Daily Slop – 15 January 2025 – The great JD5, fourth down aggressiveness, and the benefits of OCD

A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Jayden Daniels leads Commanders to playoff win over Bucs

Breaking down Jayden Daniels outstanding performance against the Bucs.

I’m almost certainly repeating myself at this point, but Daniels just continues to step up and play his best football when the pressure is at its highest point. No moment is too big for him and he proved that yet again as he led the Commanders to a playoff victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday night. Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an additional 36 yards rushing, taking his total yards over 300 in the game.

The stats don’t tell the full story though. Right from the start, Daniels stepped up in the biggest moments to make plays and keep the Commanders in the game. He had so many clutch conversions on third and fourth down, moving the chains and keeping drives going just when it looked like the Bucs were about to get a stop. It started on the Commanders opening possession.

On the opening drive of the game, Daniels showed he was ready for the big moment. On third and six, the Commanders are in a situation the Bucs wanted to live in, where they can tee off with their blitz packages. The Bucs have three down lineman and two edge rushers up on the line of scrimmage. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. walks up to the edge on the left side of the line as well, while linebacker Lavonte David stays a bit further back off the right side of the line. With so many defenders up on the line of scrimmage, the Bucs are obviously threatening to bring pressure here, but it’s never clear exactly who will and won’t rush. In the end, the Bucs opt for a five-man rush, sending their three down defensive lineman along with Winfield off the edge and David from the second level. To enable that, both edge rushers step forward at the snap but then peel off and drop into coverage.

This is a tough blitz to pick up on the third snap of the game for the offense, but Daniels does a good job identifying it. You can see center Tyler Biadasz communicating things with his offensive lineman and you could tell throughout the game, he was the one taking the lead on the protection schemes, but Daniels opts to take control here. He walks up to the line and calls for a full slide to the right, anticipating a blitz coming from that side. Once he gets back to his original position, Daniels then signals to running back Jeremy McNichols to block Winfield off the edge to the left side.

Having correctly identified the blitz and adjusted the protection, Daniels can focus on the coverage. With a blitz, quarterbacks are taught to expect some form of man coverage behind it. With Winfield blitzing, Daniels knows there’s only one safety left in the deep middle of the field, leaving Terry McLaurin one-on-one on the outside. He looks to his left off the snap and spots McLaurin taking an inside release and immediately gaining a step on the defender. Daniels feels pressure off his left side with Winfield getting the better of McNichols, so he shortens up his drop and quickly delivers a great throw down the sideline for McLaurin to run under. McLaurin does his part too, tracking the ball superbly as he runs under the pass and secures the catch as he dives to pick up 35 yards on third down and move the chains.

Daniels got right back to work making multiple key plays on the second drive of the game.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders’ fourth-down effectiveness could be pivotal vs. aggressive Lions

The Detroit Lions are heavily associated with fourth-down plays thanks to head coach Dan Campbell’s frequent go-for-it decisions. Those decisions were made from a position of strength — among the top nine teams in attempts (33, fourth overall), only Detroit qualified for the playoffs. Teams went from historically viewing fourth-down tries as desperation plays to incorporating them into strategic game plans regardless of the score.

Despite the high frequency, the Lions finished sixth in conversion percentage (66.7). Quinn’s Commanders were much better.

Washington’s 87 percent conversion rate (20-of-23) in the regular season was No. 1 in the NFL. Only the Peyton Manning-led 2000 Indianapolis Colts were more efficient this century among teams with at least 10 attempts, according to TruMedia.

The fourth-down greatness is a direct result of the calmness displayed by Jayden Daniels. The heralded rookie quarterback completed all eight fourth-down passes during the regular season for 77 yards, two touchdowns and a 146.4 QB rating. No other quarterback this century with at least eight attempts is better than 75 percent. Manning, at 70.8 percent, is highest among passers with at least 20 fourth-down pass attempts.

