The Washington Commanders are set at football’s most important position as long as Jayden Daniels is the starter, but depth is another matter, so it’s a good thing one passer “took a big lead” in an under-the-radar QB competition that played out during the preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Friday, August 8.
Although they didn’t have much to celebrate after losing 48-18 at Gillette Stadium, the performance of Josh Johnson provided some optimism for the Commanders. Specifically, the 39-year-old offered hope his team will have a competent third-string quarterback after he outplayed second-year pro Sam Hartman.
The difference in their performances was spelled out by ESPN’s John Keim. He felt it was “no surprise that Josh Johnson has looked mostly sharp tonight. Experienced vet, etc. But if there’s really a battle for the third QB spot he took a big lead.”
That’s bad news for Hartman who had already been put on notice by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, but the former undrafted free agent didn’t heed the warning. Instead, Hartman struggled with timing and velocity, in sharp contrast to Johnson.
The latter was at least efficient with the ball, making a strong case to be the next man up after injured backup Marcus Mariota.
Sam Hartman Endured Rough Night vs. Patriots
There was a theme to the way Hartman struggled in New England. It involved what The Team 980’s Lynnell Willingham called getting “these pass catchers a good look. Hartman on first glance from what I’ve wrote was rough.”
Willingham believes “Josh Johnson has to be QB2 next game if Mariota isn’t available.” It’s a decision the Commanders might have already made after Hartman was “inaccurate all night. When hitting guys, rarely giving a chance to run. A bit unsettled. on the INT, a bit late but also no drive on the ball,” per Keim.
Not being able to time and place his passes to create yards after the catch for his receivers is a major flaw for any quarterback. Particularly when the Commanders need after-catch specialists to compensate for the absence of contract holdout and marquee vertical threat Terry McLaurin.
Hartman couldn’t get it done, but Johnson fared better.
Josh Johnson Reminded Commanders of His Value
What Johnson did was use his reps in a more productive manner. He exuded a steady calm by going “15-of-22 for 173 yards, a pick, one touchdown and an 87.9 rating,” per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Perhaps Johnson’s best play was the scoring strike he threw to undrafted wide receiver Jacoby Jones. The experienced signal-caller made a quick read, but waited a beat for the route to develop, before placing the ball on the inside for Jones to make a simple catch.
Yes, this was against backups, not to mention backups of backups, in garbage time, but Johnson showed his pro-level skills. Things clearly still missing from Hartman’s skill-set.
The disparity in what both deputy QBs produced serves as a reminder to Kingsbury and head coach Dan Quinn about the value of a dependable reserve. They could trust Johnson, a 13-team veteran of 45 games and 9 starts, would be game-ready if called upon.
That’s significant peace of mind when Daniels and Mariota are both dual-threat playmakers susceptible to extra hits and a greater risk of injuries.
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