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Commanders To Stick With QB Taylor Heinicke

December 19th, 2022 at 9:44pm CST by Ely Allen

After sitting through the first six weeks of the season, Taylor Heinicke has quarterbacked the Commanders back into the playoff race. The 29-year-old undrafted quarterback out of Old Dominion has cashed in on his second-chance opportunity in the NFL and appears to be unready to give it up yet, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

Despite proving himself as a serviceable starting quarterback last year, when he took over for an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick to start nearly the entire rest of the year and lead Washington to a 7-8 record in games he started, the Commanders went out and traded with the Colts in order to acquire Carson Wentz. When Wentz was placed on injured reserve with a fractured ring finger on his throwing hand, the Commanders had a measly 2-4 record. Heinicke came in without skipping a beat and immediately helped Washington to win five of its next six games.

Enroute to a 5-2-1 record as a starter, Heinicke has continued his brand of consistent play. Unfortunately for the Commanders, in order to achieve Heinicke’s brand of consistency, they tend to sacrifice explosiveness and excitement. And when the team finds itself behind, like it did last night, a lack of explosive play and an over-dependency on the running game is not an ideal recipe for a comeback.

When the Commanders failed to make a comeback in last night’s loss to the Giants, ceding crucial ground in the NFC Wild Card race, head coach Ron Rivera immediately brought Heinicke into his office, still in his stained jersey and pads. The content of the conversation was reportedly candid and sobering. Rivera recalled to the media part of the conversation:

“My conversation with Taylor last night, it was: ‘Hey, look, we had some really good moments during this game. We did some really good things, but we’ve got to build on it now. We’ve got to finish. We truthfully got to finish in the red zone.'”

This has been an echo all season in the Commanders’ facilities. Missed opportunities due to poor execution continuously lead to situations in the redzone where instead of coming away with seven points, the team has to send the kicking unit onto the field or, even worse, turns the ball over for no points. This was emphasized last night when Washington only converted one of three redzone attempts into a touchdown.

Despite the tough conversation, Rivera reaffirmed to the media that he wants to move forward with Heinicke as the starter and Wentz as the backup. “I think that the biggest thing more than anything else is sticking with Taylor and what we’re trying to establish,” Rivera said. He admitted that the long-term future at quarterback is something that he has to consider at some point, but, for now, he will stay with the hot hand and try to keep the momentum that the team earned after their 2-4 start.

The road to the playoffs will certainly not be easy. The schedule for Washington wraps up with a road trip to a surging 49ers squad on Christmas Eve, followed with a matchup against the Deshaun Watson-led Browns, and finishing with a division matchup against the Cowboys.

Rivera plans to face that daunting stretch by sticking with the team’s recent identity of consistent quarterback play backed with a run-first attack. He just needs Heinicke to help increase his team’s efficiency in the redzone and not leave points on the board. Rivera put his trust in Heinicke, saying, “As long as I’m open with him and he understands where I’m coming from, I think we both get the messaging.”

Latest On Commanders DE Chase Young

December 18th, 2022 at 7:40am CST by Ely Allen

DECEMBER 18: Young will not, in fact, be on the field for Washington’s pivotal Week 15 matchup with the Giants, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. RapSheet says Young will have a chance to suit up for the Commanders’ final three games of the campaign and that he and head 0coach Ron Rivera are “aligned” in the player’s approach to his recovery.

If Young does get back on the field this season, he will be on a snap count. Given the performance of the club’s defense without him, along with his longer-than-expected return to full health, that stands to reason.

DECEMBER 4: Young is inactive for Sunday’s divisional battle with the Giants, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports (via Twitter) that the Commanders plan to have the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year back on the field when they meet up with Big Blue again in Week 15 (after their Week 14 bye).

NOVEMBER 27: Washington’s defensive line will have to wait at least another week to be 100% as defensive end Chase Young‘s 2022 debut has been pushed at least another week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. This will be the Commanders’ 20th-straight game without the former second-overall pick.

It has taken a full calendar year for Young to work his way back from the ACL tear that ended his sophomore season. He’s been slowly but surely making progress, leading the Commanders to activate him from the physically unable to perform list earlier this week.

This week had reportedly been the first that Young was looking the way they’ve wanted him to post-recovery, according to ESPN’s John Keim. He likely was on track to make his season debut this week, but it appears an illness will hold him out of play for at least one more week. A few other players reportedly caught the bug lately, but the good news is that it wasn’t his physical ability that held him off the field today.

