Treylon Burks gave the Washington Commanders a little lift on Tuesday, and it came at the right time.
The 26-year-old wide receiver, who sat out Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams because of a foot injury, moved from non-participant to limited participation during Washington’s practice as the team began preparing for Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants. The Commanders only went through a walkthrough, but the change in Burks’ status is still a promising sign. He remains uncertain for Thursday, though another limited session on Wednesday would keep him in the mix to suit up.
Burks has put together 12 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns this season, and he has seen exactly five targets in each of his last three games. With Terry McLaurin sidelined by a knee injury, Burks could be positioned to slide into a top-three role in Washington’s passing game for the rest of the season.
The Commanders also have other injury situations to monitor before the divisional matchup. Center Lucas Patrick, dealing with a concussion, and tight end Colson Yankoff, who has a knee injury, were ruled out for a second straight day. Nick Allegretti is expected to start at center.
On the brighter side, tight ends John Bates and Chig Okonkwo, quarterback Jayden Daniels, center Matt Gulbin, cornerback Amik Robertson, and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle were all full participants on Tuesday.
Washington heads into the game trying to stretch its two-game winning streak against New York and pick up its first Thursday Night Football win since 2022. The Commanders are 2-3 against the Giants in Thursday night games.
In Other News...
Commanders Defense Faces Heat After Chaissons Blunt Take On Rams Loss
The Commanders defense had a long week to sit with what went wrong in the 20-13 loss to the Rams, and KLavon Chaisson did not try to soften the edge of it. Los Angeles leaned heavily on Puka Nacua, who finished with 14 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown, and the repeated success of that approach became the central problem Washington could not solve.
Chaisson pointed to the lack of adjustment as the issue, underscoring how the defense let a predictable plan keep working anyway. For a unit that needed to be sharper in a tight game, the frustration was less about surprise and more about failing to respond once the pattern was obvious. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face A Brutal Thursday Reality In NFC East Race
A short week has turned into a meaningful one for the Commanders, who head into Thursday nights matchup with the Giants knowing the NFC East picture already has some early separation. New York sits atop the division, and Washington needs a win just to keep pace in a race that can tighten or slip away quickly when these head-to-head games start stacking up.
The matchup has also taken on a different edge with the betting market moving toward the Giants, a sign of how much confidence there is in New York entering the prime-time spot. For Washington, the assignment is straightforward but unforgiving: handle a division rival on a short week, or watch the standings get a little harder to chase. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Defense Has A Chance To Prove This Progress Is Real
The Commanders defense has started to look more like the unit Dan Quinn envisioned, and the recent uptick has given the coaching staff reason to believe the turnaround is more than a short-lived spike. Quinn has pointed to defensive coordinator Daronte Jones as part of the improvement, with Washington cleaning up some of the issues that were costing it earlier in the season and giving up fewer points in the process.
Thursday night brings a familiar test, with the Giants back on the schedule and another chance for Washington to show the progress can hold up under pressure. For a defense that needed to steady itself, the challenge now is not just playing better for a week, but proving the gains can survive a quick turnaround and another divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]