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Ex-San Francisco 49ers defensive end Drake Jackson will immediately join the active roster in Washington, his agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday, October 14.
Jackson, who was taken with the 61st pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has only six sacks to his credit in the pros and hasn’t played since 2023. What the 24-year-old can be is a versatile scheme fit for the Commanders‘ hybrid fronts.
He’s also a player familiar to general manager Adam Peters. The latter was in the front office when the Niners sent USC stud Jackson’s name to the podium over three years ago, and the Commanders recently hosted the edge defender amid a slew of injuries at a key position.
ESPN
Is the defense capable of playing better? Quarterback Jayden Daniels will bounce back from his tough plays Monday. It’s what he has always done. The defense, meanwhile, has yet to show it can consistently play well — and it has forced only three turnovers in six games. So, the short answer now is: apparently not. Six games is more than a trend. The unit surrenders too many explosive plays; Washington ranks 30th, having allowed 46 plays of 15 yards or more. The worst part for the Commanders is that they play explosive offenses each of the next two weeks on the road — Dallas and then Kansas City.
Quarterback performance: Daniels had a terrific night — and two deflating plays. He threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 52 yards. He kept drives alive with his legs, and he made the passing game work with big plays despite missing top receiver Terry McLaurin for a third consecutive game. But Daniels tossed an interception and failed to execute a handoff late, leading to a fumble. Also, the Bears consistently applied pressure on him when Washington used an empty formation; the Commanders did not adjust well enough to that look.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington struggled versus Swift. The running back had not gained more than 78 yards from scrimmage in any of his first four games this season. Yet, he rushed for 108 yards and caught two passes for 67. He consistently burned Washington. The Bears did a good job opening holes for him, but coach and playcaller Ben Johnson also helped by calling misdirection runs.
Trend to watch: Croskey-Merritt fumbled for the second consecutive game. He has done a nice job, but at times, doesn’t protect the ball well enough — and it has hurt him when running through the middle. There’s a lot to like about him, and he rushed for 175 yards combined in those two games, but it’s something to monitor. — John Keim
Next game: at Cowboys (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
NFL.com
