Commanders links
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Film Review: Chris Rodriguez and Jacory Croskey-Merritt vs Bengals
Last year, the team had two clearly defined roles, a workhorse back that took the bulk of the carries on first and second down, and a third down back that caught passes and was used in pass protection on third downs and other obvious passing situations. Brian Robinson was the top back for the workhorse back role while Austin Ekeler was the top third down back. Jeremy McNichols was the primary back up for both roles initially, but Chris Rodriguez Jr. earned a spot on the roster late in the season and became Robinson’s back up for the workhorse back role.
Assuming the Commanders want to maintain those roles this season, Ekeler and McNichols should largely be the same as the third down backs, with McNichols potentially taking some carries here and there as he did last season. But the bulk of the workload will now fall on either Chris Rodriguez or rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The team could decide to split the workload between them or ride with the hot hand. On Monday night, we got our first glimpse of what that could look like with Chris Rodriguez getting the start ahead of Croskey-Merritt. Rodriguez finished the night with six carries for 62 yards while Croskey-Merritt ran the ball 11 times for 46 yards and a touchdown. Rodriguez got things started with an explosive run
Croskey-Merritt got his chance on the next drive.
Croskey-Merritt’s first run wasn’t quite as explosive as Rodriguez’s run, but it also wasn’t quite as well blocked. The Commanders look to pound the ball inside here, using tight end John Bates to motion across and kick out the defensive end while Josh Conerly works up to the second level from his right tackle spot to block the linebacker. The Bengals have an interesting run fit here. They appear to be stunting the defensive end inside with the linebacker scraping to the edge and the safety working down from deep to replace the linebacker.
Commanders.com
Training camp notebook | Key players return to practice
-- Quinn also provided some positive news on guard Sam Cosmi. Like McLaurin, he did not provide a target date on when Cosmi would return but did acknowledge the team would need to make a decision soon. Quinn said that Cosmi continues to hit all his markers to get himself ready for an opportunity to get back on the field. Quinn had said earlier in camp that there was a possibility Cosmi could be ready Week 1, but it is likely still too early to make that assessment..
-- Quinn did not provide any information on whether the Commanders would play their starters against the Baltimore Ravens in their preseason finale this Saturday. Instead, he said the situation would be more “customized,” meaning that the players who didn’t get many snaps against the Bengals would get more in the third preseason game. He added that there are still several “battles” that he’s looking forward to seeing as the Commanders prepare to announce the initial 53-man roster.
-- Chris Rodriguez Jr. was named the starter against the Bengals and made the most of his opportunity with 62 yards on six carries, including a 40-yard run in the first quarter. Here’s what Quinn said when asked about how Rodriguez has grown over the past year.
“Conditioning, for sure. This is a guy who has changed his body and now…the passing game is more fluid. He’s always been a strong runner. That was Chris coming out from college at Kentucky to here. And you saw that in the way he got his opportunities…to finish some games. But he’s very consistent in his tracks, in his run game.”
A to Z Sports
George Fant brings depth and experience to the line
Adam Peters went to work this offseason and made the offensive line a focal point of what needed to be improved. He invested draft capital with Tunsil before the draft and even the 29th-overall pick with Josh Conerly Jr. You can never have too much help on such a vital position group, and that’s why adding 33-year-old Fant makes too much sense.
Injuries are part of the game, especially with longer seasons, and having a tackle who can easily play on both sides of the line can go a long way towards the success of the offense. Keeping Jayden Daniels upright is the top priority of the season, and we saw hiccups occur last season when a backup lineman had to come in the game.
Flexibility helps sort out the rest of the offensive line
Fant has played almost an even split between left and right tackle in his career, which helps with how the Commanders can decide the fate of others. He played 2,154 snaps at left tackle and 2,092 reps at right tackle over his eight career seasons in the league. Fant recently played as the backup right tackle for the Seattle Seahawks last season, but only saw the field 30 times.
Before that, he started 915 snaps on the right side opposite of Tunsil, and only allowed three sacks and four hits. We’ve seen Andrew Wylie play everywhere except center this offseason, and I think this move can help him settle in at right guard until Sam Cosmi comes off the PUP list, or fill in at left guard with Brandon Coleman still dealing with an injury.
Commanders.com
After being held without a catch with just one target and returning two punts for a total of five yards against the New England Patriots, the fourth-rounder saw an uptick in action against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night.
Lane led all Commanders’ wideouts in receiving yards, catching three of six targets for 42 yards in the team’s preseason loss to the Bengals.
Lane got looks on both the outside and the slot throughout the game, a change-up from taking a majority of snaps on special teams in the Commanders’ previous preseason game against the Patriots.
“I just think they want to see what I can do on the outside and see how I adapt and see how I am versus more press coverage, things like that,” Lane said. “My job as a receiver is to get open and catch the ball, no matter if I’m inside or outside.”
Lane did just that. Lane lined up as a slot receiver on his third quarter connection with Hartman, while his 16-yard reception -- his longest of the day -- from quarterback Josh Johnson in the second quarter came when he was lined up on the outside.
