New York Giants Week 13: First Look at Washington Commanders Offense
Turning the page to Week 13, the Giants’ focus will remain within the NFC East as they return to MetLife Stadium to host the next member in their slate of divisional games late in the season–the Washington Commanders (7-5).
Acquiring their new name in the offseason after eliminating the “Redskins” label at the end of the 2019 season, the visiting Commanders will arrive in East Rutherford looking to reshape their longstanding history with Big Blue.
Dating back to their first meeting in October 1932–when Washington hailed from Boston under the Braves alias–the Giants have asserted their dominance over the rival franchise, owning a commanding 105-71-4 all-time series lead. Six of the last ten contests have gone in New York’s direction, but the affairs have gotten closer, with seven games finishing under a ten-point deficit.
Last season, the tides finally appeared to turn in Washington’s favor, as the organization defeated the Giants 30-29 in a thrilling Week 3 matchup on Thursday Night Football before repeating the efforts in a 22-7 victory in the season finale at MetLife Stadium. The feat marked the first year since 2011 that the Commanders won the season series against the Giants, who hadn’t lost more than two games to their foe since 2015-2016.
Now, the two teams will cross paths for the 181st time at a highly critical moment for the entire NFC East division. As the final quarter of the 2022 season approaches, the division has the best overall record in the NFL, and no team sits below .500 through twelve weeks.
After their Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys, the Giants stand one game ahead of the Commanders in an NFC playoff picture tightening at the Wild Card spots as the conference rounds the last stretch.
The Giants and Commanders are also meeting with vastly different offenses than those that battled last fall. For Washington, the quarterback position is held by Carson Wentz, the former No. 2 overall pick in 2016. After being drafted by the Eagles and spending five seasons there, Wentz spent one season with the Indianapolis Colts before getting traded to Washington for a package of future draft picks in March.
Since the exchange, the 29-year-old has completed 62.1% of his passes for 1,489 yards, ten touchdowns, and six interceptions, but it’s been a struggle beyond the fact that those numbers rank him in the bottom half of active quarterbacks. Wentz may have three 300-yard throwing days on his 2022 resume, but his efforts only translated to a 2-4 start for the Commanders.
In Week 7, Wentz suffered a finger injury on his throwing hand in the team’s win over Chicago, forcing him to the IR list and placing famed backup Taylor Heinicke into the forefront. Playing the last five games for Washington, Heinicke has led the team back above .500 and into the division race, tallying a 5-1 record with 104 completions for 1,169 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.
With Heinicke excelling in his second-best career campaign, there could be controversy about how the Commanders will move forward at the quarterback position.
The team elevated Wentz to the active roster last Wednesday but elected to rest him for another contest while Heinicke took the snaps against Atlanta. Barring any setbacks, the expectation would be for Wentz to return to the starting role against the Giants on Sunday, yet crazy decisions have been made under Ron Rivera's regime.
Whichever quarterback is selected to take charge, he will be supported in the backfield by a duo of quality rushers in Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. Neither player holds flashy statistics among their competitors.
Each offers different intangibles that help the Commanders move the football on the ground. Gibson, the third-year running back from Memphis, leads the unit with 130 carries for 476 yards (3.7 average) and three touchdowns, while Robinson Jr trails with 126 carries for 467 yards (3.7 average) and two touchdowns.
The Washington receiving corps offers another arsenal of playmakers to dish the football around. Six names hold at least 170 yards receiving on the season, with the top three being star wideout Terry McLaurin (840), Curtis Samuel (493), and Jahan Dotson (179).
Among them, Gibson, tight end Logan Thomas and running back J.D. McKissic are also in the mix, posting 669 yards and three touchdowns in third down and goal line offensive situations.
Despite their talent, the Commanders’ offense hasn’t seen many fluctuations in their average numbers over the past two seasons. In 2021, Washington ranked 23rd and 21st in total points and yards while positioned in the high 20s for passing offense and closer to the top 10 in rushing metrics.
This year, the team stands 24th in points (233), 23rd in yards (3,899), and their aerial attack remains middle of the NFL, but the rushing game has improved to include eighth-best in attempts (365), 15th in yards (1,453) and 27th in touchdowns (7).
Yet, similar to the Cowboys last Thursday, the Commanders’ offense will look to their astute defensive teammates for proper reinforcements against a Giants team that is desperate to get the running game back behind Saquon Barkley.
