Commander Link
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washington post (paywall)
Commander names Josh Johnson to start Christmas Day game against Dallas
The 39-year-old quarterback, who has played for 14 NFL teams, will replace the injured Marcus Mariota.
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This will be Johnson’s first start since 2021, when he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He struggled last week against the Hawks when asked to replace Mariota, but the coaching staff remains confident in his abilities.
Quinn said Jeff Drickell, who the Commanders signed this week from Arizona’s practice squad, will back up Johnson in Thursday’s game. Washington promoted Sam Hartman from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will serve as the third emergency quarterback on game day.
Competitor (paywall)
The chaos of NFL emergency signings: ‘You have to let nature take its course or you go home’
[Jeff Driskel] Received the news minutes before Sunday’s kickoff, then took a red-eye flight to the Washington area Monday morning, landing in time for a physical and a morning meeting with the commanders before heading to the field for a walkthrough and then practice.
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His locker doesn’t have a nameplate yet, but is designated by two suitcases parked out front.
“It’s a lot more common than people think,” he said with a laugh. “You get used to it.”
This is the process of emergency signings, where players are given deep involvement, even starting roles, on short notice and have it all look seamless, as if they’ve been practicing for months instead of hours with teammates whose names they don’t yet quite remember.
Common? Of course, injuries occur almost every weekend in the NFL.
But is it easy? Hardly. The trick is to make it look that way. Behind the scenes, NFL teams do this every week, making emergency rosters of free agents and practice squad players and conducting carefully rehearsed operations involving staff from multiple departments to bring in new players at a moment’s notice.
A to Z Sports
LT Laremy Tunsil was one of the most snubbed players from the Pro Bowl because he was the top player in his class
However, he will still be offered a new contract at the end of the season.
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Despite a 4-11 record, there were some players who had Super Bowl-like performances. No matter how bad the season, individual performances should still be rewarded. That’s what Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors are for.
There are a lot of great offensive tackles in the NFC, but Tunsil is the best, and it’s not even close. Pene Sewell, Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs were all voted to the NFC, and Tunsil has been better than all three of them this season.
Despite being snubbed from the Pro Bowl, Tunsil still has a chance to earn All-Pro honors for the first time in his career and, more importantly, a new contract. Tunsil re-signed his contract at the beginning of the season, which gave him more bonuses this season and also freed up $14.4 million in salary cap space for the team to use. Reworking his contract and adding a three-year void period would make it easier for the Commanders to re-sign him after the season ends.
pro football focus
NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 17
8. Washington Commander (down 1)
Projected starters for Week 17:
Lieutenant Brandon Coleman
LG Chris Paul
C Tyler Biadas
RG Sam Cosmi
RT Josh Connelly Jr.
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The Commanders’ issues in the frontcourt were evident in Week 16 against the Eagles. This week, the defense gave up nine pressures on 25 pass plays, including one sack, and posted a pass-blocking efficiency of 80.0 PFF, which ranked 25th.
Washington was without Laremy Tunsil in the loss to the Eagles. He was replaced by Brandon Coleman, who had a pass-blocking grade of 38.7, the lowest on the team’s offensive line.
Best Player: Sam Cosmi
Cosmi gave up just one hurry against Philadelphia. For his efforts, he earned a team-high 80.2 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Rigo’s rag
Derek Jackson could be the biggest winner from Commander’s losing season
Coming back from injury is encouraging, but what happens next is even more important.
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Drake Jackson’s re-emergence in Week 16 gave us both a short-term spark and a long-term solution, and he was like a beacon in his first snaps in Washington.
While the ratings don’t jump off the page, the underlying performance definitely should. In just 22 defensive snaps — seven of which were true pass-rushing opportunities — the USC product generated three pressures and three quarterback hurries, continuing to emphasize the advantage.
What’s shown on the tape is not just the total amount of pressure; That’s how Jackson won. He’s explosive in different formations, displays good hands, and the agility to turn without losing balance — traits that are difficult to teach and often take time to recover from after an injury.
Jackson’s emergence provides a potential infusion of momentum for a Commander’s defense that has struggled with injuries and defensive inconsistency all season.
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Now, he gets another chance on Christmas Day against a young and physical Cowboys offensive line that’s going through its own growing pains. While Dallas will test his strength and length, Jackson’s speed-based approach could put pressure on inexperienced offensive tackles, especially in obvious passing situations.
commander line
5 Washington Commander players to watch closely over the final two weeks
WR Traylon Burks
Burks was in a similar position to Jackson when he signed in October. Burks is a former first-round pick who dealt with injuries on his previous team. He excelled as a commander. While he wasn’t a big part of the offense, he made shots every time the ball came to him. A few weeks ago, he won the NFL’s receiver of the year award. Last week, Burks beat Cooper DeJean in the end zone when DeJean should have been flagged for pass interference. Like Sinnott, Burks may struggle to see much action without Daniels or Marcus Mariota at center. But just like he has done since his debut, Burks needs to make every target count. He will also become a free agent in 2026. While the Commanders need to add a few receivers this offseason, Burks appears to have integrated himself into the team’s plans. Strong finishing will definitely help him.
washington post (paywall)
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The NFL’s Christmas games are gifts you’ll want to return
NFL Primer: Injured quarterbacks and underperforming teams have crippled the league’s holiday schedule, with three games lacking much firepower.
When the NFL schedules games against the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, it’s reasonable to predict that the league will put some of its best and most attractive teams on the field for a festive display.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels’ rookie year, the Commanders had just made an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. The Lions and Vikings compete for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs in the final game of the 2024 regular season. The Chiefs are the Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and in five of the first six Super Bowls.
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Conversely, Thursday’s games between the Cowboys and Commanders, the Lions and the Vikings, and the Broncos and the Chiefs are mostly irrelevant.
Four of the six teams were eliminated from playoff contention – the Commanders, Cowboys, Vikings and Chiefs, who had a combined record of 23-36-1. The Lions are 8-7, barely keeping their playoff hopes alive. With two games remaining, they are 1.5 games behind the Green Bay Packers for the NFC’s final wild-card playoff spot. Only the Broncos, who lost by 14 points at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, still retain the top seed in the AFC playoffs and are in the thick of the playoff race.