The Commanders pass rush has done perfectly fine without him but adding him back to the starting lineup could give Washington one of the top pass rushing defensive lines in the league. Coming into today’s game, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne led the team with 6.5 sacks apiece. Defensive end Montez Sweat just trailed them with six of his own.

Young’s second year wasn’t quite as productive as his first, but if he can return to the pass rushing form of his rookie season, when he collected 7.5 sacks, the Washington pass rush will be dangerous. Young also provides production outside of sack totals. He’s extremely disruptive with 13.0 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits in his young NFL career. He’s also a bit of a ball-hawk, knocking down six passes, forcing six fumbles, and recovering three, returning one for a touchdown.

The return of Young if he is 100% will be a huge boost for the Commanders as they continue fighting to keep up with the rest of the NFC East. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait at least one more week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/22

December 17th, 2022 at 5:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • Promoted: C Brock Hoffman

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Latest On Commanders Owner Dan Snyder

December 17th, 2022 at 12:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite having a bye week, last weekend was a noisy one for the Commanders. On the Thursday leading into the Week 14 slate of NFL games, the Congressional House Oversight Committee released its latest findings into the “toxic work environment” in Washington.

The findings were not only damaging to owner Dan Synder and the team but also implicated the NFL. In summation, the findings confirmed that several employees were victims of a toxic work culture for over two decades. The Committee indicated that Synder “permitted and participated” in the troubling conduct. The most damning part of the report found that Synder and other leadership in the organization perpetuated the toxic culture by ignoring and downplaying sexual misconduct throughout the team’s staff.

Further findings detailed how Snyder interfered with an investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson. Synder reportedly launched a “shadow investigation” into potential sources to The Washington Post, attempted to silence employees who may implicate him for his misconduct, and tried to obstruct Wilkinson’s access to information. In addition to his intimidation of witnesses and the blocking of document production, Synder failed to appear at a public hearing.

For the league’s part, the Committee found that the NFL knew of the serious interference with Wilkinson’s investigation and did nothing to stop it. The league also reportedly misled the public about its own handling of the Wilkinson investigation while continuing to turn a blind eye and minimize workplace misconduct among other teams across the league, as well.

It appears that much of the focus of the investigation was on detailing just how involved Snyder was in the oversight of the organization. Snyder’s argument was that his hands were clean after he fired former team president Bruce Allen. The reported findings, though, seem to indicate that Snyder was fairly knowledgeable of and complicit in the team’s toxic culture.

Regarding potential action against Snyder by the league, Colts owner Jim Irsay has been perhaps the most vocal of the league’s group of team owners. While Irsay has recognized that there is merit to removing Snyder, he reportedly is not ready to vote Snyder out, according to Schuyler Dixon of AP News. Irsay noted the gravity of the action, questioning if that severity of discipline has ever been practiced in the league’s history before. Before calling for a vote, Irsay urged that he would like to hear out his fellow owners’ opinions, including those of Snyder. It’s not quite clear what has been left unsaid at this point by Snyder, the league, and the Committee, so Irsay’s comments ring as procrastinating, if not insincere. With the sale of the franchise likely on the horizon, it’s far simpler for Irsay and company to wait for Snyder to leave of his own accord, rather than forcing him out with direct action.

In looking at the sale, it’s appearing more and more likely that Snyder will sell his full ownership in the franchise, as opposed to just a minority stake. Some with knowledge of these types of transactions have noted that Snyder will likely have “difficulty finding an investor willing to pay $1BB to $2BB to be his junior business partner,” according to Mark Maske, Liz Clarke, and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated at a press conference that he doesn’t “have any expectations” concerning the sale, Irsay essentially confirmed his sentiment towards conservative action, claiming that, “If the team hypothetically…were sold 100 percent, that would resolve things.”

Whether legal discipline will eventually find Snyder is still up in the air. What is becoming more and more clear, though, is that Snyder’s days in the NFL are numbered. He is likely to sell his ownership in the franchise in the coming months. If he balks and refuses to give up the reins, perhaps Irsay and the league will take more urgency in dealing with the problem of Snyder’s persistent presence.