Along with holding opposing teams to 10th-fewest points and eighth-fewest total yards, the Commanders stand in the top-10 in overall rushing defense, limiting adversaries to 298 attempts (8th) for 1,301 yards (8th) and six touchdowns (3rd) with an average of 4.4 yards per carry (15th).
Following the loss to Dallas, the stakes have risen even higher for the Giants as they seek to round up a few more victories and punch in their first postseason ticket since 2016. Injuries are continuing to mount, and the division competition is heating up. Still, New York must figure out how to overcome their deficiencies to avoid a disastrous final stretch to what has been a remarkable season for the young, rebuilding franchise.
Every divisional battle is important. However, these upcoming December games will hold the most weight in determining who comes out of the East as a playoff contender. The Giants’ keys to victory may be similar to the Commanders–dish the football cleanly at different levels, get Barkley to the outside to diversify the rushing attack, and put points up early–all of which have been struggles at different parts of the season.
Until the first snap is made, all there is to do is hope recent history falls back in the Giant’s favor as they look to steal at least two contests with their familiar foe. Let’s look deeper at the Commanders’ offense and what to expect on Sunday.
Jan 9, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) passes the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedExField.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterbacks
Uncertainty continues to linger at the quarterback position as Washington prepares for Sunday’s matchup with the Giants.
After being traded to the Commanders and starting the first six games for the franchise, seventh-year pro Carson Wentz suffered a finger injury on his throwing hand in Week 7 and was sent to the IR list, with popular backup Taylor Heinicke assuming the reins. Before Week 12, Wentz was designated for return from IR, but the Commanders elected to play it safe and keep him sidelined for at least another week.
Entering Week 13 preparations, no further word has been given by the organization regarding which player will suit up as the starter in East Rutherford. This has created speculation surrounding Heinicke's potential to maintain his role down the stretch of the season, as the third-year Commander has led the team to a 7-5 rebound in Wentz’s absence and has them one game back of New York in a contested NFC playoff picture.
Regardless of which quarterback head coach Ron Rivera selects to lead the Commanders’ huddle on Sunday, it is imperative for the Giants' defense to be prepared for both sets of intangibles that could come their way. Even if Wentz is given the green light, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Heinicke to step in mid-game if things go south in his predecessor’s return.
For Wentz, one could argue his career was leaning towards the flashy side before injuries began to take their toll in Philadelphia. In his first five professional seasons with the Eagles, the North Dakota State prospect accumulated 1,562 completions (62% completion percentage) for 16,811 yards, 123 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions. Among his accomplishments, including helping the franchise to an 11-2 start and its first Super Bowl title in 2017, Wentz had four seasons at “The Link” with at least 3,000 passing yards and three with at least 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
However, in the campaigns following his championship sophomore year, the former No. 2 overall pick and Pro Bowl gunslinger had to deal with lingering ACL and back injuries, limiting his time on the field and digressing his production in the Eagles’ offense.
After a few failed attempts to return to the promised land with their hopeful franchise quarterback, Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he played in 17 games and tallied 322 passes for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, his second-best stat line of the past five seasons.
The tenure in Indianapolis would be cut short after just one season and a disappointing 9-8 record, as the Colts traded Wentz to the Commanders in the offseason for a trio of draft picks, including a compensatory third-round selection in 2023. United with one of his biggest supporters in Rivera and Washington, the 29-year-old has been on a mission to prove he can overcome his recent woes and return to the franchise quarterback potential he enjoyed in his early years with Philadelphia.
Given the finger injury he sustained and a difficult 2-4 start to his Commanders’ tenure, that project hasn’t started as cleanly as preferred for Wentz. Still, there is much he can offer to the Washington offense if he returns healthy in Week 13. By nature, he is a quarterback with a prototypical body size and a strong background in reading the field, allowing him to thrive in progressions and structured offensive schemes.
With his tall, athletic build and collegiate experience in pro-style systems, Wentz shows no fear in playing out of the pocket and commanding the offense from under center. Playing in the former setup, he stands confidently and keeps the ball high and tight until release. At that time, he reads across the landscape, finds the safest passing window, and launches a naturally accurate throw with a high release point and tight spiral.
