Washington’s offensive line answered plenty of the preseason doubts in Week 1, and center Nick Allegretti came away encouraged by what the unit put on tape against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Commanders kept quarterback Jayden Daniels upright for most of the afternoon, allowing just one sack in the season opener. They also moved the ball on the ground with real authority, finishing with 132 rushing yards and a touchdown. For a group that entered the year with questions hanging over it, that was a solid first step.
Allegretti pointed to the line’s work on combination blocks as one of the stronger parts of the performance, while also making clear there’s still room to clean things up. He said the group needs to do a better job staying on blocks at the second level, and he also noted that a few communication misses showed up along the way.
“I thought we had a lot of good combination blocks that we’re really happy with,” center Nick Allegretti said. “I think [we] got to do a better job sticking on at the second level … So, sticking on the second level I think is really important for us.
I think we had some really good communication and then a couple of examples of just communication that we may have missed, but easy fixes. So, there was definitely, you know, a lot of good.
A good chunk of bad from last week, but I think a lot of the bad things are things that we can take care of this week and improve for next week.”
Allegretti’s own health was a storyline coming into the season after an injury-riddled training camp, and the Commanders’ front as a whole has to keep holding together if this group is going to exceed expectations without Laremy Tunsil.
Week 2 brings a Dallas Cowboys defense that gave up 165 rushing yards to the New York Giants in its opener and only managed two sacks of Jaxson Dart, resulting in a loss of one yard. The Cowboys still bring an offense that can stress Washington, but they also showed in Week 1 that their defense can be attacked.
For Allegretti, the formula is simple: run the ball first, then let everything else come off that. He said that creating respect for the ground game should help the Commanders in play-action and in dropback situations as well.
“I think there was a good chunk of runs in there which I think every offensive lineman’s gonna like,” Allegretti said. “Definitely opens up a lot of options for us in the play-action game and then, you know, hopefully opens up some options, you know, when we drop back, you know, they have to respect the run. So, I think that’s the goal: you know, make them respect the run and, you know, have some stuff open up.”
In Other News...
Tom Brady Added To The Misery Of Washingtons Ugly Afternoon
An ugly afternoon in Washington already had plenty of ways to linger, and Tom Brady added one more layer during the FOX broadcast. While calling the game, the seven-time Super Bowl winner turned heads with his blunt description of a Dak Prescott throw, then later reacted to the moment when Jayden Daniels went down with an injury, a scene that immediately changed the mood around the telecast.
Bradys unfiltered commentary quickly became part of the conversation, but the bigger issue for Washington was the sight of Daniels left elbow bending unnaturally. In a day that had already gone sideways, the injury concern for the rookie quarterback was the part that mattered most, and it left the Commanders facing an uneasy wait after an afternoon nobody in the building will want to replay. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Injury Scare Just Changed Everything For Washington
A tense halftime scene at FedEx Field changed the tone of Washingtons Week 2 meeting with Dallas in a hurry, as Jayden Daniels left on the final play of the first half with a left arm injury. The setback was especially alarming because the injury appeared to be a dislocated elbow, a similar issue to one Daniels had dealt with before, turning what had been a familiar divisional matchup into a much bigger concern for the Commanders.
Marcus Mariota took over for the second half after Daniels was carted off, leaving Washington to regroup around a different quarterback and an uncertain outlook. For a team already trying to establish its identity early in the season, the injury adds another layer of anxiety, and the immediate focus now shifts from the scoreboard to the quarterbacks status moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Styles Sent A Message Commanders Fans Should Love
Sonny Styles gave the Commanders something to build on in a tight season opener against the Eagles, flashing the kind of early impact Washington has been hoping to see from its rookie linebacker. In his debut, Styles finished with four tackles, including two for loss, along with a sack and a quarterback hit, a useful blend of disruption and activity even in a 24-22 loss.
Styles also sounded like a player who understands the standard is only going to get tougher from here, noting there are areas of his game he still needs to clean up. For Washington, the encouraging part is that a rookie already looked comfortable making plays in a high-pressure setting, and now the next test comes quickly with Dallas up next. [Read more 🡒]