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)
Johnny Newton stands out in win over Bears
Breaking down the best performance of Newton’s rookie season so far.
[T]he coaching staff recognized his quickness is his main threat right now and put him in positions to best use that quickness effectively.
This was one of the final defensive plays of the game, but it’s a great example of how the coaching staff helped Newton make the most out of what he’s doing best right now. Newton’s quickness off the snap is a huge asset against interior lineman, especially centers. Centers can struggle with quicker defensive tackles because they have to snap the ball with one hand and then try and get it back into position as quickly as possible. That gives a quick rusher like Newton something to take advantage of.
You can see Newton anticipate the center raising his right hand as quickly as possible after the snap to try and get that hand back in the fight. Newton gets off the snap quickly and immediately swats that hand down. With the center focusing on getting his snapping hand into the equation and immediately having it knocked down, he has no way of slowing down Newton.
Newton penetrates past the center with ease and the center does his best to lean on Newton to slow him down. He does just enough to buy the quarterback time to deliver the throw, but Newton lands a hit and prevents the quarterback from delivering an accurate pass. Unfortunately, Benjamin St-Juste gave up a defensive pass interference, wiping out the play, but it was still a good example of how Newton’s quickness can be such a strong trait for him, especially against centers. Because of that, the Commanders were smart in consistently getting him lined up directly over the center. Typically, you’d only see a big, 350-pound nose tackle line up directly over the center trying to control the run game, but the Commanders consistently put Newton there to let him use his quickness effectively.
Washington Post (paywall)
Commanders quarterly report: Jayden Daniels is still flying, and that’s not all
Here are the standouts, disappointments and pressing questions for Washington roughly two quarters through the regular season.
Terry McLaurin: The connection between Daniels and his top wide receiver keeps growing. McLaurin has long been considered underrated — even after it stopped being true — and the team is treating him like a star. He is second in the league in team share of attempted air yards (46.6 percent) and fourth in receiving yards (579). He has four touchdowns, tied for his total from last season, and he’s an emotional leader and mentor.
“We relish in the work,” he said. “We relish in the grind and putting it in Tuesday through Saturday to get ready for Sunday. And we got a group that’s very resilient, is not going to quit.”
Frankie Luvu: Football people call the linebacker a “war daddy” because of his ability and toughness. He looks comfortable leading the defense, lines up all over to create havoc, runs and hits the way the coaches want and puts up numbers. In the past four weeks, he has 3.5 sacks, four tackles for losses and 10 quarterback pressures.
The coaching staff is using Luvu in a role similar to the one Quinn had Micah Parsons play for Dallas.
Brian Robinson Jr.: While the value of running backs has declined and the entire offensive coaching staff deserves credit for running the ball well, Robinson’s impact jumps out on film and in data. His physical style bruises defenses, and play-action fakes to him are more effective than those to other backs.
When he’s on the field, the offense’s success rate on designed runs is the best in the NFL. When he’s off the field, it ranks 26th.
Dante Fowler Jr.: The rotational edge rusher has become a force. Within the past four weeks he ranks in the top six in the NFL in sacks (four) and tackles for losses against the run (three). He also had a 67-yard pick-six to start the blowout against Carolina.
Fowler isn’t a pillar of the long-term vision. He’s 30 and hasn’t signed a deal longer than one year since 2020. Defensive line expert Brandon Thorn, who writes the “Trench Warfare” newsletter, graded just one of Fowler’s sacks as “high quality.”
But Fowler’s recent production is a testament to the new regime’s ability to maximize players — from promising rookies to journeymen.
How aggressive will General Manager Adam Peters be? The trade deadline is Nov. 5, and the Commanders could benefit most from adding a cornerback. Peters wants to maintain his treasure chest of assets — four potential top-100 draft picks and more than $100 million in salary cap space — but he also could fortify his team for a postseason run. The next week will be one of his most important stretches as GM.
The Athletic (paywall)
Gauging Commanders’ plan at trade deadline goes beyond their 2024 needs
The Commanders haven’t budged, at least not yet.
Numerous league sources told The Athletic they have heard minimally about Washington this deadline cycle or that the team is attached to any specific names. There’s a willingness by the front office to listen, especially for a cornerback, according to another team’s front-office executive, but there’s little sense that activity is brewing.
Trading one or multiple future high draft picks is likely required to change perceptions, if not move the Commanders closer to that contender tier. But making such a trade comes at a cost. This is Year 1 of a multiyear plan focused on sustained contention rather than chasing immediate gratification. To make a move of significance, the Commanders must trade away future assets, namely draft selections. Washington’s 10 picks in 2025 include four in the top 100. Getting star talent in their prime is always a good choice, but a player with that profile on the trade market is rare.
Otherwise, dealing away picks — and the four- to five-year rookie cost-controlled contract for short-term fixes — goes against that long-term thinking.
Upcoming opponent
New York Post
Deonte Banks’ benching is over
The Giants will start their 2023 first-round draft pick at cornerback again Sunday against the Commanders, head coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday.
Banks, whose effort has been called out on two occasions this season, played the first 27 defensive snaps in Monday’s loss to the Steelers before he was pulled for the rest of the game.
Banks might have felt scapegoated that his effort has been singled out as “unacceptable,” especially considering that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said last week that he is “looking for some progress and some growth in that regard from all our guys.
New York Post
Four players Giants should look to deal at NFL trade deadline
When you heard Giants owner John Mara say that he is not planning to make any changes at head coach and general manager, Joe Schoen probably heard an OK to be a trade-deadline seller.
Mara’s recent vow to be more patient than he has been in the past takes some pressure off Schoen to act out of self-preservation.
OLB Azeez Ojulari
It would be easier to accept trading fill-in starter Ojulari if Kayvon Thibodeaux (broken scaphoid bone in wrist) was healthy — or if there were an indication that he might be back before the first week of December, on the high end on his estimated recovery timeline.
Ojulari, 24, has five sacks in three games since becoming the starter, recapturing his 2021 and 2022 form (13.5 sacks in 24 games). He has been slowed by injuries throughout his career and can be a liability against the run, but he is perfect for hunting quarterbacks as a No. 3 rusher for a contender in need like the Lions, Falcons or Bills.
Ojulari is a free agent after the season and the last player on the roster who wasn’t signed or re-signed by Schoen.
Podcasts & videos
Reliving the Hail Mary. Listen to @RealBramW’s call again. Lots on Daniels. The D showing up; playing faster. More. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/iMXvy6QLxY
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 30, 2024