Wentz’s arm isn’t the strongest in the NFL, but he can make completions happen at any level. If he sees linebackers lurking in the shallow field, he’ll lead his receivers to an open window, change his arm slot and get the released strike into wide-open or tight holes in the coverage. If given enough time, he will read his receivers into the deep level, find a break in the route, and toss a lofty yet accurate deep ball into the breadbasket of his teammate.
Having that absurd amount of time to maneuver in the pocket has never been a prerequisite for Wentz’s success. The second-team All-Pro remains calm in the face of pocket pressure, and he has little hesitancy to take a hit while completing a pass. Using his gifted awareness and legs, Wentz can feel the pressure surrounding him from the edge and slide elsewhere in the pocket to buy time for the throw.
Without taking the eyes away from his downfield receivers, he has the athleticism and adeptness to extend the play toward the perimeter, create fakes to deceive the safety, and send a quality ball in the play-action attack. If nothing is there but a hole upfront, Wentz will take off with the football and compile any yardage to secure a first down and keep the drive going. He can also reach the endzone, holding nine rushing touchdowns in his career.
Overall, Wentz might be the Commanders more experienced and polished quarterback, but the younger Heinicke gets the “golden boy treatment” whenever he steps onto the field. A fifth-year undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion, Heinicke first entered the scene in Washington during the 2020 postseason, when he filled in for the injured Alex Smith and nearly led the team to a Wild Card upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Since that career-altering performance against the eventual Super Bowl champs, Heinicke has appeared in 22 games for the Commanders, including the last six during Wentz’s IR stint, and brought a surprising amount of success to their offense. In a full 2021 season, he achieved a career-high 321 completions (65%) for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions despite a mediocre 7-10 record for the organization.
This fall, in just six starts for the Commanders, Heinicke holds a 5-1 record that has brought the team out of the doldrums of the NFC and raised questions about the future of the quarterback position in Washington. His 2022 stats don’t stand incredibly tall among the competition—notably his five interceptions that rank ninth among active quarterbacks—but the team feels they might have something with their acclaimed backup as their playoff hopes hang in the forefront.
At 6’1” and 210 pounds, Heinicke doesn’t possess the same elite size and arm strength as his mentor in Wentz, but he still displays the right amount of patience, ball placement, and accuracy to compete at the NFL level. Despite what critics have said about his ability to drive the football in pressure-heavy environments, the 29-year-old shows above-average poise in the pocket and finds ways to deliver crisp throws as impending hits come in his direction.
While he excels more in timing-based systems, Heinicke also boasts an excellent feel for pressure coming off the edge that triggers his escapability from the pocket. Using his nifty footwork and small stature, he will elude defender’s arm tackles and climb upward in the pocket to create better passing lanes. In play-action looks, he maintains his accuracy with moving targets by using great eye anticipation and delivering a timely pass across his body, giving extra distance to the play.
Heinicke will wait for the routes to develop and the holes to open downfield if he has time, but he’ll also take off along the outside if there’s an opportunity to convert the first down or score a touchdown in the interior. He has great ball protection, knows when to slide and avoid contact, and isn’t afraid to accept it if it stands in the way of the big play.
In 30 career starts, Heinicke has 90 rushes for 429 yards and two touchdowns, including an average rush of 4.8 yards and a long run of 38 yards.
Nov 27, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) carries the ball as Atlanta Falcons linebacker DeAngelo Malone (51) defends during the third quarter at FedExField.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Running Backs
You'll be hard-pressed in the Commanders’ running backs circle to find someone who torches the rest of the league with dominant rushing lines every week. You won't find a player that adds long rushes down the sideline to their highlight tape following every victory by the team.
What you will find in the Washington backfield are two ball carriers with their own competitive spirit and intangibles that together help contribute to a winning rushing product on Sundays. Those players are third-year veteran Antonio Gibson and rookie Brian Robinson Jr.
Atop the leaderboards, this season is Gibson, the Commanders’ 2020 third-round pick out of Memphis. Since joining the organization from the American Athletic Conference, he has totaled 558 carries for 2,308 yards and 21 touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. In 2022, he appeared in all 12 games for Washington, earning 130 rushes for 476 yards and three touchdowns with an average of 3.7 yards per handoff.
While he is the Commanders’ most productive back, a chunk of Gibson’s reps will come in late down, short yardage situations, and the passing attack. For the latter, he tends to line up in the slot, running quick routes to the flat, wheel routes up the sideline, or short crossing routes in the interior. His receiving numbers are in their second-best year, posting 40 receptions for 306 yards and two scores.
