Commanders DBs Quan Martin, Emmanuel Forbes Bouncing Back Nicely

Washington Commanders rookie defensive backs Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin have had some rough days in the past week or so, but both are looking resilient and ready for Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders came together for one more practice ahead of their Monday Night Football preseason contest against the Baltimore Ravens in FedEx Field.

With the dust mostly settled on the announcement that Sam Howell will be the Commanders' starting quarterback to start the season, the team got back to work as usual trying to get better every day in preparation for the long schedule of regular season competition ahead.

Here's what happened as annotated in our Day 19 training camp notebook ...

YOUNG AND DEFENSIVE

Rookie defensive back Quan Martin caught some flak from fans on social media following Washington's win over the Cleveland Browns and his play in it during his first NFL action ever. 

He took it in stride, using it as motivation to get better rather than letting it drag him down. 

"I feel pretty good," Martin said when we asked him about his mindset entering this weekend against Baltimore. "It's just taking the last game and putting it to bed...Learning from the little things I can take away from that game and apply it to the next game and be better."

In practice, Martin looked fluid and confident - not perfect - but where you want to see a young defensive back who oftentimes finds himself playing with a lot of space around him. 

"Being in the slot there's a lot of space in there," Martin said when we asked him about the finer details that go into playing his position. "A lot of times too you got a two-way go so just being able to anticipate routes and just stick to your technique and let it just guide you through the play."

His classmate and Commanders teammate cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a better game in Cleveland but had a less successful time in joint practices against the Baltimore Ravens.

But he's come back to Ashburn playing with confidence as well and on Saturday Forbes accounted for two really strong pass defenses - one against receiver Terry McLaurin and another in coverage on running back Antonio Gibson - and had an interception off a deflected pass in the end zone.

HOWELL WATCH NO. 19

We charted three of the four 11-on-11 sets for quarterback Sam Howell because the fourth was at an accelerated walk-through pace and not nearly as competitive.

In the three competitive periods, Howell completed six of his 12 attempts throwing two touchdowns and one interception. 

While those numbers alone may not inspire much confidence it's important to add context as most of those throws were coming from the 10-yard line or closer as Washington worked on some late-game scenarios. 

In fact, the interception came on a play where the situation dictated the offense needed a touchdown, or a loss would be firmly in hand. 

Putting the ball in play in that situation is always risky, but it's better to lose on an attempted throw than a sack. 

Of course, it's better to win than either of those options, something that would have happened in two of the three scenarios today.

One of Howell's touchdown passes went to running back Brian Robinson Jr. and the other to McLaurin.

INJURY UPDATES

Missing the final practice before Monday night were tight end Logan Thomas, cornerback Kendall Fuller, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. 

While teams are not required to disclose and discuss injuries during this time of year coach Rivera did share with us that Allen is dealing with plantar fasciitis but did not sound overly concerned about his long-term status. 

Offensive lineman Charles Leno Jr. and defensive end Chase Young were limited, participating in position and individual drills, but not in teams.

Meanwhile, offensive tackle Andrew Wylie participated in each portion of practice while receiver Dax Milne left the field at one point and did not return.

Given the progression and status of each player throughout the week it's unlikely we'll see Young, Thomas, Fuller, and Allen while the status of Leno and Milne could certainly be in jeopardy before what many will consider Washington's dress rehearsal for the season on Monday.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

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