No matter in the slot or outside, Lane made plays each time his number was called. His dynamic playmaking ability, something he attributes to having experience in both alignments in college.
Washington Post (paywall)
Dan Quinn says Terry McLaurin is healthy, ‘closer’ to Commanders return
Washington’s coach provides an update on the disgruntled wide receiver, who is working out inside the team facility as he seeks a contract extension.
Asked multiple times about McLaurin’s status before Wednesday’s workout, Quinn attempted to ward off further questions.
“I’m not going to play ‘Where’s Waldo?’ moving forward, just so we’re clear on that,” Quinn said. “Terry’s return-to-play format is no different than any of the other players. He’s healthy, which is now a good step to getting closer to being back on the field. You’ll see that earlier than later. I don’t have a date circled on a whiteboard in my office. The good news is, we’re getting closer to that, for sure.”
GEORGE FANT UPDATE
Tackle George Fant, whom the Commanders signed Tuesday, practiced for the first time Wednesday. Fant, a 33-year-old who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 296 pounds, has started 75 games in his eight-year career. He will provide experience and add depth to an offensive line that has undergone attrition this summer.
“He looks great,” Quinn said. “That’s a really big deal for us to add somebody of George’s experience and length at offensive tackle. It’s very cool to have somebody of his experience and background, play style and skill.”
Commanders.com
Biadasz explains what it’s like blocking for Jayden Daniels
“Like last year, they played Jayden differently too throughout the year,” Biadasz said. “But that’s why you have a great system in place; that’s why you have great rules for certain landmarks and certain hits, but like that makes even more of the block because you really don’t know, like you really don’t know behind you what’s happening.
“But that’s kind of the reality you live in, too,” Biadasz continued. “So, it’s nothing new, it’s more so like how more detailed can those blocks be if, well you don’t play the what-if game but if you hit them square on. So, you’re kind of like fighting pressure with pressure and which direction their backers are seeing it and whatever. So that’s what’s awesome about it, so you have to have that mindset of this isn’t a guessing game. It’s a reaction game.”
Although Biadasz is keeping his defensive read adjustments close to his chest, he stressed the importance of checks and an open line of communication with the quarterback as keys to success.
“I’m not going to go into a lot of details of how they’re doing it, but I can just tell you, though, that you get averse to different fronts and different coverages, different personnel on the field to different formations,” Biadasz said. “But again, however they game plan against us, that’s why we have a great system in place doing great checks and obviously the offensive identity of what we want to run and how we want to do it. So, we get to control that, and that’s probably the most fun about it, too.”
Podcasts & videos
INSIDE LOOK: Brian Robinson Jr. Done With Commanders? | Quan Martin & Chris Rodriguez Jr. Go 1-on-1
Running Backs and Roster Spots Up For Grabs | Command Center Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL
Why the Cowboys, Micah Parsons may NOT get a deal done before the season opener?
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
The Eagles are facing some challenges at the end of training camp
Perhaps there’s reason for a little concern that the Eagles aren’t going to get off to the kind of start we all assume and hope they will.
You cannot plan for injuries and, so far, the Birds are dealing with their fair share of nagging, non-serious-yet-notable bumps and bruises.
Landon Dickerson is week-to-week after a meniscus procedure that could sideline him for the first week or two of the regular season.
A.J. Brown is dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice for most of the last few weeks.
DeVonta Smith has a sore groin and did not practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Jordan Mailata had to miss practice this week due to a concussion he suffered a few days ago.
Backup QB Tanner McKee hurt his finger on his throwing hand. Luckily, it won’t require surgery.
Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who looked very good in the Eagles’ second pre-season game against Cleveland, left Tuesday’s practice with a leg injury.
Wide receiver Johnny Wilson, who has having a great camp, also left practice after getting his leg rolled up on.
In the first two preseason games, the back-up players have not looked great. While most are not expected to play a ton of snaps, it is important to have quality depth, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. If Mailata, Dickerson or Lane Johnson were to miss time this year, there’s some concern about how their replacements would perform. Kenyon Green has also not shown the kind of improvement Mekhi Becton showed a year ago enrolled at Stoutland U.
NFL league links
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL Projection Model, NFC win totals: How wide is gap between Eagles and everyone else?
Will we see the first back-to-back NFC East champion since 2004? Probably. The defending champs need to replace some of the talent lost from last year’s elite unit, but outside of that, things are looking sunny in Philadelphia. The Eagles have a 68.8 percent chance to win the East, the second-best odds of any projected division winner, trailing only the Buffalo Bills (73.6 percent).
So, who is No. 2 in the East? It’s still the Commanders, but the Dallas Cowboys are closer than some would believe. Of course, that assumes team owner Jerry Jones can get a deal done with star pass rusher Micah Parsons, but if that happens, the Cowboys will be in the hunt for a wild-card spot.
The other reason the Cowboys might be closer to Washington is that while most expect Commanders QB Jayden Daniels to improve on an outstanding rookie season, I have my doubts. I certainly believe Daniels is good, but he had a lot of high-leverage plays break his way last season. Is that luck repeatable? Unlikely. He will need to be more efficient in other areas to improve.