Taking his handoffs, Gibson loves to run with explosiveness, whether attacking the inside gaps or extending the play wide. The 24-year-old shoots off the snap with a quality burst, decisively choosing his rushing lane based on the play all in the huddle and what the defense is giving him. At 6’2”, 220 pounds, he runs into contact with a big frame, absorbing hits and shedding angle tacklers for extra yardage.
If he has to extend the rush to the outside, Gibson uses a quick gather and a sharp cut with his feet to push the ball past the edge and up the hash marks. Get him into some open space, and Gibson will unleash a sprint toward the endzone while deploying his excellent field vision to maintain his breakaway play.
Robinson Jr., on the other hand, is the Commanders’ physical, early-down running back. A standout rusher at the University of Alabama, the 23-year-old was selected by Washington in the third round of April’s draft and was one of seven Crimson Tide players taken to the professional ranks. His rookie campaign started rocky with a horrific gunshot injury before the regular season, but the back has since rebounded and gathered 126 carries for 467 yards and two touchdowns.
Standing at 6’1” and 228 pounds, Robinson Jr. is a complete unit with tireless feet and great power that he deploys to wear down defensive fronts and dominate the ground game up the middle. With his linebacker-type frame and ability to take a heavy workload, he runs with a discontented attitude on every play and bulldozes unprepared defenders for extra yardage downhill.
There’s a reason why the Commanders try to focus Robinson Jr. on the inside zone rushes, and that is because he plays indecisively when asked to run beyond the tackles. The rookie lacks strong processing of the field at deeper levels and creativity to shift his body and get too wide rushing lanes on the line of scrimmage. After penetrating the interior gaps, he may show elusiveness on initial contact, but his transitions and loose cuts with his feet are average.
On rare occasions, the Commanders will get Robinson Jr. involved in the passing attack, and there’s generally one rule for opposing defenses. That imperative action is don’t let him gain any momentum coming off of swing passes from the backfield, as with good blockers and space, he can build up another speed to push past flanking defenders like a freight train and earn chunks of yardage for big-time conversions.
After Gibson and Robinson Jr., the Commanders still have sixth-year veteran J.D. McKissic offering minute contributions to the rushing leaderboards. A former undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State, McKissic is in his third season with Washington, where he compiled 133 carries for 577 yards and three touchdowns in the two years prior.
While he was a more productive rusher and pass-catching back for the Commanders during that span, the 2022 season has been marred by injuries. The 29-year-old is currently on IR with a neck injury, so his status for the Giants game is doubtful. If he were to play, it might not make a difference, as McKissic has just 22 rushes for 95 yards on the ground with a more fruitful 40 receptions for 173 yards through the air in eight games.
Jan 9, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) gains yards after the catch against the New York Giants during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers
Flipping to the 2022 season, the Commanders have improved the production of their passing attack. In 12 games thus far, they’ve risen to 17th in attempts, 23rd in yards, and 16th in passing touchdowns with a total of 17 scores. These numbers are largely a result of the playmakers Washington has acquired and developed over the past couple of years, notably receivers Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson.
Leading the trio is McLaurin, the fifth-year receiver out of Ohio State. Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft by Washington, the veteran player has quickly ascended to one of the best playmakers on their roster and receivers in the entire league. Dating back to his rookie season, McLaurin has collected 276 receptions for 3,930 yards, and 18 touchdowns, including two 1,000-yard outings with at least 12.9 yards averaged on a single catch.
In 2022, McLaurin holds 54 receptions for 840 yards (15.6-yard average) and two touchdowns, ranking eighth-best among receivers in the second category. Attempting to review the 27-year-old is pretty simple, given he served as the “everything” wide receiver in the Commanders’ offense.
Standing at 6’0” and 210 pounds, McLaurin is a receiver with good size, insane speed, excellent route running, and competitive physicality at the top of his progressions. That combination of intangibles allows him to thrive both inside the slot and outside, where the Commanders will feature him anyway between the lone receiver and three-receiver sets. Expect him to run various routes, but Washington does love to showcase McLaurin as the speedy, vertical threat.
McLaurin has been a pro at winning one-on-one matchups since his collegiate days in Columbus, Ohio. Coming off the line of scrimmage, he executes a clean release and gets physical against the press coverage to the top of his routes. He deploys quick lateral steps and hand jabs to ward off pesky cornerbacks and then separates with crisp angles at the stem of his route to create distance between him and the defender.
