Pete's Post Office: Will multiple QBs start for Commanders? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Every Tuesday, Pete Hailey will answer questions from Commanders fans about their favorite and always-interesting team. From inquiries about the depth chart to random ones about what it's like to cover Washington, he hopes to provide insight into whatever is on the mind of those who care so much about the organization.
In this edition, Pete touches on whether the squad will have the same signal-caller for all of 2022, defines the Buffalo nickel position and dives into a little fantasy football preview.
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Ron Rivera, Scott Turner, you, every other Commanders fan and Carson Wentz all hope the answer to this question is under, because that'll mean Wentz is performing well enough to hold down a job that's been impossible for anyone to hold down over the past couple of seasons (and decades, too, unless your name is Kirk/Kurt Cousins).
However, I'll say over, simply based on the track record of this franchise.
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Me picking that side of this hypothetical prop bet isn't necessarily based on the inaccuracy I'm seeing from Wentz at training camp, although that certainly hasn't inspired me into believing he'll resurrect his career with Washington.
Instead, I'm worried more about how long he's been holding the ball, which in turn has me wondering if he could get nicked up at some point in 2022.
Plus — and again, this won't be ideal — if the Commanders enter December with a poor record, it might be in their best interest to toss Sam Howell out there for a start or two just to get a feel for what he can do in the NFL.
So, overall, I'm quite comfortable in saying that at least two different passers will start for Rivera's club this season, even if envisioning such a scenario is uncomfortable.
The Buffalo nickel role is one that Rivera mentions often, and I'm sure Will is not alone in hearing the term and wanting a deeper understanding of what it entails. So, let's discuss it.
Traditionally, the nickel cornerback is just the defense's third corner (and, on most occasions, the slot corner). But because that player is a typical corner and typical corners tend to be on the smaller side, opposing offenses can pit him against one of their tight ends or larger receivers and exploit him.
So, to counteract that, Rivera likes to deploy a Buffalo nickel, a niche he likes to fill with bigger, more physical options (someone with a hybrid-type skill set). It's something that Kam Curl did as a rookie (he's 6-foot-2 and almost 200 pounds), and though Landon Collins actually handled a lot of standard linebacker responsibilities last season, he's another Buffalo nickel-caliber guy.
Looking ahead to this year, Curl could very well slide into the position once again; if Rivera and Jack Del Rio want him to do so, they could use Bobby McCain and Darrick Forrest on the back end when the down-and-distance calls for the Buffalo.
Now, Forrest could be their choice, too. Percy Butler and Khaleke Hudson are other potential fits. Or, lastly, the coaches could simply roll out Benjamin St-Juste (who's 6-foot-3 and about 200 pounds and who has been patrolling the slot in camp so far) in nickel scenarios and not need to designate a different Buffalo nickel.
Essentially, the Buffalo nickel is Rivera's way of answering offenses that want to generate favorable matchups with their taller and stronger targets when it's time to throw. Time will tell if he entrusts a particular defender for the job this year or decides to use a mix.
As someone who covers a professional football operation for his job, I'd sure like to claim that I'm a fantasy football extraordinaire in my personal leagues. Unfortunately, I'm just as clueless as everyone else.
Yet if you think that's going to stop me from dispensing fantasy football takes in the coming paragraphs, you're dead wrong.
Of all the Washington skill players, Jahan Dotson represents my favorite selection based on where he'll go and the production you'll get out of him (especially in PPR formats). While Wentz is still learning Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel (and will have to acquaint himself with Logan Thomas when Thomas eventually returns), he seems to be most at ease when looking in the rookie's direction.
As for the running backs, it's awfully difficult to wade through that crew. Having said that, if I had to only stump for one, I'd push for folks to draft J.D. McKissic.
Yes, I'm enamored by Antonio Gibson's skill set, yet I'm not totally confident that he'll separate himself enough from McKissic and Brian Robinson Jr. and prove to be a weekly lineup fixture. McKissic, on the other hand, has a defined place in the Commanders' lineup and should be a reliable flex running back, even if his ceiling isn't too high.
