John KeimESPN Editor5 minute read
ASHBURN, Va. – Perhaps the nuance of the game mattered more than the yards gained. It highlighted the growth between Washington Commanders RECIPIENT Terry McLaurin and quarterback Sam Howell. A play designed for Howell to throw one way ended up having to be thrown another. Howell adjusted; McLaurin adjusted. And an 18-yard completion followed.
This play in Sunday’s victory against the Atlanta Falcons represents the kind of subtle growth Washington needs to continue to have if it wants the passing game to thrive.
Adaptability will be essential when commanders (3-3) play New York Giants (1-5) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale known for his pressure packages – especially against young quarterbacks like Howell.
“It’s a work in progress,” Washington wide receivers coach Bobby Engram said, “but it’s good work.”
They don’t get as many yards after the catch, although their receiving yards are comparable to last season after six games. As a group, the Commanders’ receivers rank 28th in this area. McLaurin had 367 total yards at this point in 2022; he has 342 now but on nine additional catches. Curtis Samuel has two fewer yards on seven fewer catches. Jahan Dotson got 12 fewer yards on five more catches.
Finding more production from receivers was a topic among coaches before Atlanta.
“You talk about the impact of each guy and his ability to make a big impact: ‘Hey, what can we do? How can we do it? What can we do better?’ These are conversations that have been had,” coach Ron Rivera said. “Getting the ball to them in space is very important because of their ability to run for yards after the catch. I think part of the problem is also, again, getting the ball out of Sam’s hands quickly. “
No Commanders receiver has surpassed 100 yards in a game this season.
McLaurin has gone 10 straight games without surpassing 100 yards. The last time happened in a tie 20-20 at the Giants in Week 13 last season. This is the longest such streak of his career.
However, McLaurin also finished with at least 100 yards three times in seven games against the Giants. And Dotson’s only 100-yard game came in a loss to the Giants in Week 15.
New York likes to pressure quarterbacks and play in man coverage. Washington hopes this leads to more big plays. The Commanders’ wideouts have combined for six plays of at least 25 yards, tied for 21st in the NFL. Last season, they ranked sixth on those plays.
But keep this in mind against a team that likes to play man: Washington averages 4.65 yards after the catch against man and 2.27 against zone. The Commanders receivers have to get off the line quicker than they have at times this season.
“We know how much (the Giants) like to apply pressure and how much they like to play man-to-man with their back half,” Dotson said. “It’s a challenge for us to make sure we’re open, to get open with urgency. When you play teams like this and they bring a lot of guys, one missed tackle can lead to a big play .”
Sometimes it’s about the subtleties: On a 10-yard catch against the Falcons’ zone coverage, Howell’s pass not only came just after McLaurin turned, but it was also delivered to his shoulder inside – and prompted McLaurin to turn to the inside, where there was a bigger gap. authorized five additional meters. Another time, McLaurin broke a tackle and gained 15 yards after the catch.
“It’s just a matter of time and these guys are all really good after the catch,” Howell said. “It’s just a matter of putting yourself in those situations and giving them good throws where they keep running.”
But the hiccups will continue as receivers adjust to coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s system. This requires them to travel routes from different locations; Dotson, for example, was targeted as many times from the slot (12) as he did all of last season.
Last week, he dropped the only pass intended for him.
“It’s just one of those unlucky things for Jahan,” Howell said. “But we trust Jahan. He’s a heck of a player. I’m going to continue to try to do everything I can to get him the ball, like all of our guys.”
But McLaurin returns to those games against Atlanta. On Washington’s first drive, Howell connected with Samuel on a third-and-9 for 16 yards. On the play, Samuel started around the middle and was then supposed to run a deep corner.
However, the Falcons’ two deep zone coverage began to drift this way. So Samuel slowed down and Howell threw the ball inside, away from the defenders.
“Sam stopped him with the throw,” McLaurin said. “It’s the little details you see.”
Then, in the second quarter, McLaurin caught his 18-yard pass. He’s spoken in the past about wanting to develop a bond with a quarterback — Howell is the 10th starting quarterback he’s played with since joining Washington in 2019 — until they adjust to the fly.
On the 18-yard play, McLaurin ran a shallow cross to the left at less than full speed, hoping to draw less attention while Samuel cleared the secondary to that side. Howell then hit him over the top and drove him into the end zone.
However, the corner AJ Terrell let Samuel pass and was able to defend an overhand throw. So McLaurin looked back early, to show Howell he was ready for the pass, and Howell took a back shoulder throw as he was hit.
McLaurin said he made sure to look back earlier than planned so Howell knew he read it the same way.
“It was like we saw the same thing at the same time,” McLaurin said. “It’s a sign of growth. We didn’t plan on it or talk about it, but it was something where the receiver and the quarterback were on the same page, so it turned out to be a very good game.”
This is part of how they want to evolve. Howell must learn how his receivers will handle various coverages; receivers need to know that Howell reads it the same way they do – and where he will throw the ball against that look.
“We didn’t necessarily plan or talk about that look,” McLaurin said, “but it was something where the receiver and the quarterback were on the same page, so it turned out to be a really good play. It was a really cool example of our execution.”