Speaking of his routes, McLaurin runs some of the best route trees of any receiver in the NFL, paying much attention to the details and polish of the play. He has a great feel for cornerbacks that are out of position and uses that to take a new angle on his route and get open for an uncovered catch. If he has to change fields to find his quarterback, McLaurin is more than willing to abandon his route and find spaces in scramble situations.
Behind McLaurin, Samuel ranks second on the Commanders’ depth chart. A sixth-year receiver and fellow Buckeye, Samuel is a product of the Ron Rivera regime in Carolina, who selected 40th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s in his second season with Washington, during which he has amassed 48 receptions for 493 yards (10.3-yard average) and three touchdowns.
Samuel had a rough start to his tenure with the Commanders, appearing in just five games due to injuries and COVID-19 bouts and totaling six catches for 27 yards in 2021. Now, he’s reunited with his former head coach and is finding ways to contribute to the Washington offense's passing and rushing attacks.
Like his teammate, Samuel is another jack-of-all-trades receiver who can gain yardage and create scoring opportunities in several ways. He has some experience as an H-back in college. However, his lineup role has been centered around the slot and inside receiver positions. From there, he deploys crisp footwork, long strides, deep-range explosiveness, and creative fakes to test or throw off the best of opposing cornerbacks.
At 5’11” and 195 pounds, Samuel performs at his best when he’s given space to catch and turn upfield with the football. Yet, the 26-year-old’s greatest gift is his ability to change direction with his legs and create space from press coverage to make a quality play on the field.
Shooting out of his stance, Samuel will enter a pattern of long strides for his initial progression with the press coverage defender. Nearing the top of his route, he can sometimes throw an exaggerated jab fake at the opposition to create separation before continuing vertically. On comeback routes, he will use stutter steps and a sudden stop in his break to push back the defender and open up a throwing window for intermediate yardage.
As mentioned, Samuel has the shifty explosiveness in his arsenal to revert the route break to a deep vertical attack that challenges all three levels of the field. If he makes the catch over the top of the coverage and has open grass to develop the play, he will ramp his speed back into top gear and take the football on a torcher into the endzone.
While running back Antonio Gibson and tight end Logan Thomas stand in front of him in terms of total receiving production, the rookie Dotson rounds out the top contributors in the Commanders’ wide receiving barracks. Drafted 16th overall by Washington this past April, the Penn State product has put himself on the opposing team’s radars since the season opener with his limited but impactful 14 receptions for 179 yards (12.8-yard average) and four touchdowns.
Dotson’s “welcome to the NFL” game came in Week 1 against the Jaguars when he helped Washington to a 28-22 victory with three receptions for 40 yards, two of which resulted in big-time touchdowns for the Commanders. After that game, his role has been limited due to injuries, but he is still someone the quarterback will target a handful of times to spread the football around.
Dotson is another example of a speedy, athletic wideout with the ability to operate and be dangerous at all three phases of the field. His route running is incredibly smooth, and he knows how to integrate various acceleration levels and brakes to shake defenders and create space for open-catch opportunities. Whether being pressed from the start or swarmed at the point of the catch, Dotson boasts pro-level confidence, competitiveness, and ball skills to extend himself into the air and hawk down big-time contested grabs.
Along with playing in the slot or at the outside receiver spot, Dotson has the attributes necessary to assist the Commanders on special teams, so don’t discount seeing him as a punt returner with big-play potential if Washington elects to go that route.
Jan 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Football Team tight end Logan Thomas (82) makes a touchdown catch past Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards (57) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Tight Ends
When healthy, third-year member Logan Thomas has largely dominated the tight end position in Washington.
Standing at 6'6'' and 250 pounds, Thomas is a former fourth-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals, who selected him 120th overall in 2014 out of Virginia Tech. He spent one season in the desert before moving to Buffalo, Detroit, and Washington before the 2020 season. In joining the Commanders, Thomas has seen his career go from underused depth player to starting-caliber tight end.
Through three seasons with the franchise, Thomas has accumulated 111 receptions for 1,056 yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 9.7 yards per catch. His breakout year came in his 2020 debut when he earned 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns in his only healthy season with the Commanders.