On the ground, Daniels averages 9.4 yards on nine career fourth-down carries. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is second among quarterbacks since 2000 at 5.1 yards per carry on 27 attempts. Daniels also ranks first in offensive EPA (expected points added) per dropback at 3.06 (minimum 13 dropbacks).

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Commanders.com

Practice notes | Quinn, Commanders sticking to aggressive identity on fourth down vs. Lions

The Washington Commanders’ all-time leader in punt yardage might be a fan favorite, but perhaps they’re happy they don’t see him on the field that much. He punted the ball 50 times this season, the second lowest number of his career, and all he did in the Commanders’ 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was hold the ball for Zane Gonzalez on extra points and field goals.

Part of that is because the Commanders have been so efficient on offense and occasionally historically great. The Burgundy & Gold had the seventh-ranked offense in the regular season and scored 28.5 points per game, both being drastic improvements from what Way has been used to in his career. Way has had more time to relax on the sideline because of how willing the coaching staff has been to try converting fourth downs. To their credit, it worked, as the Commanders led the league in fourth-down conversion rate (87%).

There’s a chance neither Way nor Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox will get much work during this weekend’s Divisional matchup on Jan. 18. The game between the Commanders and Lions will pit two of the NFL’s most aggressive teams, with the two combining for 56 fourth down attempts. Both teams will be ready to match the other’s intensity.

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Washington Post (paywall)

His OCD on full display, Zane Gonzalez still drilled the kick of his life

The Commanders kicker’s routine has nothing to do with style — it’s obsessive compulsion, which he has dealt with since he was a kid.

One of NBC’s final updates from Tampa on Sunday night was a 40-second video of Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez repeatedly adjusting his sock, grazing his hair and tapping his helmet to his head before finally slipping it on and lining up for the last kick.

“This is Zane Gonzalez. Not a time for fashion malfunction,” play-by-play man Mike Tirico quipped. “He’s working on his shoe. He’s working on his sock. He’s getting it right. … He was fidgeting with his helmet. Whatever he lined up in that head and that foot, Tress Way put it down, and Gonzalez doinked them to Detroit.”

Gonzalez has obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which certain thoughts or fears lead to repetitive behaviors. He has talked about his disorder multiple times, but as he prepared for one of the biggest moments in Washington franchise history on prime-time television, it became fodder.

“If anything, it makes my wife and family more upset than it does with me,” Gonzalez said. “I’m used to it. … Everybody that’s known or seen me kick has seen me do it millions of times. Being on such a big stage on Sunday night, a game-winner, it draws a little bit more attention, I’ve learned. It’s who I am, and it’s what I go through, and I, above everybody else, realize how crazy it looks doing it. I’m aware. But at the same time, you can’t help it.”

Gonzalez learned of his OCD at a young age. He can still vividly remember being in grade school and trying to draw an “e” — for three hours. The spacing wasn’t just right, so he erased and redrew it again and again and again and again.

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ESPN

Dulles and Tampa airports trade barbs after Commanders’ wild-card win

When the Commanders travel to their away games, they fly out of Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). But when IAD saw Tampa International’s good morning post on X, it took the petty route of reposting it with three kissing emojis.

Tampa International fired back on Tuesday with screenshots of the below-freezing temperatures at Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — which are roughly 30 miles apart — and a quip about “De-icing,” referring to process of the aircraft before it can take off.

But IAD had time and responded to Tampa International.

Though the two airports had their fun with their social media banter, Dulles International made sure to inform Commanders fans that United and Delta Airlines offer nonstop flights to witness the NFC divisional round against the Lions.

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Washington Post (paywall)

The Commanders are a case study in toxic ownership — and its reverse

How toxic was Daniel Snyder to Washington’s football franchise? Just look what happened after he left town.

So many of these owners say they just want to win Super Bowls, but what they really want is to service themselves, their moods — and their children. Jones swaggers over the franchise as if he’s wearing pistol belts, and Lord knows he’s one of the great business geniuses in American history, but when he professes that another Super Bowl trophy is all he wants, that’s simply not sincere. If he wanted a Lombardi Trophy, he would turn loose. There was a far more interesting ring of sincerity in his remarkable cameo appearance basically playing himself in the terrific new Taylor Sheridan show, “Landman,” about the oil business.

