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Film Review: Johnny Newton vs Patriots
It’s fair to say that Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton had a somewhat underwhelming rookie season in 2024. The team surprisingly drafted him at the top of the second round despite having a strong group of defensive tackles already, but they felt
he was a first round talent that they just couldn’t pass up on. Unfortunately he dealt with injuries throughout the offseason and hardly practiced until the regular season, which led to him playing catch up all year and struggling to make the type of impact he would have liked.
However, Newton has been healthy this offseason, which the Commanders will hope leads to a big step forward from him. He wasn’t one of the 30 players rested in the preseason opener against the Patriots which could be interpreted as the team wanting to see more from him, but also could be seen as the team giving him more opportunities to play and develop. He did only play a limited number of snaps, rotating in for a few series and the odd key situation. But he did immediately jump out on a number of plays. The first was on the Patriots opening drive.
That play set up a second and long, which turned into a third and long and set up Newton for his next big impact play.
Newton’s next snap of note came on the following drive. After the Patriots moved the ball down the field easily, the Commanders put Newton back on the field down near the goal line.
andscape
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels wants more
After his spectacular rookie season, Daniels is only getting better entering Year 2
Throughout the Commanders’ offseason program, training camp and the preseason, Daniels has been more communicative with teammates than he was while dipping his toe in the water as a rookie. Clearly, Quinn said, Daniels’ newfound assertiveness is the result of his eye-opening performance.
Daniels has matured into a tone-setter in a manner that “you’re not quite able to do … your first day on the job,” Quinn continued. “You gain street cred by your performance, by the things that you do. People trust him.
“And so [when Daniels says], ‘Hey man, this is what I see. This is where the ball would go.’ As a teammate, OK, we wanna hear that information because that’s giving you feedback. [Daniels is saying], ‘This is what I need to do to help you in this spot.’ [He’s] making others better just by his communication and the way he’s leading.”
Daniels isn’t interested in looking backward. His eyes are locked on the road ahead.
“It’s a prove-it thing every year,” Daniels told Andscape. “This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. Because of that, last year really doesn’t matter. I know I can play at this level. But I also have to go out there and continuously prove it.
“And doing that is really doing a combination of everything. It’s [improving] in the pre-snap process. It’s reading [the defense] faster. It’s about doing it better mechanically. It’s about leadership. It’s about learning the offense more in depth. All of it.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Commanders 53-man roster projection: Which receivers will make the cut?
Wide receivers (6)
- Terry McLaurin
- Noah Brown
- Deebo Samuel
- Jaylin Lane
- Luke McCaffrey
- Ja’Corey Brooks
The good news is Samuel has had a really good camp and is in great shape.
The bad news is Washington doesn’t have anyone else, really.
McLaurin’s contract dispute continues to drag on, with no indication the sides are any closer to finding a resolution. Brown has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered in minicamp — which came after he recovered from a kidney injury last season.
And the rest of Washington’s receivers lack a clear leader. McCaffrey has received ample time with the ones and has struggled, and the group as a whole had a slew of drops in the preseason opener and throughout camp.
I’m keeping McCaffrey largely because he was a third-round pick last year, and Brooks because of his size (6-foot-3) and potential. He caught five passes on five targets for a game-high 59 receiving yards against the Patriots. But this is one group that could see turnover before Week 1.
Heavy.com
[Kliff Kingsbury did] most things right as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders last season, but that hasn’t stopped [him] from coming up with a new plan for 2025. A plan that’s been seen “a lot” during training camp and Week 1 of the preseason, and a strategy that can provide the Commanders with “more versatility.”
It revolves around the “pistol” formation, something one reader asked Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby about on Tuesday, August 12. Selby’s answer didn’t necessarily clarify if increased use of the pistol “is something they actively want to implement this season or if it was just a ploy for the Patriots.”
He was referring to how the Commanders lined up during the 48-18 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. It was their first exhibition game this season, and Selby doesn’t “foresee it being used as much as it was in New England.”
Yet, Selby can “see some advantages to it; the formation allows for more versatility and makes it more difficult for defenses to guess the play. It also allows running backs to get a running start before taking a handoff, and considering how successful the run game was last year, it’s logical for the Commanders to find ways to maximize that.”
Those advantages are considerable for an offense led by dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels. His rushing skills are best served from the pistol, so despite Selby’s reservations, the formation could be here to stay.
As SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta put it, “by keeping the running back behind the QB as if you’re under center, you can still do some of the same types of runs such as power and counter, with the vision still being the same for the RB. It’s the best of both worlds, a mixture of the shotgun passing elements of modern football and the run-pass option, while getting ballcarriers to the hole quicker with run game concepts that are common from under center.”
The rapid emergence of dynamic 2025 NFL draft seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt gives the Commanders a different threat in the running game. One based upon greater speed and cutting ability.
Commanders.com
Bill Croskey-Merritt continues to turn heads in practice
Among the notable competition are Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr., who are returning to the room, as well as undrafted free agent Kazmeir Allen, who was picked up as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has been a member of the Commanders’ practice squad ever since.
The dark horse in the race, however, is Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt. The seventh-round rookie out of Arizona has been a fan favorite throughout training camp thanks to his speed and ability to break tackles. He’s also made a strong impression on his coaches.
“I like the group we have; there’s no doubt Bill’s had some good flashes for a young guy,” Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said ahead of the Commanders’ preseason bout in New England. “We’ll see as we get into these competitive periods with other teams and preseason games.”
Despite his night being cut short due to an issue with his shoulder, Croskey-Merritt’s performance drew nods from head coach Dan Quinn, who followed up his impressive camp with a strong rookie preseason debut.
