The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team unless specified by a direct quote.
It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another edition of Hail Mail. There's no need to delay, so let's get into what Commanders fans want to know this week.
@GCarmi: Which second-year player has impressed you the most this offseason? You can't say Mike Sainristil or Jayden Daniels.😂
Okay, fair enough, George. Since you took the two easiest answers off the board (and, by the way, those two are genuinely the best answers), I'll go with Johnny Newton. Although he's not a starter -- that role has been taken by Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw -- he is playing like the first-round pick the Commanders thought he would be before he slipped into the second round. You can really tell that he's gotten more comfortable in the system. He's quicker, more physical and even better with his hands. You saw him shed off his blocker in the preseason game against the Patriots and get to Drake Maye for the sack-fumble. Those are the things Newton has always been capable of but didn't do on a consistent basis as a rookie.
@rochaser: pistol formation...a lot on Friday...same in camp.
Not really a question, but I understand where you're coming from. I noticed that as well, although I can't really determine whether that is something they actively want to implement this season or if it was just a ploy for the Patriots. It might be a wrinkle to their offense, but I don't foresee it being used as much as it was in New England. I could see some advantages to it; the formation allows for more versatility and makes it more difficult for defenses to guess the play. It also allows running backs to get a running start before taking a handoff, and considering how successful the run game was last year, it's logical for the Commanders to find ways to maximize that. I think it'll be something to watch during the next preseason game. If they run out of that formation a lot against the Bengals with the starters on the field, there might be something more to it.
@CamAlexander91: How's the chemistry going between the o line and tight ends on blocking counter/pulling run plays that involve multiple tight ends?
I've been impressed with how those two groups have looked so far in camp. Those outside runs can be tricky at times, as you have to basically sprint to the defensive player's outside shoulder while they are also sprinting towards the ball carrier. Fortunately, the tackles and tight ends have done a good job of working together to pass off double teams and move up to the second level of the defense. I have a suspicion that we're going to get a lot more multiple tight end sets this year. The unofficial depth chart lists two starting tight end slots, which was different from last year. Now, to be fair, that is just the unofficial depth chart, so it could be nothing, but if there's a grain of truth to it, then we could potentially see the Commanders use 12 personnel as their base offensive formation. And as someone who played offensive line for 12 years, that really gets me excited.
@bfootball117948: Starters going to play in week 2 of preseason?
Yes, Daniels and the rest of the Commanders' starters are expected to get some action in their second preseason game, although I wouldn't expect many snaps from them. I believe there are two main reasons for this: 1) there's the obvious injury concern that the team is acutely aware of. I hate to even think about it, but it would be a travesty if a key player were to go down with an injury in a game that doesn't matter, especially if you consider how high the expectations are for this team in 2025. 2) I think this offense is trying to take the next step in its evolution this season. They obviously haven't shown us everything in practice, but there is clearly serious potential with the unit. Considering how this staff likes to keep everything they do under wraps (as season. They obviously haven't shown us everything in practice, but there is clearly serious potential with the unit. Considering how this staff likes to keep everything they do under wraps (as season. They obviously haven't shown us everything in practice, but there is clearly serious potential with the unit. Considering how this staff likes to keep everything they do under wraps (and rightfully so) I don't think they want this year's opponents to get much film on them. I expect they will be on the field for one, maybe two series, and they will run s season. They obviously haven't shown us everything in practice, but there is clearly serious potential with the unit. Considering how this staff likes to keep everything they do under wraps (and rightfully so) I don't think they want this year's opponents to get much film on them. I expect they will be on the field for one, maybe two series, and they will run a bunch of vanilla concepts.s season. They obviously haven't shown us everything in practice, but there is clearly serious potential with the unit. Considering how this staff likes to keep everything they do under wraps (and rightfully so) I don't think they want this year's opponents to get much film on them. I expect they will be on the field for one, maybe two series, and they will run a bunch of vanilla concepts.
