Washington’s biggest test of the off season provided some sobering reminders heading into Saturday’s preseason opener.
The Commanders traveled to Florham Park, New Jersey on Thursday for a joint practice with the Jets, against whom they will play Saturday. It was their first opportunity to go up against another opponent and, even though it was just a practice, there was plenty to glean from Thursday’s session.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the day.
Jayden Daniels is in fact, a rookie quarterback
Thursday’s practice against the Jets was rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels first opportunity to go against another defense, let alone a squad that was one of the best of the NFL last year.
The Jets finished 2023 2nd in yards allowed per game and 10th in points allowed per game. In their practice with the Commanders, the Gang Green defense picked up right where they left off.
The day got off to a good start for Daniels as he was very sharp during the seven versus seven work, hooking up with Zach Ertz and Dyami Brown on consecutive big plays that went for 25 and 40 yards, respectively.
On the first throw of the period, he found Ertz for a 25 yard gain on a seam route. The connection with Brown came on a 40 yard deep shot where the rookie QB continued to show tremendous touch on his deep ball.
During the seven versus seven work, Daniels’ throws consistently came out on time with accuracy, giving his receivers an opportunity to run after the catch.
That changed a bit during the 11 versus 11 portion of practice.
The big difference in seven versus seven and 11 versus 11 is the lack of a live pass rush in the former. After his strong work with lighter personnel, Daniels finished the 11 on 11 work 7 of 15 for about 30 yards, a markedly worse showing.
The Jets pass rush consistently made things very difficult for Washington’s offense. There were plays where the Jets won immediately at the snap and didn’t give Daniels much of a chance to make a play, but there were also instances in which the rookie held onto the football too long and was sacked.
Daniels holding onto the football is not something that was an issue during training camp practices in Ashburn, perhaps because he has been going against the same defense since April and has a sense of what to expect. During Thursday’s session, as Daniels saw a new defense for the first time, there were clear growing pains.
Daniels did improve throughout the practice and ultimately should be much better prepared for the next test: game action.
O-Line depth a MAJOR concern moving forward
Washington went into Thursday’s joint practice without three of their five projected starters along the offensive line as Brandon Coleman, Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie all sat out.
This proved not to be ideal going up against a ferocious Jets pass rush.
Missing a few starters should not be a practice killer, but instead should provide opportunities for other guys to prove themselves worthy in case of injuries throughout the season. In this case, it spelled doom for the Commanders offense.
Washington was unable to protect Jayden Daniels all practice long, giving up quick pressures, forcing Daniels to throw the ball off of his back foot with defenders at his feet. This caused some passes to be inaccurate, something we haven’t been used to from the rookie QB out of LSU.
Offensive line issues aren’t new for the Commanders as Washington gave up the second most sacks in the NFL last year, though a lot of it was blamed on Sam Howell for taking too long in the pocket.
Washington addressed their offensive line in the draft by selecting rookie offensive tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round out of TCU. They also went after the position in free agency, as they signed former Cowboys center Tyler Biadisz to a free agent contract along with bringing in Chiefs reserve guard Nick Allegretti.
Biadisz and Allegretti were among the linemen who practiced Thursday, but they struggled. They must be better in order for Daniels and this offense to have a shot.
Beyond the two free agent signings, the biggest concern with the offensive line is the replacements. It was made very clear during Thursday’s joint practice that Washington does not have good enough depth to survive a 17 game season.
Trent Scott, reserve tackle, and Chris Paul, reserve guard, really struggled during the session. The team tried out Chris Paul at right tackle and, perhaps to be expected from a reserve guard playing out of position, he struggled.
Two reserve bright spots? 2023 undrafted free agent Mason Brooks at left tackle and 2023 4th round pick Brayden Daniels at right tackle.
Ultimately, after the first joint practice of the off-season, it looks like Adam Peters and company did not adequately address the offensive line, though it remains to be seen how they fare in the preseason opener on Saturday.
Former 1st round pick Emmanuel Forbes has a long way to go
A lot was made last year of Forbes’ slight frame, as he was listed at just 165 pounds. It was a much talked-about point after the draft, and Eagles’ receiver A.J. Brown’s physical domination of the rookie corner (Brown finished with nine catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Week 4 contest) only added fuel to the fire.
This off-season, Forbes added 17 pounds of muscle and the coaching staff has been enthused by his work ethic.
The added mass did not help Forbes on Thursday, though, specifically against Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Wilson routinely beat Forbes, creating massive separation and dominating at the catch point.
What was most disappointing from Forbes was his body language, as he could be seen putting his head down mid-play while Wilson ran by him. It was also disappointing to see Emmanuel Forbes continuously allow Garrett Wilson to get a free release off of the line of scrimmage.
Forbes did make a few nice plays, but he ultimately was not very good on the day. He will be under the microscope heading into the preseason opener and his spot on the roster may be in jeopardy.
Washington front 7 flashed, but needs to be more consistent.
One of the only bright spots during the joint practice was Washington’s pass rush, as Frankie Luvu and Dorance Armstrong had some nice rushes and would-be sacks against the Jets.
Washington’s front seven was disruptive during a specific period of practice, but it was not consistent. That has to change for this defense to turn around in 2024.
One thing that has not received much press is that the Jets first-team offense did a really nice job running the football, creating big lanes for talented running back Breece Hall.
Washington’s run defense will be a focus throughout the rest of the preseason, especially given that it was an area that Dan Quinn struggled as a coach in Dallas.
Stock up – Dyami Brown, Zach Ertz, Frankie Luvu, Dorance Armstrong, Javonte Jean-BaptistStock Down – Offensive line, run defense, Emmanuel Forbes
