Bullock\u2019s Film Room (subscription)<\/p>\n
Film Review: Josh Conerly Jr. vs Patriots<\/p>\n
First round pick Josh Conerly Jr. is undergoing a position change, switching from left tackle in college to right tackle in the NFL, so it was important for him to see the field. The Commanders gave him 21 snaps before taking him out in the second quarter to keep him healthy. It\u2019s obviously important not to overreact to 21 snaps in a preseason game, but of course there\u2019s some things to take away. So let\u2019s see how Conerly performed.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the positives. Conerly was known as being a very athletic tackle coming out of college and that athleticism was clear to see against the Patriots. Despite being listed at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, Conerly is incredibly light and nimble on his feet, making it easy for him to cover ground. In pass protection, that can be incredibly valuable to help combat speed rushers on the edge and we saw him use that athleticism to that effect on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Those quick feet of Conerly were on display more than once too.<\/p>\n
Here we see Conerly working against a similar alignment, but this time the Commanders are using a play-action fake. With a play-action fake, the defense can be fooled into thinking it\u2019s a run play, giving the offensive line the upper hand in pass protection. Conerly makes the most of the play-action fake here. Off the snap, he uses a quick set, stepping towards the defender instead of kick sliding backwards like we saw previously.<\/p>\n
Quick sets are good things for offensive lineman to use because it messes up the timing of defenders, but they\u2019re especially good on play-action fakes because it helps sell the run fake. On a run play, Conerly would be working forward towards a defender to try and block them and move them backwards. So by using a quick set on a play-action fake, it makes it look like Conerly is trying to run block, when actually he\u2019s just trying to close the gap and get his hands on the defender as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
You can see the defender hesitate for a moment off the snap as he sees Conerly approaching him. Then he processes what is actually happening and tries to transition into pass rush mode, but by then it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n
Washington Post (paywall)<\/p>\n
In Commanders preseason opener, rookies shine, wideouts stumble<\/a><\/p>\n During Terry McLaurin\u2019s contractual standoff<\/a>, Commanders wide receivers have yet to take advantage of extra playing time. In a replay of Wednesday\u2019s joint practice, Commanders wideouts rarely broke free from coverage. Chris Moore dropped the first pass Hartman threw him. Luke McCaffrey caught one pass and was immediately tackled for a one-yard loss, but he was playing through an illness and had to leave in the first half.<\/p>\n McLaurin and Samuel would, of course, make a massive difference. And Noah Brown has barely practiced with a nagging injury. But those three were the only Commanders wideouts who didn\u2019t play Friday night. The Commanders need a third or fourth wideout, and one has yet to step forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still digging in to go and find out who can emerge, what it looks like, what the roles are,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen some good things from Jaylin [Lane]. Chris Moore in the practice parts I\u2019ve seen some. We\u2019ve still got work to do to figure that part out. Although sometimes you go to go through the evaluation piece and learn, there is silver lining. It\u2019s hard when you\u2019re going through it, but I do enjoy those moments to find out, I\u2019ll be honest with you. Even when it\u2019s uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington Post (paywall)<\/p>\n For Commanders, plenty needs fixing \u2014 and there\u2019s plenty of time to fix it<\/a><\/p>\n One joint practice, two more preseason games and 29 days separate the Commanders from the first game of their most anticipated season in a generation. They have roughly a month to sort out roster questions, determine which young players are ready to step forward and, at all costs, keep Jayden Daniels healthy. Their last two preseason games, plus a practice with the Baltimore Ravens, will provide the most answers.<\/p>\n One surprising name in Washington\u2019s wideout derby emerged Friday night. Although he played primarily in the second half against end-of-the-roster Patriots defensive backs, undrafted rookie Ja\u2019Corey Brooks caught all five passes quarterback Josh Johnson threw him for a team-high 59 yards on just 21 snaps.<\/p>\n Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Brooks carries an intriguing pedigree. He was a consensus top-50 high school recruit out of IMG Academy in Florida and committed to Alabama. He was the Crimson Tide\u2019s second-leading receiver in 2022 as a redshirt sophomore, then after a down year transferred for his senior season to Louisville, where he caught 61 passes for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games.