Since then, injuries have plagued the 31-year-old’s tenure, limiting his annual production and forcing Washington to seek additional answers elsewhere. Last fall, Thomas appeared amid hamstring and knee ailments in just six games, tallying 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns despite the latter stat behind the second-best of his career. In nine games this time, he has 21 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown and is expected to be back in true form for the contest with New York.
Whenever he faces the Giants—a total of three meetings since signing with Washington—Thomas tends to be featured a decent amount. Against Big Blue, he’s had at least three receptions in every game and has totaled 115 yards in the air. His best game came last September when Thomas saw five targets for 45 yards in Washington’s 30-29 victory.
Yet, there are as many intangibles to Thomas’s game as there are imposing statistics from his early time with the Commanders. At his core, he is a versatile tight end with outstanding size, stature, and strength to run routes and make big-time plays at any level of the field. The Commanders will likely showcase him on the inside coming off the line of scrimmage, but it’s not rare to see him take off from the slot or the outside receiver position.
Wherever he’s coming from, Thomas towers over the line with his imposing frame and forces opposing cornerbacks to get extremely physical with him coming off the snap. He’s extremely athletic in his release and strides, deploying fighters hands to shed aggressive press coverage, create space and create an open throwing window. Don’t expect to sell out for the short ball if the coverage is strict. Thomas makes his presence felt by being the intermediate to deep catch tight end with a knack for bringing down throws in the endzone.
Regarding his route tree, the Commanders like to run Thomas through many short slants over the middle in 11-man personnel or corner posts toward the sidelines in three-receiver sets. Get down towards the end zone, and Thomas will flash some of his decent speed on a crossing route looking to cash in points or line up outside.
He’ll also take the route vertically to battle for a contested scoring catch. A lot of his film shows touchdowns in the back corner of the endzone, so the Giants need to be keen on his presence in high/traffic situations inside the red zone. Coverage back of the endzone has been a struggle for the defense in recent years, and it was seen as late as last week against the talented Cowboys’ receiving corps.
If the Commanders want to get creative on the Giants, Thomas could see a snap or two throwing the ball to his teammates in a flea-flicker situation. Coming into the draft in 2014, Thomas had some experience playing at the quarterback position in his days at Virginia Tech before he was converted to a tight end at the NFL level. Washington may elect to test his raw talent in select throwing lanes to test the football intelligence of the Giants defensive secondary.
Along with Thomas leading the charge at the position, the Commanders will mix in second-year player John Bates and rookie Cole Turner for select passing snaps. The two seem to get involved more in blocking and jumbo sets, as Bates just surpassed ten receptions and 100 yards receiving last week, and Turner (2 catches for 23 yards) has just started earning production in the aftermath of fellow rookie Armani Roger’s IR designation.
Nov 14, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders guard Trai Turner (53), center Tyler Larsen (69), guard Andrew Norwell (68), and offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. (72) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Line
When the New York Giants face the Washington Commanders on Sunday, their defense will be met by one of the oldest and most experienced offensive lines in the entire league.
The Commanders’ starting blockers feature five veterans with a combined experience of 42 years, including three players with nearly a decade at the NFL level. The one caveat of the unit is their lack of tenure in Washington (all players have less than three seasons with the organization), but that is easily solved by three of the linemen holding ties to head coach Ron Rivera from his days with the Carolina Panthers.
That collection of experience didn't come without some turnover in the offseason. Longtime Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Scherff departed Washington after seven seasons with the franchise to sign with Jacksonville in free agency. On the opposite side, left guard Ereck Flowers was released after being traded from Miami and dealing with injuries during his second stint with the team.
With their latest ensemble protecting the backfield at a higher level (ranked 23rd in run block win rate), one of the Commanders’ top goals this season has been to maintain the success of their offense behind the grit of their frontline blockers. In the past two years, Washington finished the season ranked with one of the top-10 offensive lines, according to Pro Football Focus. At the start of 2022, they were slated 15th on their list and have fluctuated as the campaign has worn on.
Holding down the left edge of the offensive line is left tackle Charles Leno Jr., a 31-year-old out of Boise State. A ninth-year veteran, Leno Jr. was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 draft by the Chicago Bears, where he spent seven seasons as one of their stalwarts before joining Washington in 2020.
While he can play at both tackles spots, all but five of his snaps in the 2022 season have come from the left tackle position (833), meaning the Commanders have enjoyed his consistency at that position. More importantly, they’ve benefited from the pass protection the 6’3”, 302-pound lineman has provided the pocket since his arrival. That is because Leno Jr. has been one of the most efficient protectors in his career, holding a 96.6% overall number over nine seasons.
