2025 Washington Commanders Camp / Preseason

[skinsinparadise]

Pedro schmith, pfffff, he's just trying to get more eyeballs on his content.

I dont trust anyone who opens all his content with "yo what is up guys"

Some hyperbole in that tweet from Pedro but also not a mile off. He took it from I gather Nicki's podcast with Standig where she said she could see the season go either way -- good or bad-- based on what she's seen. She likes somethings she's seen in camp like the D line. She thinks the WR room is code red, including Luke in her eyes having a bad camp.

The comment about camp that's the most damning -- granted its just opinion is from Bram who said he's surprised by the lack fo energy of this camp and he also said based on what he's seen in camp this team's showing in NE didn't surprise him.

 

[Conn]

I mean, I’m not going to act completely unconcerned that Nicki J and Bram think the energy at camp is different right now than it was last year, especially after we got outworked by the Pats with a chip on their shoulder. We had the chip on OUR shoulder last year, and won 12 games (many in very close or miraculous fashion). So yeah, it concerns me that this team might think they’ve arrived when they haven’t. It’s a delicate thing when your roster isn’t stacked. The best teams never act like they’ve arrived. Our energy, togetherness, and chippiness is where we got our edge last year. It’s fair to be concerned because that edge can’t be taken for granted, it must be honed endlessly every year.

It’s corny as hell but Jalen Hurts won’t even put on his Super Bowl ring. Every offseason the Chiefs convince themselves they are underdogs. Sometimes it’s laughable how these guys mentally trick themselves into keeping the chip on their shoulders after they become successful millionaires, but managing to find a way to do it over and over is what separates psycho competitors.

So yeah, I’m worried there’s a possibility that we caught lightning in a bottle last year and won’t have that same edge. In fact it terrifies me (in a sports fan way, in the small corner of my mind that can afford to care too much about this stuff).

 

[Riggo44]

She responded to Pedro...

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Supposedly some of what Nicki is talking about is the outside WR position. Assuming Noah Brown gets hurt again, which he always has throughout his career, there's nobody at outside WR that has shown much of anything that can help fill that Noah Brown role.

 

[Chris 44]

Supposedly some of what Nicki is talking about is the outside WR position. Assuming Noah Brown gets hurt again, which he always has throughout his career, there's nobody at outside WR that has shown much of anything that can help fill that Noah Brown role.

As others have also pointed out WR is code red this offseason both in free agency and draft. TM returns or not, it doesn't diminish the need. Interested to see what Deebo does this year and if we bring him back, but again WR is a must no matter what.

 

[Conn]

It’s not ideal, but when game planning is happening I trust Kliff to get other guys open if the worst happens (the outside guys all get injured). Slots and backs have eaten under Kliff before, and Daniels makes the whole thing go. You’re not dead in the water relying on YAC from Deebo, Lane, TE’s, Ekeler/JCM. It’s not ideal of course, we need to upgrade at outside WR immensely going forward.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I mean, I’m not going to act completely unconcerned that Nicki J and Bram think the energy at camp is different right now than it was last year, especially after we got outworked by the Pats with a chip on their shoulder. We had the chip on OUR shoulder last year, and won 12 games (many in very close or miraculous fashion). So yeah, it concerns me that this team might think they’ve arrived when they haven’t. It’s a delicate thing when your roster isn’t stacked. The best teams never act like they’ve arrived. Our energy, togetherness, and chippiness is where we got our edge last year. It’s fair to be concerned because that edge can’t be taken for granted, it must be honed endlessly every year.

It’s corny as hell but Jalen Hurts won’t even put on his Super Bowl ring. Every offseason the Chiefs convince themselves they are underdogs. Sometimes it’s laughable how these guys mentally trick themselves into keeping the chip on their shoulders after they become successful millionaires, but managing to find a way to do it over and over is what separates psycho competitors.

So yeah, I’m worried there’s a possibility that we caught lightning in a bottle last year and won’t have that same edge. In fact it terrifies me (in a sports fan way, in the small corner of my mind that can afford to care too much about this stuff).

Yeah Quinn asked how does hit feel now to be the hunted instead of the hunters and he said they will always be the hunters. I like that answer. But that's easier said then done.

Some within the national media, etc has this team as a chic SB pick. Von coming here to win a SB. Some celebrated off season moves. On and on. Feels like some celebration going on. And I get it, its a crazy turnaround in one season. But they need to keep their edge.

When they play teams this season, many of them know it will be a celebrated win if they can pull off the upset. The opponents will often be the hunters.

lol, got my radio on as am typing this and Eye of the Tiger comes on (fate ). Wonder if this team might need some Rocky 3 type adversity and knocked off their pedestal some to find their edge -- Rocky 3 style.

I actually like that we open against the Giants. The Giants are likely the team coming into that game more prepared as to preseason reps, and hungrier -- am not rooting of course for a loss but losing to the lowly Giants might help them find their edge really fast.

 

[Conn]

Yeah Quinn asked how does hit feel now to be the hunted instead of the hunters and he said they will always be the hunters. I like that answer. But that's easier said then done.

Some within the national media, etc has this team as a chic SB pick. Von coming here to win a SB. Some celebrated off season moves. On and on. Feels like some celebreation going on. And I get it, its a crazy turnaround in one season. But they need to keep their edge.

When they play teams this season, many of them know it will be a celebrated win if they can pull off the upset. The opponents will often be the hunters.

lol, got my radio on as am typing this and Eye of the Tiger comes on (fate ). Wonder if this team might need some Rocky 3 type adversity and knocked off their pedestal some to find their edge -- Rocky 3 style.

I actually like that we open against the Giants. The Giants are likely the team coming into that game more prepared as to preseason reps, and hungrier -- am not rooting of course for a loss but losing to the lowly Giants might help them find their edge really fast.