Commanders Activate Carson Wentz From IR

December 12th, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Nearing the end of his activation window, Carson Wentz has officially been brought back into the fold. The Commanders announced on Monday that the veteran quarterback has been activated from IR.

Washington had until Wednesday to do so, or else Wentz would have been ineligible to return this season. The news comes as little surprise given the timing of the Commanders’ decision to designate him for return, but will do little with respect to the team’s pecking order under center. Wentz will dress as the backup to Taylor Heinicke on Sunday against the Giants.

That falls in line with what head coach Ron Rivera indicated while Wentz was on IR due to a fractured finger. Heinicke has started each game for the Commanders since Week 7, a stretch in which the team has gone 5-1-1. The former UDFA has played at a similar level to last season, when he started 15 contests and drove Washington’s pursuit of an upgrade at the position during the offseason.

That resulted in Wentz being traded for the second consecutive year, and renewed optimism from some that another change of scenery could allow him to resurrect his career. Instead, the 29-year-old put up largely underwhelming numbers in his six starts before suffering the injury. The former No. 2 overall pick has two years remaining on his contract, which the Commanders acquired in full as a result of their swap with the Colts. That deal will, in all likelihood, see Indianapolis receive a third-round pick in 2023 – rather than a second-rounder – given the time Wentz has missed with respect to the snap condition attached to the selection.

In a corresponding move, the Commanders have placed center Tyler Larsen on IR. During the team’s first game against the Giants, he was carted off the field with a dislocated kneecap. That led to an expectation of a prolonged, if not season-ending, absence, so an IR stint is not surprising. Larsen will miss at least the next four weeks now, as the Commanders will search for another Chase Roullier replacement in the middle of their offensive line.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 8th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL now has its first teams eliminated from playoff contention. The Texans and Bears, as they essentially have been doing throughout this season, are playing for next year. Other eliminations will soon follow, as the league’s playoff picture heats up.

Through that lens, the 2023 draft order will become an increasingly more pertinent topic. The 2023 draft will present an interesting subplot near its outset. Traded picks are set to produce early selections for the Seahawks, Lions and Eagles. Each of those picks currently land in the top five, as the teams on the other end of those trades — the Broncos, Rams and Saints — have disappointed, spectacularly so in Los Angeles and Denver’s cases.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order would look entering Week 14:

  1. Houston Texans: 1-10-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-9
  3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  4. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  6. Carolina Panthers: 4-8
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-8
  8. Arizona Cardinals: 4-8
  9. Indianapolis Colts: 4-8-1
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 5-8
  11. Green Bay Packers: 5-8
  12. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-7
  13. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-7
  15. Detroit Lions: 5-7
  16. Los Angeles Chargers: 6-6
  17. New England Patriots: 6-6
  18. Washington Commanders: 7-5-1
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-6*
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 7-5*
  21. Tennessee Titans: 7-5*
  22. New York Jets: 7-5*
  23. New York Giants: 7-4-1*
  24. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)*
  25. Baltimore Ravens: 8-4*
  26. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-4*
  27. Dallas Cowboys: 9-3*
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-3*
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 10-2*
  30. Buffalo Bills: 9-3*
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-1*

* = Denotes playoff team

The 2023 first round will resemble 2008 and 2016, when the Patriots were docked their Round 1 pick for their respective “gate” scandals. This year’s Dolphins saga never developed “gate” status, but the team lost a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-rounder due to the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering case. Thus, a 31-pick first round will commence.

While the Broncos, Rams and Browns lost their first-round picks due to trades for quarterbacks, the Saints passed theirs to the Eagles in this year’s pre-draft trade that allowed New Orleans a path toward moving up for Chris Olave. The No. 16 pick which was initially transferred from the Colts to the Eagles in 2021’s Carson Wentz trade was then moved to the Saints, netting Philadelphia a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second.

House Oversight Committee Concludes Investigation Into Dan Snyder, Commanders

December 8th, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The House Oversight Committee’s 14-month investigation into Dan Snyder and his franchise has led to multiple other ongoing probes, which have produced the loudest noise about a potential Commanders sale. The Oversight Committee’s investigation is now complete, with a final report surfacing Thursday.

The report accuses Snyder of permitting and participating in a longtime toxic workplace culture and obstructing the Committee’s investigation. In addition to dodging a Committee subpoena this summer, the Commanders owner is accused of making an effort to intimidate and dissuade witnesses from testifying. Snyder, 57, also offered hush money to several former Washington employees during Beth Wilkinson’s NFL investigation last year, according to the Committee.