Lastly, the Giants round out the division. Though we likely won’t see him to start the season, Jaxson Dart is the future at quarterback, and while throwing to star receiver Malik Nabers should make his life easier, I don’t have high hopes for this offense, no matter who is playing QB. However, I do think the defense, especially the line, could make offenses dread facing the Giants this season. Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and first-round pick Abdul Carter is about as good as it gets rushing the passer.
Discussion topics
2025 NFL season: Ranking all 32 teams by watchability
1. Washington Commanders
The Commanders were the perfect team to watch last season. Twelve of their games ended within an eight-point margin, more than all but three other teams. In the fourth quarter, they had 19 scoring drives in the fourth quarter (fourth most) and surrendered 20 scoring drives (sixth most). A big part of that is that they played fast under Kliff Kingsbury, with the most no-huddle plays of any team since the Chip Kelly Eagles. More plays equal more opportunity for excitement.
What else? Jayden Daniels was sick. The Commanders completed multiple Hail Marys, one of which won them a legendary game that broke the Bears franchise. Daniels was electric. The Commanders had the best fourth-down conversion rate in history for a team that attempted more than 10 fourth-down conversions (87%). Daniels was magical.
But I also just enjoyed rooting for them. It has been a tough couple of decades for Washington fans, and the team got a huge likability boost in the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn-Jayden Daniels era. I wanted to see them succeed.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Those who find the tush push a deplorable bastardization of football and an undeserving cheat code would not rank the Eagles this highly. I, however, am enlightened. I find the tush push a hilariously entertaining play, if not just for the obnoxious celebrations of the Eagles’ offensive line when it once again executes. But it’s also so entertaining because of how geared up the opposing defense is -- how certain it is of what’s coming and how desperate it wants to be the team that foils it. There’s no moment in football quite like the pre-snap tension of The Brotherly Shove.
14. Dallas Cowboys
At times, Cowboys watchability can reach a terminal velocity, as so many prime-time games and national television slots overwhelm my interest. But they are an objectively watchable team. Dak Prescott throwing to CeeDee Lamb is always a good time, and with the addition of one of the league’s great wild cards in George Pickens, every Cowboys dropback will be appointment television.
21. Chicago Bears
[B]y Week 6, I may have to look away from this team. Just as a successful Johnson-Williams marriage is in the cards, so is a herky-jerky start, an overwhelmed left tackle position, a still-inconsistent young quarterback, and a frustrating season that is painful to watch.
22. New York Giants
A respectable ranking for the Giants! When Russell Wilson is taking more late-career dropbacks in hopes that his early-career athleticism will suddenly return, I’ll be tuned in elsewhere. But they get the rookie quarterback bump if and when Jaxson Dart gets on the field and a star player bump with Malik Nabers (though much of his production unfortunately comes in the form of speed outs and curls that aren’t as fun to watch).
The most entertaining part of the Giants franchise will be the defense, specifically the pass rush. I will be glued to my seat in Week 1 when Abdul Carter joins Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux for his first third-and-long opportunity. If that group is all we hope it will be, I’ll be in the same seat for all subsequent weeks.
NFL picks: Predicting every game, final 2025 record for each NFC team
Warning: this is an ADAM RANK article - avoid if you are easily triggered
Cowboys (7-10 / 8-9)
Division finish: Ali: 3rd | Rank: 2nd
Will the Cowboys make the playoffs? No.
I like the Cowboys to be very good in divisional play, and I’d be higher on them if the Parsons saga hadn’t stained their preseason. Still, there is a chance for this team to get hot under Schottenheimer, a former wunderkind who got plenty of seasoning before finally taking his first turn at a head-coaching gig. We will see what happens.
Giants (6-11 / 4-13)
Division finish: Ali: 4th | Rank: 4th
Will the Giants make the playoffs? No.
Could Jaxson Dart leap over Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to lead the Giants to the playoffs this year, proving both of us wrong here? Or could one of the vets even pull it off? Sure. I’m not saying it’s likely. But we saw some weird stuff last year, so never say never. One thing I can say for certain: Draft Malik Nabers in fantasy.
Eagles (14-2 / 12-5)
Division finish: Ali: 1st | Rank: 1st
Will the Eagles make the playoffs? Yes.
Expectations are going to be high in Philadelphia this season, and for good reason: Most of the key components of the Lombardi-winning squad are back. Adding Azeez Ojulari was a pretty nice move, and I like what this team did in the draft, continuing to stock great players. The Eagles are going back to the playoffs -- and perhaps all the way back to the Super Bowl.
Commanders (8-9 / 7-10)
Division finish: Ali: 2nd | Rank: 3rd
Will the Commanders make the playoffs? No.
As wild as the Commanders’ run was last year, they are still just one season removed from being an NFL bottom-dweller. So, yes, while they are obviously better than they were, objective observers would concede that Washington seriously overachieved in 2024. That’s not to say the team can’t get better this season. But it feels like a course correction is looming.
aBit o’Twitter