AUGUST 23, 2021 • WASHINGTONFOOTBALL.COM
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 7-5 · 2ND IN NFC EAST
7-5 · 2ND IN NFC EAST
Next Game vs Titans · Sun 6:00PM
WAS -5.5 TOTAL 44.5
Wake Up Washington: Jamin Davis' Steady Improvements A morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Football Team on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, presented by...
Washington releases wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. ahead of second cut-down deadline The 24-year-old had a strong start to training camp, but faded in recent weeks.
AUGUST 23, 2021 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Love and football: Benjamin St-Juste's engagement part of his rookie year celebration St-Juste knows his now-fiancee, Julia Hall, will help him "keep getting better" as he begins his first season in Washington.
AUGUST 23, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM
When the smoke clears, it'll be WFT in the NFC East Boys, Big Blue, and Birds are no match for Ron Rivera and his team
AUGUST 22, 2021 • DEADSPIN.COM
Short in stature, Jaret Patterson is standing tall in preseason NFL players, heck, athletes in general, tend to shy away from comparisons. Sure, they’ll be happy to cite influences or idols, but directly...
AUGUST 22, 2021 • WASHINGTONTIMES.COM
Logan Thomas Fantasy Outlook Boosted by Preseason Usage Logan Thomas fantasy outlook boosted by preseason usage.
AUGUST 22, 2021 • FANDUEL.COM
Curtis Samuel - Return timetable unclear Coach Ron Rivera did not give a firm timetable when asked if Samuel (groin) would return to practice suggesting the wide receiver has "a little over 21 days" before the start of We...
Impact Samuel not surprisingly did not suit up for Friday's preseason win over the Bengals and could be in danger of missing the team's final exhibition contest given the lack of a concrete return timeline. The free-agent acquisition has missed most of training camp with a groin injury.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jaret Patterson's best plays vs. Bengals ' Preseason Week 2 Check out some of Washington Football Team rookie running back Jaret Patterson's best plays against the Cincinnati Bengals in Preseason Week...
AUGUST 21, 2021 • NFL.COM
Washington's Jaret Patterson is doing everything he can to make his NFL moment last Washington doesn't need Jaret Patterson. But the undrafted running back is used to being overlooked, and is forcing the team to make a tough...
AUGUST 21, 2021 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Washington's Jaret Patterson, Benjamin St-Juste continue to rise after second preseason game While the rookies played well again Friday, two of Washington's running backs and two wide receivers struggled.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Curtis Samuel - Unsurprisingly out Friday Samuel (groin) did not play in Friday's preseason win over the Bengals, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.
Impact Perhaps more alarming, Standig suggested Samuel may be in danger of missing the preseason finale if he's unable to practice at any point this week. The big-ticket offseason signing has yet to participate in training camp thanks to a lingering groin injury, but coach Ron Rivera has continually downplayed the absence suggesting Samuel already has solid knowledge of the Scott Turner offense thanks to his days with the Panthers.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Cam Sims - Loses fumbles Sims caught two of three targets for 19 yards in Friday's preseason win over Cincinnati, but he lost a fumble on one of the receptions.
Impact If you're looking for a silver lining, the fumble did come while QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and the first-team offense were still on the field. Then again, Sims might not've been on the field with them if Curtis Samuel (groin) had been ready to play. In any case, the 6-5 wideout finds himself competing for a roster spot after starting for much of last season, as Washington added Samuel, Dyami Brown and Adam Humphries this offseason. Sims looks like the fourth or fifth option at wide receiver, if he keeps his roster spot at all.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Jaret Patterson - Excels again Patterson had 16 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 25 yards in Friday's 17-13 preseason win over Cincinnati.
Impact The undrafted rookie out of Buffalo is making his case to unseat Peyton Barber as Washington's No. 3 running back, adding another strong performance Friday after taking 10 carries for a team-high 40 yards and four catches for a team-high 30 yards in the preseason opener. Even if Barber sticks around for special teams and/or short-yardage work, Patterson might convince Washington to keep four running backs on the Week 1 roster. And, if nothing else, he'll have a shot to be signed by another team should Washington try to sneak him on to the practice squad.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Adam Humphries - Sees three targets from Fitzpatrick Humphries finished without a catch on three targets in Friday's preseason game against Cincinnati.
