Washington’s week off arrives with a few things already changing around the roster.
The latest move came Wednesday, when the Atlanta Falcons signed defensive end Charles Snowden to their active roster, pulling him off Washington’s practice squad. The Commanders added Snowden on September 29, and now he’s gone after getting another NFL opportunity.
Snowden has 4.5 career sacks in 33 NFL games, with 18 starts, and he becomes part of the growing list of players Washington has lost, alongside running backs Robert Henry Jr. and Kaytron Allen. In Allen’s case, Washington released him before the Miami Dolphins claimed him on waivers, and the team planned to bring him back on the practice squad if he had cleared.
The injury picture is also getting clearer. Receiver and return specialist Jaylin Lane has had surgery to repair the fractured and dislocated ankle he suffered against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4.
The Washington Post’s Tashan Reed reported that Lane is expected to be ready before offseason workouts begin next spring. He was placed on injured reserve October 5, so his season is over, but the early outlook for his return is encouraging.
There’s also a fresh wrinkle on the coaching side. According to NFL Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, Washington hired Steve Wilks to help the defensive staff ahead of the game against the 49ers.
The move was decided back in September, but Wilks didn’t start working with the team until last week. He’ll assist with game planning and work under Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, though he won’t be on the sideline for games.
On the offensive line, Quinn finally said out loud what has been obvious for a while: the unit hasn’t been good enough. He also left the door open for changes when asked whether the ongoing mistakes and penalties could lead to different personnel. With the bye week here, the staff now has time to sort through what might give Washington its best five up front heading into the Eagles game.
That same offensive line group is still getting help from veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil, even if he can’t take the field while he receives treatment for his injury. Tunsil has been advising the other linemen in the room and helping them sharpen their technique. Josh Conerly called it meaningful, saying, "I think it's been a blessing," and added, "And it means a lot to us, as a group and for me personally."
The Commanders are also staring at a major offensive challenge after Terry McLaurin was lost for the rest of the season with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Washington now has to replace the face of the franchise, and the roster does have multiple candidates to absorb that workload. The player who stands out most, though, is Antonio Williams, who the team needs to use heavily.
Another receiver issue has been slowing the offense early in games. Stefon Diggs dropped a pass that would have produced a first down to end Washington’s opening drive, forcing the team to settle for a Drew Stevens field goal.
Diggs also had two early drops in the Week 1 game against Philadelphia, and those miscues have been part of Washington’s slow starts. He now has four drops on the season, along with 24 catches on 38 targets for a 63% catch rate.
Last year with New England, Diggs had three drops and an 83.3% catch rate in the regular season. McLaurin, meanwhile, is second on the team with three drops despite playing only 61% of the team’s offensive snaps this season.
Washington went into the bye at 1-4-1 after another frustrating loss, this one a 23-17 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. The loss added more weight to a team that already had to digest McLaurin’s season-ending injury and the ongoing issues on offense. Quinn, though, got a little more time to work after the team’s play in San Francisco, even if the pressure to produce wins is still very much there.
In Other News...
McLaurin Injury Puts Immediate Pressure On Commanders To Chase Help
Terry McLaurins injury leaves the Commanders with a major hole at receiver and forces the front office to weigh how aggressive it wants to be in filling it. Washington already had a clear enough need for more pass-catching help, but losing its top wideout for the rest of the year changes the conversation around Adam Peters and what kinds of moves he may need to explore.
One name that naturally comes up is Brian Thomas Jr., whose situation in Jacksonville has become worth monitoring after he was benched for the entire second half against the Texans. The Commanders do not have a deal in place, and there is nothing official to suggest one is imminent, but McLaurins absence makes it easier to see why Washington could be digging through the market for a receiver who might be available if the Jaguars decide to move on. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Make Quiet Coaching Move As Dan Quinn Pressure Builds
As the Commanders try to steady a season that has already drifted badly off course, they have made a low-key addition to the defensive side of the coaching staff. Former Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks has been brought in to help with game planning, a move that fits the kind of behind-the-scenes adjustment a team often makes when it is searching for answers without making a splash.
Wilks is expected to provide support in preparation, but he will not be around on game days, which keeps this more in the category of a quiet staff assist than a visible sideline shake-up. Still, with Washington sitting at 1-4-1 and Dan Quinn facing growing scrutiny, including criticism of the offense's clock management, every small decision around the coaching staff now gets a closer look than it might have a month ago. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Bye Week Puts Adam Peters Under Pressure Early
The bye week arrives with Washington sitting at 1-4-1 after six games, and it has given the Commanders a blunt moment to assess how far the roster still has to go. General manager Adam Peters made major changes in the offseason, but the early returns have not matched the promise of that overhaul, with the offensive line drawing the sharpest criticism and the overall performance leaving plenty of frustration around the building.
For a team that expected to look more stable and more competitive under Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, the pause in the schedule only sharpens the pressure to find answers. The sense around Washington is that the next stretch will say a lot about how quickly this front office can turn roster decisions into real progress, and whether the current approach needs more than just a little midseason adjustment. [Read more 🡒]