<\/p>\n The dismal outcome Friday will have no bearing on Washington\u2019s season, a fact that gave Quinn little comfort. Washington\u2019s 13 penalties aggravated him, especially the raft committed before the snap. The Commanders\u2019 special teams breakdowns, which included a 100-yard touchdown return allowed on the opening kickoff, dismayed him.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the next 10 days,\u201d Quinn said, \u201cI expect better performance in all three phases.\u201d<\/p>\n 5 takeaways from Washington\u2019s preseason loss to New England<\/a><\/p>\n Jacory \u201cBill\u201d Croskey-Merritt\u2019s box score numbers — 32 yards on eight touches — might not look impressive, but it was how the rookie got those yards that should excite fans.<\/p>\n Croskey-Merritt showed an ability to be a one-cut running back who was taken down and get yards after contact during practice, but the main question for him was whether he could maintain that in a game scenario. The answer is resounding \u201cyes,\u201d as he showed impressive vision to find running lanes and shed off arm tackles. His best play — the 16-yard reception — was wiped away because of a penalty, but he was able to make a quick juke to gain an extra five yards and what would have been a first down.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the skills that we\u2019re seeing from Bill,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cI\u2019m encouraged by what I\u2019ve seen so far. I know he was amped and ready to go for tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Croskey-Merritt\u2019s night was cut short because of a shoulder issue, but he has shown a knack for making plays with his quickness and ball security. He doesn\u2019t have a roster spot yet, but those are two key ingredients to securing one.<\/p>\n Commanders have some tricky decisions upcoming in the wide receiver room<\/a><\/p>\n McLaurin (contract agreement pending), Deebo Samuel Sr., fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane, Noah Brown, and Luke McCaffrey are roster locks. That\u2019s a nice blend of youth and experience, but how the other one or two positions will be allocated remains to be seen.<\/p>\n The likes of Chris Moore and Michael Gallup didn\u2019t exactly shine at Gillette Stadium. K.J. Osborn was another who found life difficult. Between the three veterans, they brought in four receptions from 13 targets for 41 receiving yards.<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t the case with undrafted rookie Ja\u2019Corey Brooks and Tay Martin. They impressed considerably, ready for the moment. This younger duo combined for eight catches from as many targets for 95 receiving yards, which was a massive step in the right direction.<\/p>\n This piles on the pressure over the next fortnight. Nothing is guaranteed for anyone, and those who perform well enough will be selected for the squad. Peters is relying heavily on experience as the Commanders look to mount another deep postseason run in 2025. Still, there also needs to be a fresh injection of energy to enhance the team\u2019s long-term outlook.<\/p>\n Car\u2019lin Vigers\u2019 career gets off to a rocky start in Commanders\u2019 blowout loss<\/a><\/p>\n Vigers was far from alone in his struggles on Friday, as the virtual entirety of the Commanders\u2019 defense and special teams were a disaster in the 48-18 defeat<\/a>. Where the rookie cornerback was concerned, his night was lowlighted by being the unfortunate victim of a filthy stiff arm by ex-Washington running back Antonio Gibson.<\/p>\n Welcome to the NFL, kid. It happens to the best of us.<\/p>\n But for a player in Vigers\u2019 position, it\u2019s much less than ideal. He knows his professional football career could very well hinge upon how he performs this preseason, as there\u2019s no guarantee of a second chance if he doesn\u2019t make the Commanders\u2019 roster. He\u2019ll want to put this one behind him quickly.<\/p>\n The rest of Vigers\u2019 night wasn\u2019t much better. He gave up a 33-yard pass to New England\u2019s Jeremiah Webb late in the third quarter, and overall seemed to look timid around opposing ball carriers. That\u2019s never a good sign for a player trying to make a positive impression on his coaching staff.<\/p>\n If there was any saving grace for Vigers, it\u2019s that Noah Igbinoghene had his struggles as well. The fact that the former first-round pick was playing deep into the second half doesn\u2019t bode well for the security of his roster spot, and it was his missed tackle on Efton Chism that allowed the Patriots to go ahead 34-11 in the middle of the third quarter.<\/p>\n Washington can be expected to roster at least five, if not six, cornerbacks. Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, and Jonathan Jones are all locks. Igbinoghene is likely the fifth, and it\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess behind him.<\/p>\n The opportunity is still there for Vigers to step up throughout the remainder of the preseason, but he\u2019ll need to turn it around in a hurry.<\/p>\n Five observations we learned about the Washington Commanders after the first preseason loss against the New England Patriots<\/a><\/p>\n For a majority of the game, the Patriots had more energy and were the more physical team on the field in every phase of the ball. The Commanders never looked like they were in the game as a team, despite flashes from certain players. I was disappointed to see the backups and veterans not bringing the juice. Jeremy Reaves was one of the only players I saw flying around, and he laid the boom on a play that was called for a soft penalty. Other than that, they looked gassed, especially on defense.<\/p>\n The penalties were also a huge disappointment that Dan Quinn will have a lot to say about. The team finished with 13 penalties for 98 yards.<\/p>\n Josh Conerly Jr Week 1 Preseason Highlights | Commanders vs Patriots (prod. \u202a@ejtheproducer\u202c<\/a>)Cowboys injuries: Updates on Joe Milton, Saahdiq Charles after preseason opener<\/a><\/p>\n Offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles was dealing with something and it was reported after the game to be a hyperextended knee. The full severity of it remains unknown at this time.<\/p>\n What did we learn from the Giants\u2019 34-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills?<\/a><\/p>\n Tyrone Tracy still has a fumbling problem<\/p>\n On his very first play, Tracy had the ball stripped from him as he was going down. It didn\u2019t count as a fumble because his knee was down, but that\u2019s not a good sign. Devin Singletary replaced Tracy on the second drive. Whether that was planned or it was Daboll sending a message to Tracy was not clear, although Dante Miller came in for the Giants\u2019 third drive. Miller showed great speed and elusiveness turning several swing passes into big gains totaling 52 yards on 5 catches. Whether there is space on the roster for him with Tracy, Skattebo, and Singletary is questionable, but he looks like an NFL-caliber back.<\/p>\n The offensive line was up and down in pass protection<\/p>\n Russell Wilson led a methodical 12-play, 30-yard drive to start the game, getting the Giants into position for a field goal. Everything was short yardage, though. It might have been by design, but the Giants\u2019 offensive line was getting pushed back on a regular basis by the Bills\u2019 defensive line early on. James Hudson III had a false start on the drive, continuing a pattern from camp.<\/p>\n Vikings\u2019 Rondale Moore hurts knee in \u2018heartbreaking\u2019 situation<\/a><\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore suffered a \u201cpretty significant\u201d injury to his left knee against the Houston Texans on Saturday, coach Kevin O\u2019Connell said.<\/p>\n The injury came on Moore\u2019s first play after returning from a major injury last season to his right knee.<\/p>\n O\u2019Connell did not provide a specific diagnosis, pointing to an MRI test that will be conducted Sunday, but called the situation \u201cheartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n He signed a one-year contract with the Vikings this offseason and was in line to be the team\u2019s punt returner and potential No. 4 receiver. On his first return, Texans linebacker Jamal Hill<\/a> tackled him as he ran out of bounds after a 2-yard gain. In the process, Hill pulled Moore awkwardly over his left leg.<\/p>\n Athletic trainers quickly brought out a cart.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to watch the play back before I truly can give [an answer] on it,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cBut it was very, very unfortunate. It seemed like it had a lot of the characteristics of [the hip-drop tackle], but I know it is a three-part kind of process to actually call that on the field. We\u2019ll see when we watch the tape. I don\u2019t think there was any bad intent there.\u201d<\/p>\n Jaguars\u2019 Cam Little nails would-be-record 70-yard field goal<\/a><\/p>\n Jaguars<\/a> kicker Cam Little<\/a> made a 70-yard field goal as the first half expired in Jacksonville\u2019s preseason-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> at EverBank Stadium on Saturday night, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it been made in a regular-season game.<\/p>\n The kick appeared to cross the crossbar with 3 to 4 yards to spare. Had it counted, it would have broken Justin Tucker\u2019s NFL record of 66 yards, which he made against the Detroit Lions<\/a> on Sept. 26, 2021. That game was played inside at Ford Field.<\/p>\n There have been eight unsuccessful field goal attempts of 70-plus yards in the Super Bowl era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.<\/p>\n