Thursday’s report also links Snyder and the Commanders to playing the lead role in the fall 2021 email leak that led to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders resignation. Former Washington team president Bruce Allen said Lisa Friel, the league’s special counsel for investigations, indicated the email leak came from Snyder’s franchise and not the NFL, according to the report. Dan Snyder’s wife, Tanya, who had taken over the franchise’s day-to-day operations after Wilkinson’s investigation last summer, said at the October 2021 owners’ meetings neither she nor her husband was behind the leaked emails, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, Mark Maske and Liz Clarke. Gruden has since sued the NFL, which had previously denied being behind the leak. Thursday’s report marked a key development on that front, among others.

Allen also informed the Committee that Snyder had spoken about hiring private investigators to gather intel on Roger Goodell. Reports of Snyder obtaining damaging information on Goodell and other owners started a firestorm at this latest set of owners’ meetings, which featured Jim Irsay championing an unprecedented ouster of an NFL owner and saying 24 votes to remove Snyder might be there. Shortly after Irsay’s comments, the longtime Washington owner denied hiring firms to gather dirt on other owners.

The Committee accused the NFL of assisting Snyder’s franchise in covering up Wilkinson’s report. The league is believed to have initially called for a written report to be released but later reversed course. Last year’s NFL investigation brought a $10MM Snyder fine and a de facto suspension, but Snyder is believed to no longer be under any restrictions regarding his role with the Commanders. No summary of Wilkinson’s findings led to the Oversight Committee probe and another NFL investigation. Mary Jo White’s inquiry is set to come with a report of the findings.

“We saw efforts that we have never seen before, at least I haven’t,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, the Committee chairwoman (via ESPN.com’s Tisha Thompson). “The NFL knew about it and they took no responsibility. [The NFL was] acting like they were doing something. Then they turn around and fix it so [Wilkinson] can’t talk.”

Accusing Snyder of instilling a “culture of fear,” the Committee concluded sexual harassment, bullying, “and other toxic conduct pervaded the Commanders workplace.” Included are a number of former employees’ accounts, with the Committee indicating this run of inappropriate conduct occurred for “more than two decades.” More than 100 former team employees spoke about various aspects of this culture to the Committee. Snyder has owned the team since 1999.

The previously reported shadow investigations Snyder was accused of conducting of former employees during the Wilkinson inquiry surface again here. Snyder sent private investigators to homes of former employees, including Allen. The report also includes accounts from former cheerleaders and a video staffer, the latter saying Washington execs commissioned him to produce a video for the owner featuring “sexually suggestive footage of [the team’s] cheerleaders.”

A statement from Commanders counsel John Brownlee and Stuart Nash (via Jhabvala, on Twitter) accuses the Committee of taking a “one-sided approach” and produced a conclusion that “does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders workplace in any way.” The NFL’s latest investigation into Snyder and the Commanders, centered around workplace toxicity and financial improprieties, is ongoing. As are the other investigations the Oversight Committee’s probe launched. A number of prospective bidders for the Commanders have surfaced over the past several weeks.

Commanders C Tyler Larsen Facing Extended Absence

December 5th, 2022 at 8:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stemming from a December 2021 injury, Tyler Larsen began this season on Washington’s reserve/PUP list. Larsen may end his season on a Commanders injured list as well.

Larsen left the Commanders’ Week 13 tie against the Giants via cart, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig tweets the veteran blocker suffered a dislocated kneecap. This injury will sideline Larsen indefinitely and could well shut him down for a second straight year. This will sideline a second Commanders center this season; the team lost Chase Roullier to a fractured fibula early this season.

Washington re-signed Larsen this offseason, bringing him back on a league-minimum deal, and turned to the former UDFA as a starter shortly after activating him from the reserve/PUP list. A five-year Panthers lineman who reunited with Ron Rivera via Washington free agency accord in 2021, Larsen started three games last season and suffered an Achilles tear in Week 16. But the team held a bigger role for the 31-year-old snapper this season; he started eight games before going down with his latest injury.

