The Washington Commanders’ loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Saturday was most notable for the first-team protection’s continued struggles on third down. After reviewing the sport, and listening to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes within the aftermath, the considerations grew.
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Struggling defense, inconsistent offense and more Commanders’ takeaways
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the sport:
Washington’s protection was actually making an attempt
Whereas some Commanders minimized the first-team protection’s struggles as regular rising pains of the preseason, the outcomes, which included permitting two touchdowns, had been regarding contemplating the hassle.
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio game-planned for Mahomes and Washington performed all of its starters aside from Chase Younger (ACL). On Kansas Metropolis’s second drive, going through a 3rd and 6, Mahomes mentioned the Commanders despatched a “fire-zone blitz the place they dropped the large guys and introduced the little guys, which you don’t see so much within the preseason, so it received me.”
However Mahomes nonetheless received off a move quick left to receiver Justin Watson, who ran for 14 yards.
After the second landing, center linebacker Cole Holcomb went to the sideline, smacked his helmet on the bottom and screamed in frustration. Later, when requested find out how to cease final 12 months’s errors from bleeding into this season, he mentioned, “I don’t know. Return, research the movie and be taught from the errors. That’s all we are able to do.”
“We’ve got to place all of it collectively,” Holcomb added. “You’ll be able to’t have a rush with out protection, and you’ll’t cowl with out a rush. We’ve got to learn to play off one another.”
Carson Wentz’s could have concluded an uneventful preseason
After 5 full drives in two video games, Carson Wentz’s preseason could also be over. He’s 16-of-22 passing for 138 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions over that stretch, and appeared snug within the offense, although it scored solely as soon as. Wentz’s play in the end went as anticipated, with spectacular throws combined in with some unhealthy errors, such because the third-down sack that pushed the offense out of subject purpose vary.
For optimists, Wentz’s arm energy and talent to maneuver the ball had been encouraging. For pessimists, his inconsistency and lack of ability to place subject purpose vary above his intuition to increase the play — a recurring downside all through his profession — had been dismaying.
“[The offense] was okay,” Wentz mentioned after the sport, although he may’ve been giving an outline of the entire preseason. “I positively left some performs on the market, positively want we may’ve sustained some drives somewhat bit extra. … It wasn’t excellent, however there have been some good issues too.”
Washington’s plan with Antonio Gibson will get somewhat clearer
Whereas the hierarchy of the backfield stays unclear, offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s plan made it apparent the crew desires to search out extra methods to get Gibson the ball in area. Gibson ceded between-the-tackles runs principally to rookie Brian Robinson Jr. and ran 17 routes in 19 snaps, in accordance with TruMedia, which might’ve been by far the very best fee of his profession.
In all, Gibson received 4 targets, made three catches and picked up 37 yards (32 after the catch). He appeared extra just like the dynamic twin menace the crew hoped he may be out of Memphis.
After Rivera benched Gibson for fumbling within the opener and performed him on particular groups final week at apply seemingly as a punishment, the coach mentioned Gibson responded “very nicely” and got here into the Chiefs sport “centered.” Gibson returned the opening kickoff for 17 yards — “We’ve got to dam that higher,” Rivera mentioned — and Rivera hinted he may proceed returning kicks throughout the common season.
However extra so than anything, Rivera preferred what he noticed when Gibson confirmed his receiver talent set.
“That’s one thing that could be a energy for him,” Rivera mentioned. “We’ve got to get the ball in his palms in area to make these [explosive] issues occur.”
After sitting out the opener with accidents, middle Chase Roullier (fibula) and nook Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring) each performed. Roullier, the one wholesome first-team inside lineman, and St-Juste every performed 19 snaps.
It was Roullier’s first sport snapping to Wentz, and he mentioned they received in a sync shortly. Roullier mentioned the sport “constructed my confidence” and that, “barring any setbacks,” he needs to be prepared for Week 1.
St-Juste was uneven. He had one quarterback hit on a blitz, however on the Chiefs’ first drive, on third and 10, St-Juste undercut a crossing route by a receiver that, if Mahomes had seen it, may’ve led to an enormous play. Afterward, defensive backs coach Chris Harris referred to as him over to elucidate what went unsuitable.
“He has to ensure he retains himself in leverage place,” Rivera mentioned.
Washington practices silent rely with rotating linemen
GEHA Area, the brand new identify for Kansas Metropolis’s Arrowhead Stadium, was nearly full — the listed attendance was 72,396 — and Roullier mentioned the gang noise nonetheless pressured the Commanders to apply their silent snap rely.
Making that job trickier was the absence of among the crew’s high linemen, together with left sort out Charles Leno Jr. (medical), proper guard Trai Turner (quad), guard/middle Wes Schweitzer (hip) and left guard Andrew Norwell.
As an alternative, Washington began Cornelius Lucas at left sort out, Saahdiq Charles at left guard and Aaron Monteiro at proper guard.
“That’s among the hardest stuff we now have to undergo with the middle and the quarterback,” Roullier mentioned of the silent rely. “Beginning that off, instantly, and dealing with it nicely, I feel we did nicely.”