“Now I’m not saying I’ve done anything right, but I made my mind up a long time ago I was going to work with my kids,” Jones says. “… When I got the Cowboys, I got it so that we could all work together. I thought I was doing it for them, but the one that got the most out of it was me.”

Snyder got what he deserved for his years of torturous mismanagement, the smutty workplace and manipulations. Karma came calling. He won’t be leaving the team to his kids, having been forced into a sale. All that has really happened in Washington is this: An ownership collective led by Josh Harris, with no need for individual recognition, knew what it didn’t know. It simply hired two solid and well-established experts who came highly recommended in Peters and Quinn — and then allowed them to apply their professional knowledge unimpeded. After the Commanders’ playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Harris and limited partner Magic Johnson were asked how they did it.

“You said, ‘What does it take?’” Johnson replied to reporters. “New vision, new owner with a strategy, picking the right people — first our coach, Coach Quinn, Adam Peters, and then we all step out of the way and let them do their job.”

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Upcoming opponent

Pride of Detroit

ESPN’s NFL insider believes the Detroit Lions will lose both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs this year

ESPN NFL insider believes that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will both end up landing head coaching jobs this cycle.

“Aaron Glenn is going to get a job in this cycle, Ben Johnson is going to get a job in this cycle, and I think that there’s every possibility—and probably likelihood—that the Lions are going to be losing both of their coordinators in this cycle,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. “I’d be really surprised if both of them didn’t come out of this with head coaching jobs.”

[T]his sounds like speculation….

Last year, Johnson was [said to be] one of the hottest names available in the coaching cycle, and, at times, it looked like he was certainly going to find a job. [Of course, no NFL team actually offered him a head coaching job, so he was forced to return to Detroit to continue as offensive coordinator].

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Pride of Detroit

Lions vs. Commanders injury report: David Montgomery returns to [full] practice Tuesday

The Detroit Lions released their initial injury report for the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Injured reserve updates

• CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) — injured reserve, 21-day evaluation clock started

The Lions started Rakestraw’s clock last Thursday during the final practice of their bye week. Rakestraw is expected to be able to return to the active roster soon and provide the Lions secondary with some much-needed depth. Over the break, Lions coach Dan Campbell updated the media on the status of cornerback Carlton Davis and linebacker Derrick Barnes, noting that neither will be recovered in time to return for the playoffs.

No practice

• RG Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) — Injured in Week 18
• DL Pat O’Connor (calf) — Injured in Week 18
• CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring/illness) — Injury clock days remaining: 15

Zeitler was injured near the end of the Lions’ Week 18 game against the Vikings, missing the final series of the contest. Last Tuesday, Lions coach Dan Campbell suggested that the news surrounding Zeitler was positive, but stopped short of suggesting he was expecting him to play this week.

While Zeitler is estimated to have missed practice on Tuesday, there’s still a chance he will play in this upcoming matchup with the Commanders. If he is unable to go, rookie Christian Mahogany filled in as a replacement in Week 18 and would be expected to start at right guard against the Commanders.

O’Connor did not get a vote of confidence from Campbell following Week 18, so his absence is not at all surprising. The only real question will be: is his calf injury recoverable or is he likely headed to injured reserve?

Rakestraw returned to practice last week and appears to have missed Tuesday’s walkthrough with an illness (which was added to his designations on this report). It’s possible he returns as soon as tomorrow, or he could miss some time, as illnesses are unpredictable and we have seen both outcomes over the past month.

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Podcasts & videos

Ready For The Lions | John Keim Report Livestream

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Washington Commanders WR Dyami Brown Shines in Wild Card Win | Where to Improve for Divisional Round

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Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions | 2024 Divisional Round Game Preview

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Commanders Locker Room: Getting ready for Detroit, “we know they’re good but we are too”

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NFC East links

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