Last week’s game versus the Green Bay Packers not only resulted in a demoralizing loss, it also took a significant toll on Washington’s lineup. In addition to Jayden Daniels suffering a knee injury, running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise both suffered season-ending injuries. Noah Brown and John Bates also did not practice this week and are both out after sustaining injuries of their own. These four players accounted for a significant number of snaps on both sides of the ball as demonstrated by their Week 1 usage:
Austin Ekeler- 33 snaps-47%Noah Brown- 33 snaps-47 %John Bates- 40 snaps-57%Deatrich Wise- 40 snaps-59%
The loss of these veterans hurts the overall talent available on game day, but, as the saying goes, next man up. Below are five players that will be given an opportunity to prove themselves on Sunday when the Washington Commanders host the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD this Sunday at 1:00 PM EDT.
Inactive for Week 1, Javontae suddenly finds himself listed as the starter on the team’s unofficial depth chart going into Week 3:
A seventh-round selection last year, Jean-Baptiste played 248 defensive snaps recording 11 tackles, 6 assists, 9 run stops, 7 pressures, and 1 sack. The effort ranked him 7th in defensive stops and tackles in comparison to the rest of the rookie class and in the middle of the pack compared to edge defenders league-wide. A five-year college player, Jean-Baptiste always had plenty of length but needed to add strength and bulk to his frame. Currently, the team roster has him listed at 260 pounds, and Dan Quinn praised his development during camp, although Javontae did miss a good portion of preseason with an injury. Nevertheless, with Ryan Kerrigan instructing him on the finer points of the position, JJB may be poised to prove himself worthy of more playing time on Sunday. If he should falter, recent veteran roster additions Jalyn Holmes and Preston Smith will be there to take his snaps.
This opportunity might not be as great as some think, but with John Bates in street clothes, second-round selection Ben Sinnott needs to be included on the list. Fans have been clamoring for Sinnott to be given more opportunities; the problem is Bates’ primary role is an elite blocking specialist, both inline and on the move. Sinnott simply has not shown enough as a Y tight end to be trusted to fill that part of John’s role.
Whether the coaching staff decides to fill the inline role with a 6th OL or go with a different option, Ben Sinnott should still see increased snaps, especially as an H-back. It is also possible Kliff Kingsbury calls his number to attack the seams of the Raiders defense. The key for the Kansas State product will be to take advantage of every opportunity he is afforded to make a case for the TE2 role going forward.
The loss of Ekeler is a blow to the Commanders running back room, but does clear the way for Chris Rodriguez to be active on game days. Rodriguez may nominally be the starter in what is expected to be a run-heavy game plan. Based on his efficiency on 35 attempts last season with 3.91 yards after contact per attempt, increased snaps could quickly lead to significant production. Ekeler’s role as the third-down back is also up for grabs, with Jeremy McNichols as the favorite and Dan Quinn also giving Bill Merritt a vote of confidence. However, McNichols has a hamstring injury, and Bill is still a rookie with limited experience in the role. While Chris Rodriguez didn’t have much third-down experience in college either, his former college OC and current Jaguar HC, Liam Coen, does not believe he would have any issues in pass protection:
“There were some moments in training camp in 2021 where we had him on free release wheel routes, and he’s catching the ball off his body and behind him and over the shoulder. He’s got the hands. We actually tried to get him off the field on third down sometimes because he was carrying the load. We weren’t taking him off the field for any specific reason, but just to give him a blow.
He can handle all that stuff. He’s physical enough to block at the second level. He’s sturdy at the point of contact. And once he truly gets down Washington’s pass pro system, I can definitely see him being an all three down back.”
While this quote is from a John Keim podcast two years ago, Logan Paulsen noted the same this summer:
“He came into training camp in really good shape. In the Burgundy and Gold scrimmage last week, he was one of the more impressive players. Physicality, the pass protection, he’s just stuck with it and my journey was really similar to that,” said analyst Logan Paulsen.
Regardless of what type of role the Commanders put him in on Sunday, the common refrain from CRod and his supporters is that he will be ready when his number is called. It should be dialed up more than once versus the Raiders.
It seems odd to include a seven-year veteran on this list, but that is exactly where Harris lands in Week 3. While most of the players reside here due to injuries, Harris earned his way onto the list with his poor performance versus the Packers. Biting on play fakes and misreading plays with his eyes, Harris caught the coaches’ attention, and not in a good way. Dan Quinn outlined this in his Monday presser:
“Sometimes at tight end, it’s eye control. Make sure your eyes are in the right spot whether it’s a run or a pass. I was disappointed that we lost the tight end on some routes that, you know, looking at one thing, thinking it’s a run, you’re looking into the backfield. So I want to make sure those things we can get corrected.”
Washington’s defense gave up six receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown to Tucker Kraft, and Pro Football Reference charged Harris with 3 receptions on three targets for 33 receiving yards and a touchdown. The veteran safety now faces a Chip Kelly offense that features tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Harris will have his hands full, and with Jeremy Chinn on the opposing defense, fans will get a real-time comparison between the safety Adam Peters let walk and the one he chose as a replacement. It will be up to Harris to prove that decision right and be the player the Commanders saw in Week 1:
Readers may be surprised to see Lane’s inclusion over McCaffery, since Luke is listed behind Noah Brown on the unofficial depth chart above, but the messaging from the coaching staff this offseason was that they are comfortable with Lane on the outside.
Conversely, when McCaffery did play last season, it was predominantly out of the slot. When Noah Brown exited in the third quarter, it was also Lane that saw additional time, 36 total snaps to McCaffery’s 16, with 30 of those coming on the outside. Washington is desperately in need of big plays at wide receiver, and Lane gives the team its best chance to generate them. While he has struggled to create separation, if Kliff Kingsbury can scheme him open, Jaylin’s 4.3 speed and ability to create yards-after-catch should prove him to be Washington’s best option at WR3. Which brings us to the bonus section of today’s article.
Since this is a bonus section, I will take advantage and bend the rules to include a coach instead of a player. As the offensive coordinator of Pro Football Reference’s 2024 No. 5 ranked offense and last year’s OROY, Kingsbury would seem to have very little to prove, but in the NFL, your current performance will always take precedence over your past. In the present, the offense hasn’t looked in sync to start the season, and Kliff has called it a “work in progress”. The Commanders offense had its worst statistical output in 22 games with Jayden Daniels under center in Thursday night’s loss to the Packers, and Kingsbury’s apparent inability to change his game plan on the fly drew the ire of fans. Now faced with the task of running his offense without several key players, it is fair to wonder how the Commanders offensive coordinator will respond.
The good news is Washington has a solid backup in Marcus Mariota, and we have been here before. Last season, as Jayden Daniels suffered from a rib injury and Brian Robinson’s effectiveness diminished, the media was quick to dredge up a possible trend for Kingsbury’s offenses to decline in the second half of the season. Kliff responded by engineering a run-heavy approach against the Titans, utilizing more pre-snap motion, and moving Terry McLaurin around in specific alignments when needed.
Ultimately, Kingsbury’s offense would go on to hang 38 points on the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round Playoff, setting several franchise records with 481 yards of total offense, including 182 rushing yards on 42 carries. The play calling against the Packers last week left a lot to be desired, but sometimes big games in primetime get away from players and it is no different for coaches. Kingsbury is still one of the better offensive coordinators in the NFL, but it would be nice to see him prove it again on Sunday.