The Washington Commanders aim to regain first place in the NFC East on Thursday Night Football. Taking on the Philadelphia Eagles will be no easy task, the Eagles have elite offensive weapons in Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and Devonta Smith. These playmakers could make it hard on the Washington defense all game long. It will be interesting to see how HC Dan Quinn can keep the Eagles’ offense in check.
Luckily, Washington boasts one of the best offenses in the league this year. Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and first-year Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders got good news this week, that running back Brian Robinson Jr is expected to be playing in this highly anticipated showdown.
Commanders Missing Piece In Secondary
Washington was aggressive at the NFL trade deadline, acquiring New Orleans Saints corner Marshon Lattimore for a bundle of draft picks. Quinn has had this defense playing at a higher level than anyone anticipated given the lack of household names on that side of the ball. The addition of Lattimore will likely prove to be a crucial one for the Commanders down the stretch as they make their playoff push.
It was expected for Lattimore to make his debut with his new team this Thursday night, but the Commanders have now ruled him out due to a hamstring injury. Lattimore joins linebacker Nick Bellore and kicker Austin Seibert as the latest additions to be missing Thursday’s prime-time game.
What Lattimore Brings to the Commanders Defense
Marshon Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year winner. The former Buckeye has also been one of the most lockdown corners in the league, rarely allowing a receiver to score on him. In fact, over the last three seasons, Lattimore has only allowed one touchdown against him in pass coverage. Lattimore is the type of corner Washington has been missing, the type that can match up with and take away the opposing team’s number-one receiver.
HC Dan Quinn was very excited to get a corner of Lattimore’s caliber on his defense. Quinn has seen Lattimore work firsthand, while Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and went head-to-head with Lattimore and the Saints twice a year. This addition is exactly what the Commanders needed to be a true threat in the NFC come playoff time.
Although it may take Lattimore time to become fully involved in Washington’s defense it should be expected for him to be an instant game-changer once he does. Quinn has led this team to a surprising 7-3 start, but they certainly have their sites set much higher than just a winning regular season. The combination of Kingsbury and Daniels on the offensive side of the ball has been the driving force of this team’s success. It will be a good test tonight to see if Daniels can handle the pressure the Eagles defense has been able to apply to opposing teams in recent weeks.
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