I completely agree with you, I think that Giants game has the potential to be a bit of a wake up call to the roster that we aren’t there yet—we have the talent to still pull out the W but I think if they’re too comfortable being labeled elite, thinking we’ve already arrived, that game will show them even the dregs of the league are gonna take their best shot every week to try to knock us off, and the Giants are better positioned than most to know us really well and historically whoop us or put up way more of a fight than they do against anyone else, as you’ve noted many times before.

And I have the unfortunate suspicion that a lot of our players are going to need that reality check, so it occurring early is a silver lining imo. They have to start hot if they want to compete in the division, let alone dominate it. Early test and we will be favored

 

[CuredFromBatteredFanSyndrome]

Am I alone in not loving that 30 guys didn’t dress last week where we got dog walked, now the joint practice is cancelled and not all starters will be playing this weekend against the Bengals?

 

[heisenberg]

Am I alone in not loving that 30 guys didn’t dress last week where we got dog walked, now the joint practice is cancelled and not all starters will be playing on Monday?

I wouldn't say you're alone but i definitely prefer it to the alternative, where those 30 guys do dress and play and we still get dog walked.
Im not denying that we could regress this year and there are some discouraging signs but i refuse to buy too much into preseason especially when your top 30 guys dont dress.

Every team, every coach and every year is totally different when it comes to the pre season.

Sometimes bad teams look good, sometimes good teams look bad and vice versa, there are subtle indicators that can be worrisome and obviously injuries to key starters are very bad but overall its almost impossible to discern how a team is going to look in the regular season based off pre season so i just dont worry until the real bullets start flying unles injuries start piling up which for us we're still in pretty good shape.

As has been stated several times, remember osaka!

 

[skinsinparadise]

Am I alone in not loving that 30 guys didn’t dress last week where we got dog walked, now the joint practice is cancelled and not all starters will be playing this weekend against the Bengals?

Yeah I don't love it. Especially with their first week opponent playing their starters and looking really good. the Giants backups looked good. If you dropped me onto Earth from space and had me watch both preseason games without any preconceptions -- I'd think Washington is the big under dog versus New York in week 1, not the reverse.

If we sleepwalk our way through preseason, I have some concerns about the early part of the season.

Right now, if I am forced to bet. I'd bet we start 0-2. There is a lot of talk about how last year was flukish and whatever else doom and gloom narratives are put out there. And then, the team takes off.

I'd be surprised if they have a bad season. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if they need a few games to regain their edge.

 

[CuredFromBatteredFanSyndrome]

There is only but so much stock one can put into training camp and preseason. However there is every reason in the world, besides missing Terry, for the media to be brimming with enthusiasm talking up every aspect of the team. That’s not really happening. The comments from folks about missing energy, the bad offense in the BG game. Add to that, no real commitment to playing guys in preseason.

The vibes should be very good and they simply aren’t. Again, there’s only but so much stock you can put into this stuff - but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer more starter snaps and positivity.

 

[heisenberg]

I'll start worrying if the giants kick our ass (which is a possibility) until then im not concerned at all.

 

[heisenberg]

Ill bet the giants message boards are having a field day reading all the posts about how we think they're gonna roll us.

 

[burgold]

Yeah I don't love it. Especially with their first week opponent playing their starters and looking really good. the Giants backups looked good. If you dropped me onto Earth from space and had me watch both preseason games without any preconceptions -- I'd think Washington is the big under dog versus New York in week 1, not the reverse.

If we sleepwalk our way through preseason, I have some concerns about the early part of the season.

Right now, if I am forced to bet. I'd bet we start 0-2. There is a lot of talk about how last year was flukish and whatever else doom and gloom narratives are put out there. And then, the team takes off.

I'd be surprised if they have a bad season. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if they need a few games to regain their edge.

I think one of the biggest thing Quinn has to do is battle inflated head syndrome. I will worry until it's time not to that the players think they've arrived and let their edge grow dull. Prove me wrong, prove that you don't let the tiniest success go to your head and make you fall back to Earth hard. That's what the regression to the mean means to me.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I'm going to do what I do every year and channel my inner Zorn and "stay medium" until October. Nobody knows anything in the NFL until you're 4-5 games in.

If we're below .500 after 5 games, I'll panic and start a FIRE FIRE FIRE! Who needs to be FIRED thread. (Some folks from ES might get that reference. And no, I won't ACTUALY start the thread.)

But until then, it's all interesting, not necessarily important. (Thank you Ron.)

 

[Bulldog]

I think there are enough new players on the roster who were not part of 12-5 to believe fat heads is not what ails.

The roster is getting better with Tunsil and our picks on offense as well as Amos and some of the vets on the DL.

What this team does not have yet are 3-4 years of quality drafts to put second and third line players out there that excel in well founded and established roles.

That depth issue was 2x worse last year. This year we have some breakout candidates.

Who really knows what Merritt or Lane are going to contribute?

If Merritt becomes Isaiah Pacheco and produces yards and TDs this team will be much more explosive.

Lane has the type of speed that that is a difficult matchup for most inside CBs.

But for another season the team will likely again look to Daniels to make the difference during crunch time during the regular season.

Him being on the field adds 14-17 points from the jump and allows others to be put in the best spots.

Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson are guys I would say at this stage are not final 53 material.

What you saw in Game 1 was some uninspired play that started with an offense without a capable trigger man.

 

[burgold]

Lane has the type of speed that that is a difficult matchup for most inside CBs.

Even if Lane this year can lock down the PR position that'll be a big change. Been a pretty long time since we had a returner whose biggest play wasn't a fair catch.

 

[Bulldog]

Yep, Brian Mitchell.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I had so much hope for Steve Sims Jr....