Commanders have ‘room for improvement’ after underwhelming joint practice with Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Washington Commanders are not where they want to be. That’s what defensive tackle Jon Allen said after a soggy joint practice Thursday that saw coach Dan Quinn’s squad struggle in a downpour against the New York Jets.

The Commanders’ offense, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, looked out of sync all day and the defense had trouble stopping a Jets attack that lacked star quarterback Aaron Rodgers — New York’s coaches rested the 40-year-old signal-caller to prevent injury on the soaked fields.

Even the special teams units underperformed: Kickers Riley Patterson and Ramiz Ahmed each missed several field goals.

“Obviously, we’re not where we want to be,” Allen said. “But I don’t think it’s a bad start at all.”

Quinn has said he’s pleased with his squad’s development through offseason activities and training camp. But Thursday’s joint practice was an important benchmark — a first chance to see his players face NFL competition wearing something other than burgundy and gold.

“It’s a lot of fun for a coach because you’ll get a lot of film out of today,” he said before emphasizing communication, ball security and speed. “Those three things are top of the pile for me.”

The two teams battled against the weather and each other, as steady rain kept the balls and the field slick. But that’s part of football, several players noted.  

Wide receiver Jahan Dotson said he was both prepared and ready for the less-than-ideal conditions.

“Prepared, as in, they told me it was going to rain. Ready, as in, I was ready to go inside,” the Penn State product joked. “It’s good work though, because not every game is gonna be sunshine and rainbows. You never know the element you’re gonna plan in on Sundays.”

Practicing with another team brings an intensity often missing from training camps. But Quinn told his players to avoid the fights that have dominated conversations at joint practices around the NFL.

“All we’re looking to do is come and compete and battle and enjoy it,” he said. “Not looking for anything past that.”

He got his wish, minus a chippy exchange between cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year beat Forbes early and often during the team drills, leading to some light pushing and shoving after one play during 11-on-11 drills.

“They had some good concepts in there, stuff that gave us challenges,” Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil said of the Jets offense. “I think the best thing for us is being able to go back to the film room and see what they did and learn from it.”

While Washington’s secondary struggled, the highly-touted defensive line performed as advertised. The group, led by Allen, disrupted several plays at the line of scrimmage and applied pressure to New York’s quarterbacks.

But Thursday’s struggles extended to all three phases of the Commanders’ roster, as the kickers underperformed and the offense struggled to find explosive plays.

Washington’s rookie quarterback was mostly held to check-down passes as New York’s pass rush bore down on him. The Commanders’ offensive line — which was missing projected starters Brandon Coleman, Andrew Wylie and Sam Cosmi — was no match for the Jets’ star-studded pash rush.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner fared better during the 7-on-7 drills, including a deep pass down the right sideline that wide receiver Dyami Brown grabbed with one hand.

“He’s gonna be nice,” Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said, noting that he and Daniels exchanged pre-snap trash talk throughout the day. “He had some great throws out there.”

The film from Thursday’s practice, from the great throws to the blown coverage, will inform Washington’s preparation as they look toward the regular season.

“We still have room for improvement,” cornerback Michael Davis said. “That’s what we’re going to do: go back to the drawing board and watch the film and see what we can correct.”

The recently overhauled Burgundy and Gold will have another shot at the Jets on Saturday during their preseason opener at MetLife Stadium. For rookies like Daniels, Coleman and Sainristil, the game will be their first taste of an NFL gameday.

“They’ve been waiting their whole lives to play in the NFL,” Quinn said. “My message to them will be: You’ve already been doing it every day in practice.”