It was a sweaty 90-minute practice filled with defensive highlights and quarterback mistakes. Yet, everyone looked refreshed. A new era, one without a venomous owner, was highlighted by towering stands around the practice facility sure to be filled with thousands of fans come Thursday.
The Washington Commanders tried not to make too much of the recent ownership change as they opened training camp on Wednesday in Ashburn. Va. They’ve had plenty of practice over the years ignoring the drama surrounding them.
Related
But, excitement leaked through in this first workout, sometimes in gushing fashion. Tight end Logan Thomas looked at the massive metal stands on two sides of the field and said, “This stuff on the outside is pretty awesome.” Coach Ron Rivera tried to suppress his wide grin, but looked like the happiest man in America. No matter incoming boss Josh Harris loomed on the sideline looking more like a sports writer donning a white polo and khakis than a button-down billionaire overseeing his legacy project. Everyone knew Harris was there much like the days of predecessor Jack Kent Cooke, who simply sat on a chair and watched workouts. Indeed, Harris would speak with players hours later over his expectations so everyone wanted to make a good first impression.
“Clean slate,” said punter Tress Way.
Pads won’t come on for a few days, though the bubble wraps on linemen’s helmets returned for a second season to lessen concussion worries. By the time real hitting occurs, the heat will have baked players into a powder keg.
The offense will tire of the defense outplaying them in a no-hitting scheme where defenders can worry solely about passes. Quarterbacks made their miscues, including a nice interception off Sam Howell by safety Kamren Curl. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett was picked off by cornerback Christian Holmes and safety Terrell Burgess. Rivera said all three passers had good days, but was an easy grader.
It wasn’t the crisp passing expected by offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who yelled, “Don’t slow down” and “Go get it” to his playmakers. Bieniemy’s intensity matched the day’s heat, but then will rarely cool as the new coach is charged with ramping up this offense or else.
This will be the most pressure-filled preseason of Rivera’s four in Washington. The joint practices versus Baltimore will likely be the pinnacle of decision making on several positions, like left guard, kicker, and maybe even quarterback. That means more pressure during practices because a slow start opening against Arizona and Denver can’t be tolerated.
The second act this franchise is embracing needs to be more on the field than the celebrations around it. New owners will get old come a bad start in September.
So watch for harder practices than in Rivera’s past seasons. Maybe starters maybe taking more snaps in preseason games. It’s all about being ready for the Sept. 10 opener.
The heat is on in Ashburn.
Follow Rick Snider on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks
Keep up with 106.7 The Fan via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Keep up with 980 The Team via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram