Week Three: Commanders Rookie Report
Let’s take a quick look at how the Washington Commanders’ rookies did in their first NFC East rivalry matchup of the 2022 NFL season.
Last week we took a look at Washington’s rookies after their first road trip following a week two defeat in Detroit. Let’s take a closer look at how the Commanders rookies fared in the first NFC East matchup of their careers in Week Three.
Week Three Inactive Rookies
Injured Reserve: TE Curtis Hodges, DB Josh Drayden, DT Phidarian Mathis, OG Nolan Laufenburg
RB Brian Robinson Jr.
One more week, Commanders fans…one more week. One more week until Brian Robinson is activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) and is able to play in Washington’s Week Five matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr., who was shot twice during an armed robbery attempt less than a month ago, is out here running routes. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7wOHWeDaY3 — Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 25, 2022
The team will surely be excited too, as the ground game has struggled a bit. This has led to pass-heavy games and an unbalanced use of the playbook. The Commanders will have to pull through for one more game against the Cowboys this Sunday before Robinson returns.
QB Sam Howell, OG Chris Paul
Sam Howell and Chris Paul will have to continue to wait until they can make their debuts. Hopefully, the nine-sack game that happened on Sunday doesn’t continue to be the trend, or both of these players could have their numbers called on sooner, rather than later.
TE Cole Turner
Turner was an interesting scratch Sunday, as many expected him to return in Week Three. Little did we know that Rivera hinted that his being inactive was a possibility on Sunday. Rivera seemed to have given the edge to Armani Rogers, the undrafted quarterback-turned-tight end, due to his contributions to the special teams. This will be something to monitor going forward.
Cole Turner is healthy, but that doesn't mean he'll be active on Sunday. Rivera said Armani Rogers has become a "fixture" on special teams. — Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) September 23, 2022
Week Three Active Rookies
TE Armani Rogers
Week Three: 14 snaps on offense/18%, 20 snaps on special teams/77%: One assisted tackle
Previous Week: One snap on offense/1%, 21 snaps on special teams 66%
Rogers saw an increase in snap count from last week, as he was only on the field for one offensive snap in week two. As I mentioned earlier, Rivera seems to love the impact that Rogers brings to special teams, which gives him the ‘Active’ nod over fellow rookie tight end Turner.
Defensive Backs
CB Tariq Castro-Fields
Week Three: Six snaps on defense/9%, three snaps on Special Teams/12%
Previous Week: Inactive
CB Christian Holmes
Week Three: Six snaps on defense/9%, 11 snaps on special teams/42%: One combined tackle on defense
Previous Week: 27 snaps on special teams/84%
DB Percy Butler
Week Three: Six snaps on defense/9%, 24 snaps on Special Teams/92%
Previous Week: Three snaps on defense/5%, 19 snaps on Special Teams/59%
Due to William Jackson’s game-time scratch Sunday due to a back injury, these three rookie defensive backs saw an increase in defensive snaps against the Eagles. For Holmes and Castro-Fields, it was their first time being part of the action on defense this season.
As for Butler, he saw double his week two defensive snaps this week and even saw an increase in his Special Teams usage. These are early signs of trust developing with the coaching staff and progression.
Newcomer
DT John Ridgeway III
Week Three: 20 snaps defense/29%, Six snaps Special Teams/23%
Previous Week: Not With Team
Due to an unfortunate season-ending injury to fellow rookie Phidarian Mathis, the Commanders brought in John Ridgeway, an undrafted defensive tackle from Arkansas. Ridgeway immediately had his number called upon as he was on the field for nearly a third of the Commanders’ defensive snaps.
With Ridgeway continuing to progress and Mathis working towards getting ready for his 2023 season, the Commanders defensive line depth for the near future looks to be in good hands.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidate
WR Jahan Dotson
Week Three: 67 snaps on offense/87%: Two catches, eight targets, 10 yards
Previous Week: 73 snaps on offense/99%: Four catches on five targets, 59 receiving yards, one touchdown
Dotson’s Rookie of the Year campaign came across a week three-speed bump, where the rookie standout had his worst game of the season. A key drop from Dotson summed up the Commanders offense Sunday in a nutshell.
To be fair, Dotson hasn’t had too many disappointing performances throughout his entire football career, dating back to his high school days. With that being said, we should expect to see the soft-handed wide receiver bounce back this weekend in Dallas.