This season, seeing 137 more passing snaps than he has rushing, Leno Jr. has blocked with a 96.7% efficiency rating and has only allowed one penalty to be tacked onto his resume, per PFF. His 83.7 pass-blocking grade is the second-best mark of his career that is only bested by his number last year of 87.3. Protecting the ball carrier is a different story, with a 57.6 mark,
If there’s a caveat with Leno Jr., it’s that his age might make him somewhat susceptible to giving up pressures against younger, speedy defensive rushers. This year, he has allowed five sacks, five hits, and 25 pressures in the backfield, the middle category ranking him eighth among fellow offensive tackles. Those stats make things interesting when Leno Jr. is likely tasked with warding off Kayvon Thibodeaux in Sunday’s contest.
After Leno Jr., the left guard position is held by Andrew Norwell out of Ohio State. A 31-year-old player in his ninth season, Norwell was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Carolina Panthers in 2014, where he spent four seasons with Ron Rivera before moving to Jacksonville for the next four. This is his first season in Washington, reunited with his first head coach as a starter on the front lines.
Norwell has also played one of the highest snap totals of his career at 830, but all have come from the left guard spot. While being a pretty strong blocker during his stints in Carolina and Jacksonville, his numbers have faded since joining the Commanders, posting career-low scores of 56.9, 59.4, and 55.9 in all of PFF’s blocking metrics.
On the season, Norwell has succumbed four sacks, three hits, 15 hurries, and 22 pressures, the first and last numbers ranking him in the top-10 among fellow guards. The pressures element also stands tall, ranking 7th in the NFL for active players. The good news for Washington is those numbers have been stifled in recent weeks, perhaps due to Norwell getting acclimated to his coach’s system.
In the middle, seventh-year player Tyler Larsen snaps the football at center. Like Norwell, Larsen is another product of the Carolina undrafted free agent community, signing with the team back in 2016 out of Utah State and playing five seasons there. He signed with Washington one year prior and has earned the starters role in his second campaign.
Larsen has played 468 total snaps this season, ranking him 28th among centers in that category. His protection has been average, with the better side of his game coming in run protection, where he sits on a 61.7 overall grade and 96% efficiency rating. It’s fair to say Larsen has had at least some role to play in the recent success of the Commanders’ rushing attack behind Gibson and Robinson Jr.
However, he is much weaker in the pass-protecting realm, something to watch for against the Giants pressure heavy defense. Larsen has only allowed one sack in 2022, but the quarterback has taken some beatings on his watch with five hits, ten hurries, and 16 pressures allowed.
Switching to the right side, Trai Turner is currently listed as the team’s starting right guard. The 29-year-old lineman suffered an ankle injury during Washington’s Week 12 win over Atlanta, but there is one indication he will miss Sunday’s game. If he can go, Turner offers the Commanders another player with experience in Rivera’s offensive system.
The Carolina Panthers selected Turner in the third round of the 2014 draft out of LSU, where he spent his first six seasons protecting Cam Newton. After that stint, the 6’3”, 320-pound guard left for one season each with the Chargers and Steelers before signing with Washington and Rivera in the offseason. He’s now earning starter’s snaps in the aftermath of the spring turnover at the guard position.
In 526 total snaps this season, Turner thrived more in his 305 passing snaps than 221 in the ground-blocking game. He’s allowed just two sacks, four hits, and two penalties, ranking him in the middle of the group of active guards in the league. Turner also holds one of the lower-pressure totals on the front line, giving up 14 through 12 games.
Finally, eighth-year pro-Cornelius Lucas rounds off the offensive line at right tackle. A 6’8”, 327-pound player from Kansas State, Lucas is the third undrafted free agent on the starting front, but he’s also the biggest journeyman of the bunch. The Detroit Lions picked him up in 2014, where he spent two seasons before taking the next three to the Rams, Saints, and Bears and signing with Washington in 2020.
Lucas excels more in run protection, giving the Commandsrs a weapon to deploy in outside rushing schemes. He has a 93.6% efficiency rating in 203 run block snaps and has been penalized twice over that span. Pass blocking is still a hurdle he has to climb over, posting four sacks, six hits, and 14 pressures as the starting left tackle.
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