With the start of the 2022-2023 NFL season less than a week away, teams have finalized their 53 man rosters. Pre-season games reveal a small sample size of what fans can expect out of some of their newly acquired players and young talent. The Washington Commanders didn’t win a pre-season game. Their efforts didn’t go without some notable events, though, including a player being shot shortly after.
It’s only pre-season
The Gold and Burgundy went up against the Panthers, Chiefs, and Ravens this pre-season. Losses in these games are not a major cause for concern, but wins are definitely more reassuring. Ron Rivera’s team looked a little slow to start on both ends of the ball. Carolina won a close afair 23-21 where newly acquired quarterback Carson Wentz briefly lined up for the Commanders. He looked to fit in, constructing a touchdown drive in his limited action.
Taylor Heinicki took the reigns for the majority of their second loss against the Chiefs, displaying his familiarity with the offense he ran for the majority of last season. The rookie quarterback out of UNC Sam Howell took over for their third outing against the Ravens in another close loss. Howell played adequately in the game and in his first pre-season contest, showing he is still learning how to play at a higher level. He compiled 547 yards with a touchdown and an interception through the three game span.
Watch out for… bullets?!
Another rookie, running back Brian Robinson, showed his tenacity when given the snaps this pre-season. He outshined all runners on the team. Robinson was in contention to take on a lot of the starting early down work come regular season, until he was recently the victim of a shooting in an attempted carjacking. Fortunately, the sustained injuries were declared non life-threatening after he made it to the hospital. Now in stable condition, he revealed the the following surgery was successful and he is on the road to recovery.
*CK from Gridiron Heroics goes into more detail on the incident here
Per Ian Rapaport, Robinson “was shot in the glute and lower leg.” His ability to return to the field anytime soon is unclear at this time. Now, Antonio Gibson and third down specialist J.D. McKissic will hold down the fort until the rookie running back can rejoin the team. The Commanders kick off their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11th. Robinson’s teammates and coaching staff will eagerly await him returning to the fold and hope to have their team in a good position when that happens. Everyone is extremely relieved that he is okay.
Follow me @MasonOrcutt and follow @GridironHeroics for the latest in NFL https://Gridironheroics.com
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
