The Washington Commanders reach their bye week sitting at 1-4-1, and the injuries have piled up in a way that would test any roster. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil was lost before the season even began.
Jayden Daniels missed two games. And on Monday night, Terry McLaurin was ruled out for the season.
That damage has forced Washington to keep reshuffling up front. Brandon Coleman was pushed back to left tackle after Tunsil’s injury, even though he had been projected as the starter at left guard.
Nick Allegretti opened the year at center in Week 1, then lost the job after two games to Lucas Patrick, the veteran who signed after the season started. Right guard Sam Cosmi also missed two games because of a concussion.
For much of the first six games, the offensive line has been a major talking point around the Commanders. Daniels has often had to make plays while running for his life, and the ground game - outside of scrambles from Daniels and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota - has barely shown up.
The last two outings haven’t helped the unit’s case. In the Week 5 tie with the New York Giants, Washington had trouble handling New York’s heavy second-half and overtime blitzing.
Then came last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, when the protection broke down again and Daniels never really got comfortable. Coleman and right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in particular had rough nights.
Even with all that, Pro Football Focus’ Week 7 offensive line rankings still had Washington at No. 20, just one spot lower than the previous week.
Cosmi was the highest-graded player along the line in Week 6 once again, but Monday’s game still turned into a mess for the front five. Washington allowed 18 pressures as a group, and eight of those turned into either sacks or quarterback hits. Conerly gave up six pressures on 51 pass-blocking snaps, the most on the team.
Dan Quinn wasn’t sugarcoating it after the game. When asked the next day whether he had already found his best offensive line combination for the rest of the season, he said, “Yeah, I wouldn’t say that,” he said.
He went on to make clear the standard wasn’t met against San Francisco.
“I thought this performance was below the standard that we’ve set for ourselves at offensive line. And that’s gonna continue to look and find the right combination.
So, I wasn’t pleased. With the standard that we have set for our group, and I don’t think we met that yesterday.
I thought we left ourselves short.”
With the bye week here, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Washington makes more changes up front.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Public Split On Protecting Jayden Daniels
Dan Quinn made it clear after the latest game that he was unhappy with the way Washington protected Jayden Daniels, putting the offensive line on notice as the Commanders head into the bye week. The head coach signaled that changes could be coming, a reminder that how well Daniels is kept upright remains one of the biggest issues facing the offense.
Adam Peters, though, did not sound like a general manager preparing to make a move. While acknowledging the line needs to be better, Peters said there have not been talks about changing the group during the bye, creating an unusual public split at a spot the Commanders can least afford uncertainty. For a team trying to build around a young quarterback, the lack of alignment is the sort of detail that tends to linger until Washington shows how it plans to handle it. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Could Send A Clear Deadline Message With Andrew Wylie
Adam Peters is already being framed as a GM who could turn practical if the Commanders dont respond after the bye, and that has put a few familiar names into the discussion. With Terry McLaurin out for the season, Washingtons offense has already taken a major hit, and versatile offensive lineman Andrew Wylie has emerged as the kind of player other teams could view as useful depth if the Commanders decide to listen on veterans.
ESPNs Bill Barnwell floated the Patriots as a possible fit, which at least gives the idea some external footing even if nothing is close to happening yet. For Washington, the question is less about whether Wylie has value than whether the next two games push Peters toward acting on it, because a deadline message would land differently if the Commanders start leaning into sell mode instead of simply monitoring the market. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have One Deadline Decision They Cant Dodge
Terry McLaurins season-ending injury has pushed the Commanders into an urgent search for help at wide receiver, and it has put general manager Adam Peters in a spot where standing pat may be the hardest decision of all. With the offense suddenly missing its top target, Washington has to weigh whether it can absorb that loss internally or whether a more aggressive swing is necessary to keep the season on track.
One path that has been floated is a trade for a young receiver who could fit into the Commanders offense right away and still give them long-term upside. The idea comes with obvious risk, since any move like that would require real draft capital and a willingness to part with future flexibility, but this is the kind of deadline question that can shape how the rest of Washingtons season is judged. [Read more 🡒]