The Washington Commanders are walking into Sunday short-handed, but Fox analyst Mark Schlereth thinks the part of the roster that matters most is still giving them a real chance to climb the NFC East.
Washington has been hit hard by injuries. Starting defensive tackles Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw are both out for the season, and star wide receiver Terry McLaurin is also done for the year. This week brought another blow with reserve receiver Dyami Brown joining the injury list, while emerging target Treylon Burks will miss Sunday’s game against the Rams with a foot injury.
Even with all that, Schlereth keeps coming back to one key reason for optimism: Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders’ quarterback has played the last three games wearing a bulky brace on his twice-dislocated left elbow, and the injury hasn’t slowed him down. Schlereth said that steady growth from Daniels is a big part of why Washington’s offense still feels like it has another gear.
“Offensively, I don’t even think they’ve kind of hit their stride,” Schlereth told “ Grant and Danny ” of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. on Friday. ”They’re going to have some guys (Sunday vs.
Rams), and Burks is going to be out this weekend. So, that’s going to hurt them a little bit because he’s made some big plays for them.
But I just feel like every week, your quarterback, Daniels, has gotten a little bit better. I like, kind of where you live in the run game, kind of sitting in that wide zone, having some schematic things off of that wide zone.
Obviously, as a player, Stefon Diggs is amazing. Watching Antonio Williams the last couple of weeks, he’s been fun to watch.
That guy, I think he’s going to be a legit big-time receiver for them."
That offensive progress is what has Schlereth looking at Washington differently in the division race.
“They just keep getting better and better. And that’s the football team, for me, that I look at in this division, and I sit there and say, ‘I know they’re 2-4-1, but why not Washington?
Why can’t they win this division? I think they can.’”
Schlereth, who played six seasons in Washington as a former NFL offensive lineman, will be on the Fox call for Commanders-Rams on Sunday.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Has A Good Reason To Ignore Outside Criticism
Jayden Daniels has been hearing the noise all season, even with the kind of start that usually quiets a lot of it. He has yet to throw an interception, but the conversation around him has shifted anyway, with analysts like Kurt Warner and Dan Orlovsky arguing that he needs to be more aggressive and push the ball downfield more often.
There is a reason Daniels and the Commanders have leaned the way they have, though, and it starts with the personnel around him. Washington has been dealing with injuries to key receivers, including Terry McLaurin, and the result is a passing game that has not offered Daniels many clean chances to take those bigger shots. Until the options around him improve, the safer approach may look conservative from the outside, but it is also the one that makes the most sense. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Be Getting The Rams Defense They Didnt Want
The Rams have spent the week moving toward a significant boost on defense, with pass rusher Myles Garrett trending toward a return just in time for their Week 9 matchup with Washington. Garrett has been working back from knee surgery, and his full week of practice has pointed to a player who is close enough to be cleared for game action as the Rams line up the final steps before Sunday.
For a Commanders offense that would rather not see a fresh edge threat added to the mix, the timing is notable. Los Angeles is expected to evaluate Garrett one more time before making the move official, but the signs have been pointing in one direction all week, and Washington may be dealing with a defense that looks a lot different than the one it expected to face. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face A Brutal Test With Their Offense Under Pressure
The Rams head into Week 9 with some momentum after bouncing back from an earlier loss and now have a chance to push their record above .500. For Washington, the matchup arrives with the kind of pressure that tends to follow a win rather than erase the concerns around a losing season, especially with injuries still complicating the picture. It is the sort of game that can tell you a lot about where a team really stands, even before the first snap.
Los Angeles brings a clear edge in how it can attack, with advantages both on the ground and through the air against a Commanders defense that has struggled to hold up. Washingtons offense has its own burden here too, because the margin for error gets thin quickly when the other side can dictate pace and field position. The Rams look like the more complete team on paper, but the Commanders still have enough in front of them to make this more than just a routine road test. [Read more 🡒]