ESPN
2025 NFL holdout, hold-in updates: Parsons, Hendrickson, more
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Status: Holding in, requesting trade
Aug. 13 update: McLaurin and the Commanders remain at a stalemate with negotiations for a contract extension. He has one year remaining on a three-year extension he signed in 2022. He missed the first four days of camp before reporting on July 27 and was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury. McLaurin did tweak his ankle late in the season, but he fully participated in offseason workouts until voluntary OTA practices began.
Both sides have remained firm in their stances. For Washington, the fact that McLaurin will turn 31 when an extension begins has been a key factor. But he was drafted in the same 2019 class as DK Metcalf and has been equally productive. After getting traded to the Steelers this offseason, Metcalf signed a contract worth $33 million per year with $60 million guaranteed. That deal has served as a guide for McLaurin’s demands.
McLaurin has not said if he’d be willing to miss any games in the regular season. — John Keim, Commanders reporter
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Daniels, McLaurin HIDDEN PRACTICES! Commanders INCREASING Contract Offer?
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Bleeding Green Nation (from The Athletic)
“The Eagles need to start thinking about Cooper DeJean at [outside] cornerback”
Wednesday was Bennett’s most significant test yet. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio deployed Bennett with the first-team unit for the first time. One bad practice doesn’t supply a definitive verdict, but it’s a concerning development for the Eagles as they search for someone to strengthen their secondary.
Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson, who split first-team reps in Wednesday practice, struggled against the Browns, too. Ringo lost twice in one-on-one drills to Diontae Johnson (a free agent addition), and he later surrendered a deep catch during team drills when Jeudy gained separation along the left sideline on a comeback route. Jeudy got ahead of Jackson during a first-team rep by curling back toward the left side of the end zone, but Joe Flacco’s errant throw missed the mark. Jackson raised both hands to his helmet after the play with dismay.
It’s worth noting that the Browns even bested Quinyon Mitchell, No. 49 on the NFL’s Top 100 players list, at times. Diontae Johnson got ahead of Mitchell on a play-action crosser for a touchdown during a goal-to-go sequence with the first-team units. It’s not favorable for the Eagles that the Browns and their four-man quarterback competition exploited a secondary that was a strength in 2024. Pair that with Philly’s preseason opener, when Joe Burrow went 9-of-10 passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns in two drives, and there’s a growing sense that there are problems ahead for the Eagles’ passing defense.
Bennett will have the opportunity to bounce back, as he’s only a week into digesting a new playbook. Mitchell called Bennett “a sponge” and said he’s been constantly asking everyone in the secondary questions. The Eagles will monitor Bennett’s progress in Thursday’s practice and during his preseason debut on Saturday, but they must start considering alternatives if his onboarding requires more time, especially if Ringo and Jackson fail to distinguish themselves.
Cooper DeJean is arguably the team’s second-best cornerback. The sensibility of DeJean playing cornerback is well–documented. Fangio clearly values DeJean at nickel and is pleased with DeJean’s play as a base-package safety during training camp. However, Fangio may not have the luxury to keep DeJean in a flexible role from the nickel slot.
A year ago, Fangio said he eventually wanted to see DeJean play snaps at cornerback, the position Philadelphia drafted him at, and DeJean did play corner during OTAs within base packages. Christian Parker, the team’s defensive passing game coordinator, said last week that the Eagles still plan on getting DeJean snaps at outside cornerback. That move may soon be necessary.
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Inside the strategy of organizing an NFL locker room
When Moses was a young player with Washington, his locker was near future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams‘. It wasn’t directly next to Williams’ — “he had three lockers!” Moses said — but it was close enough to pick up some tips and advice from the three-time first-team All-Pro. Now, Moses is paying it forward with Campbell and the Patriots.
“Not saying I’m at [Williams’] caliber, but the years I’ve been able to play, just being able to sit beside Will in the locker room and be able to talk over looks — we’ll pass the iPad back and forth, bounce questions,” Moses said. “That’s what you like because that brings camaraderie and brotherhood.”
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NFL.com
Five teams with early warning signs in training camp/preseason: Concern for Chiefs, Eagles?
There already are a handful of ominous situations percolating in different corners of the NFL — such as the contract squabbles involving Micah Parsons in Dallas, Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati and Terry McLaurin in Washington — and it’s hard to ignore them today. If you watch enough football, then you know when to worry about something and when to dismiss it. With that in mind, here are some early warning signs that have popped up since the start of training camp and throughout the first full week of preseason games.
Philadelphia has more questions up front with the Landon Dickerson injury. The Eagles now have some sense of what they’re dealing with after Dickerson collapsed during practice on Sunday night and needed to be carted back to the locker room. Reports say he injured his right knee during the session, but the initial diagnosis is the best possible news for Philadelphia. There’s now a possibility Dickerson could return before the start of the regular season, as surgeons apparently only need to trim a portion of the meniscus to resolve the issue. If Dickerson had been looking at a complete tear, it would’ve involved a season-ending operation.
The Eagles are facing a major challenge for an offensive line that has been arguably the best in football over the last few years. Philadelphia lost right guard Mekhi Becton in free agency, but the team has been encouraged by the play of Tyler Steen at that spot throughout training camp. Losing Dickerson would be an entirely different story. He’s been one of the best guards in football — as he was named to each of the last three Pro Bowls — and the options to replace him aren’t great. One that might make the most sense is moving Steen to left guard and finding an answer on the right side in the interim. However this all plays out, it looms large for the reigning Super Bowl champions. The 2024 Eagles boasted one of the league’s top offenses, with a line that blew open enough holes for running back Saquon Barkley to join the 2,000-yard club and earn Offensive Player of the Year honors. We’ll see how Philly fares if Dickerson misses time.