Larsen replaced Wes Schweitzer in the lineup earlier this season, with Schweitzer — a converted guard — working as the Commanders’ center in Week 3. Despite Schweitzer being activated from IR ahead of Week 13, Nick Martin replaced Larsen in Washington’s lineup. Formerly the Texans’ long-term starter, Martin has made two starts with the Commanders. Ditto Schweitzer, though he worked as a first-stringer often during his previous two years with the franchise.

Rivera did not confirm Martin or Schweitzer as his starting center for Week 15, but both figure to be in play for the gig. The player the team does not choose will represent quality depth. Martin, 29, has made 64 career starts. Schweitzer, 29, has 56 on his resume. The Commanders boast considerable experience up front, with ninth-year linemen in Charles Leno, Andrew Norwell, Trai Turner and Cornelius Lucas in place as starters. Turner missed Week 13 due to ankle and knee issues.

Commanders LB Cole Holcomb Out For Season

December 5th, 2022 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 5: Holcomb has undergone surgery on his foot, and will miss the remainder of the season as a result (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The news will leave Washington shorthanded for the stretch run and postseason if they make it. In encouraging news regarding Holcomb’s impending free agency, Pelissero adds that he will be recovered in full by March.

NOVEMBER 25: Cole Holcomb‘s injury absence will extend into January. The Commanders placed the starting linebacker on IR on Friday, mandating he miss four more games.

The fourth-year defender has been out with a foot injury since Week 7. Ron Rivera said earlier this week Holcomb was scheduled to visit a foot specialist. It is uncertain if Holcomb has an injury that will prevent him from playing again this season, but he is down until at least Week 17 — because of Washington’s late bye — as a result of this transaction.

[RELATED: Commanders Designate Carson Wentz For Return]

This injury has prevented Holcomb from following up on his team-leading (by a mile) 142 tackles last season. Holcomb, 26, has been a Washington starter nearly throughout his career. Despite being a fifth-round pick, the North Carolina alum started 15 games as a rookie and has settled in as a key defender since.

This season, Pro Football Focus rates Holcomb 32nd among off-ball linebackers. Illustrating the impact Holcomb has when available, his 69 tackles are still 11 more than any other Commander this year. His contract is up at season’s end.

Additionally, Washington used one of its injury activations to bring linebacker Milo Eifler off IR. A second-year UDFA, Eifler has been a backup during his seven-game run with the team over the past two seasons. Because the Commanders also activated Chase Young off the PUP list earlier this week, they now have four injury activations remaining. The team would undoubtedly save an IR-return slot for Holcomb, in the event he will be ready to come back when first eligible on New Year’s Day.

Commanders Activate OL Wes Schweitzer From IR

December 3rd, 2022 at 9:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 3: The Commanders announced today that they have officially activated Schweitzer from IR in time for the team’s matchup with the Giants. Turner has been ruled out this week with knee and ankle issues, freeing up a starting spot on the offensive line. It’s unclear whether the Commanders will want to play Schweitzer at the center position at which he had been starting and move Larsen over to fill in for Turner or if Schweitzer will just slide into the open spot at right guard.

NOVEMBER 30: Wes Schweitzer has missed almost two months of action because of a concussion he sustained early this season. But the veteran offensive lineman will have a chance to play again this season.

The Commanders designated Schweitzer for return on Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window. Washington was using Schweitzer as a starter before he went down in September. The team has pivoted to a Panthers reunion at guard over the past several weeks, moving Trai Turner into the lineup alongside Andrew Norwell.

It obviously is a cause for concern when a player misses an extended stretch because of a concussion, and while Norwell was out, the league changed its concussion protocol. But the team will observe the seventh-year blocker in practice ahead of a possible activation. Washington has four injury activations remaining. One of those figures to be earmarked for Carson Wentz, whom the team designated for return last week.

In the third season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal, Schweitzer has worked primarily as a starter with Washington. The current regime authorized his contract and has used him as a starter in 20 games over the past three seasons. With Chase Roullier going down early in the season as well, the Commanders had moved Schweitzer to center. He played every snap there in the Commanders’ Week 3 matchup against the Eagles. Tyler Larsen, whom the team activated from the reserve/PUP list earlier this season, has been the Commanders’ starting center over the past several weeks. Pro Football Focus rates Larsen as the league’s 28th-best center this season.

Schweitzer, who started 36 games with the Falcons over the course of his rookie contract, would give the Commanders some options as they aim to become the rare team to go from 1-4 to the playoffs — a route the franchise took during Schweitzer’s first season in town.

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