The Washington Commanders will visit the New York Jets this week with the two teams conducting a joint practice Thursday at the Atlantic Health Training Center before their preseason game Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
To help preview the matchup, Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby and NYJets.com's John Pullano chatted about what's on the horizon.
What is the most intriguing matchup of the Jets-Commanders joint practice?
ZS: The easy answer would be Jayden Daniels working against the Jets' secondary, but since we're discussing that in a later question, I'll go with the Commanders' offensive line against the Jets' defensive front. Washington is in the experimentation phase with its offensive line, which played a role in the team giving up the second most sacks in the league last season. Only Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie are returning starters from a year ago, with newcomers Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti and third-round pick Brandon Coleman manning center, left guard and left tackle, respectively. This weekend should be a good test for Coleman (he did miss a portion of practice with an apparent shoulder issue on Tuesday), who has held his own against Washington's best pass-rushers with his quick feet and strong punch. He'll see another talent level against Jermaine Johnson, Michael Clemons and Will McDonald IV on the outside, not to mention the possibility of seeing Quinnen Williams in certain situations. If Coleman can put together the same results against the Jets, it will go a long way to filling a massive hole on the Commanders' offensive line.
JP: I will go with the Commanders' receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson against the Jets' elite cornerback duo of two-time All-Pro Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. McLaurin is arguably the league's most underrated receiver, surpassing 1,000 yards receiving each of the last four seasons despite having played with nine different starting QBs over that span. He is paired with Dotson, the No. 16 pick in 2022 from Penn State, who is an explosive wideout that has amassed 500-plus yards each of his first two seasons. On Thursday, Gardner and Reed will have to defend against Daniels and his explosive arm and legs. Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in April's NFL Draft, threw for 40 touchdowns last season while at LSU and ran for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.
Who from the other team are you most interested to see in-person?
ZS: You always hear about how dominant Quinnen Williams can be as a pass rusher, and that level of talent does jump out when watching Jets games. However, there is something to be said about seeing a player who can impose his will like Williams in person. Now that Aaron Donald has retired, Williams is arguably the best interior defensive lineman playing today. He can certainly bull rush offensive linemen with the best of them, but he also has an impressive arsenal of moves that few players at his position possess. It will be fun to see how Washington's offensive line responds to that challenge. Biadasz, Cosmi and Allegretti have looked solid against Allen and Daron Payne, which is no small feat, but going against a top five defensive lineman will be a strong measuring stick for them.
JP: The Commanders made several notable offseason additions but one that may have flown under the radar nationally was the signing of likely future Hall of Fame LB Bobby Wagner. The former Seahawks and Rams defender is a six-time first-team All-Pro and has led the league in tackles three times in his career. Starting his 13th year in the NFL, I am intrigued to see how Wagner leads their defense against a fellow all-time great in Rodgers.
The Jets have arguably the NFL's top CB trio. How will Washington and OC Kliff Kingsbury counter on offense? How do you expect No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels to perform against Sauce Gardener and D.J. Reed?
ZS: Daniels has been an impressive passer through 10 days of practice, hitting his receivers with accurate throws that only they can catch. He's developed some strong chemistry with Terry McLaurin and also veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who is regularly talking through plays with him to find areas of improvement. He'll face a tougher task against Sauce Gardner and the Jets' defensive backs, who gave up the second fewest passing yards last season. It will be interesting to see if he can still fit passes into those tight windows with Gardner and D.J. Reed working against his top targets. I expect him to show a few growing pains, but I also believe he's going to look better than people who haven't seen him throw every day think.
Aaron Rodgers has had a strong camp returning from injury, what kinds of looks do you expect HC Dan Quinn and the defense will give him?
ZS: I would be surprised if Dan Quinn, Joe Whitt Jr. and the Commanders' defense will throw anything complex in front of Rodgers. Aside from it being the preseason, they are still trying to figure out what kind of defense they're going to be in their first season of a new regime. With that said, I do think the unit's speed and physicality will stand out. Whitt and Quinn have preached being a "run and hit" defense that flies to the ball and creates turnovers. Free agent acquisition Frankie Luvu, a former Jet, has been the enforcer for that. He can move from one end of the field to the other with ease, and he can quickly fill running lanes. I could see Washington's corners using their length to press Garrett Wilson and the rest of the Jets' receivers, which could challenge Rodgers to deliver some tight throws. I expect Rodgers to look like a future Hall of Famer, but Washington's defensive backs will test him.