Impact The good news is that Humphries saw all three of his targets from projected starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, after accounting for two of Fitz's eight passes in the preseason opener. The veteran slot receiver is now just 1-of-5 for six yards this preseason, but the usage suggests he's on track for the No. 3 receiver role, or at least in position to split it with another player -- possibly rookie third-round pick Dyami Brown. Humphries probably needs the job to himself to have a real shot at mainstream fantasy value, even in an offense that heavily relies on three-wide sets.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Logan Thomas - Catches pass for 28 yards Thomas caught one of two targets for 28 yards in Friday's 17-13 preseason win over the Bengals.
Impact The tight end took a short pass for 28 yards on the first snap of the game, with his second target being a third-down incompletion to end the opening drive. Signed to a three-year extension earlier this summer, the late-blooming Thomas enters his age-30 season locked in as Washington's starting tight end. He may even handle a three-down role again, though a repeat of last year's target total (110) seems unlikely after the team bolstered its WR room this offseason. Thomas will open his season with two games in quick succession, with Washington hosting the Chargers on Sept. 12 and the Giants on Sept. 16 (TNF in Week 2).
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
'It's not surprising me': Washington's Jaret Patterson continues his preseason dominance Patterson is quickly rising up the ranks from undrafted free agent to someone who has made the Week 1 roster.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Benjamin St-Juste Keeps Calm And Thrives Under Pressure St-Juste had every reason to let nerves overwhelm him, but St-Juste handled the situation in stride.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • WASHINGTONFOOTBALL.COM
J.D. McKissic - Involved only as receiver McKissic was targeted once and tallied one reception for four yards in Friday's preseason game against the Bengals.
Impact McKissic didn't see a rushing attempt, as both Antonio Gibson and Jaret Patterson handled carries with presumed starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Instead, McKissic recorded his lone touch of the game with a third-down reception that came just short of the yardage required. McKissic figures to serve primarily as a receiver out of Washington's backfield, with Antonio Gibson and Peyton Barber likely positioned to handle carries ahead of him.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Dyami Brown - Another pair of catches Brown recorded two receptions on four targets for 33 yards in Friday's preseason game against Cincinnati.
Impact Brown had mixed results in his second professional game. He began the contest with a drop -- albeit on a tough opportunity -- but he bounced back to record a 29-yard catch over cornerback Darius Phillips. With Curtis Samuel (groin) still sidelined, Brown had valuable reps with presumed starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Though he may start the season in a reserve role, Brown figures to have the chance to enter three-receiver sets at some point in the campaign.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Antonio Gibson - Handles nine touches Gibson rushed the ball seven times for 28 yards and also recorded two receptions for 19 yards in Friday's preseason game against Cincinnati.
Impact Gibson played in all four series with presumed starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, lasting the entire first quarter. Though he didn't find the end zone, Gibson did provide chunk gains of nine and seven yards on the ground as well as a 14-yard reception. Gibson has been in the news recently after Kyle Allen told the media that the team wants to use him in a Christian McCaffrey role this season. While it remains to be seen if Gibson can live up to that standard, it appears that he is fully healthy after dealing with a toe injury into the offseason and that the team is ready to fully utilize his talents as both a rusher and receiver.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Taylor Heinicke - Follows Fitzpatrick again Heinicke completed 11 of his 13 passes for 80 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in Friday's preseason game against Cincinnati. He also added four rushes for 26 yards.
Impact Heinicke relieved Ryan Fitzpatrick on the team's first possession of the second quarter. He led four drives and was accurate with the ball, though he didn't look to push the ball down the field. Eight of Heinicke's 11 completions went for under 10 yards. One notable exception to his conservative play came on a pair of connections with Antonio Gandy-Golden that went for gains of 16 and 17 yards. Washington has not formally named Fitzpatrick the starting quarterback, though Heinicke faces long odds to overtake him for top spot on the depth chart come the regular season.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCES: Washington vs. Cincinnati
AUGUST 21, 2021 • YOUTUBE
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Football Team ' Preseason Week 2 2021 NFL Game Highlights
AUGUST 21, 2021 • YOUTUBE
Ryan Fitzpatrick - Struggles to get offense moving Fitzpatrick completed seven of his 13 pass attempts for 96 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in Friday's preseason game against the Bengals.
Impact Fitzpatrick led four offensive series for Washington, though that resulted in only three points. However, he did connect with some of his top receivers for big gains, highlighted by a 28-yard completion to Logan Thomas and a 29-yard gain on a deep pass to Dyami Brown. Though Fitzpatrick has not been formally named the starter in Washington to begin the season, he has started both of the team's preseason games to this point and is presumably locked into the role.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCES: Washington vs. Cincinnati
AUGUST 21, 2021 • YOUTUBE
