the Titans, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury coached Daniels to get the ball out of his hands, move the chains, and avoid being hit while passing. Consequently, Daniels completed 25 of 30 passing attempts (83 percent) for 206 yards (6.9 yards per attempt).
Front Office Sports
The ancestors of the Native American leader whose likeness was used in the Commanders’ old logo want to be heard
As the merchandise plans move forward, however, the family of John Two Guns White Calf, whose likeness was the basis for the old logo, told FOS it wants a voice on how the old logo will be used—and possibly a slice of the money made from the shirts.
[I]n Thomas White Calf’s view, the Wetzel family “has no right to even speak on behalf of our ancestor,” since there is no relation to John Two Guns White Calf. “White Calf’s descendants should be the ones actually talking to Daines and the press,” Thomas White Calf says.
“[W]e need to get this straightened out legally where the family does have the copyright of the logo restored back to the family,” says Thomas White Calf, the great nephew of John Two Guns. “We can sit down at the table with the Commanders executives.”
Until those discussions happen, the family didn’t want to talk about what, if any, financial requirements it would take to support the logo’s return.
However, Thomas White Calf recounted a conversation he had with a now-former Commanders executive in 2014, in which the exec asked him whether the White Calf family was considering taking legal action against the franchise. “At the time, I said I cannot answer any legal questions without talking to the Wolf Tail or Cross Guns families. So, yeah, there probably is a legal issue there because you can’t profit off of someone’s likeness,” Thomas White Calf said. There hasn’t been any meaningful contact between John Two Guns’ descendants and the Commanders for about a decade.
Beyond the politics and racial components, satisfying John Two Guns White Calf’s descendants adds a new wrinkle to the saga.
Upcoming opponent
Big Blue View
Giants-Saints ‘5 questions’: How did the season fall apart for New Orleans?
Ed: The Saints are 4-8 and fired head coach Dennis Allen midseason. How did this go sideways for New Orleans?
Nic: When you open the season with two 40+ point blowouts, expectations tend to rise. However, the combination of Dennis Allen’s atrocious leadership and accountability—evidenced by his 26-53 overall record as a head coach (18-25 in New Orleans)—and the aspiration-crushing wave of injuries that plagued the black and gold caused the Saints to completely collapse.
It all started when the heart and soul of the offense went down with a significant injury. Star center Erik McCoy, one of the league’s best at his position, suffered a groin injury three snaps into Week 3’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles that required sports hernia surgery and resulted in a lengthy stay on IR. Everything runs through McCoy up front, whether handing out assignments, leading the way on screens, or simply being an elite pass protector and run blocker, so losing him was demoralizing for Klint Kubiak, Derek Carr, and the rest of the offense. The offensive line also lost starting RG Cesar Ruiz during that matchup to a knee injury that kept him out four games. Additionally, versatile TE/FB Taysom Hill, a focal point of Kubiak’s scheme who’s now out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, had dealt with a bruised lung and fractured ribs early in the year. Weeks later, Carr himself would be sidelined for three games with an oblique issue. And to make matters worse, the Saints lost speedy WR Rashid Shaheed for the season with a torn meniscus and star WR Chris Olave indefinitely with a concussion.
This doesn’t even account for starters like Alvin Kamara, Tyrann Mathieu, Demario Davis, and Lucas Patrick playing through injuries, as well as key defensive players such as Marshon Lattimore (traded), Willie Gay, Pete Werner, Will Harris, and Paulson Adebo (out for the year) missing significant time due to their own respective injuries, along with a plethora of other players who have been sidelined or ruled out for the season. To say the least, it’s been a devastating turn of events for New Orleans.
Ed: How much does losing Taysom Hill impact the Saints’ offense?
Nic: ‘The Swiss Army Knife’ is truly a one-of-a-kind player who will be impossible for New Orleans to replace.
Taysom is statistically one of the most effective ball carriers in the NFL, finishing his eighth professional campaign with 278 rushing yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 6 rushing touchdowns on just 39 attempts, earning an 89.9 rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. He also caught 23 of the 31 passes thrown his way for 187 receiving yards (8.1 yards per catch and 6 yards after the catch per reception). Hill embraced a completely new fullback role under Kubiak and improved his blocking immensely while also turning back the clock and contributing on special teams as a return man and gunner.
This is a gut-wrenching injury for both parties, as Hill’s age makes it unlikely he will be able to return to his do-it-all role after recovering from his fifth serious career knee injury—at least not to the level he was producing before. For New Orleans, they won’t just be losing a TE; they’ll be losing a handful of other positions as well.
Podcasts & videos
Episode 968 – Guest: @RyanWetzelMT on his quest for the #Commanders to go back to the Skins logo that his grandfather designed. Is this in fact possible? What he has been told by the team. The nature of those talks. Why he’s on this mission. And much more.https://t.co/RiUv8E7mPQ
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) December 6, 2024