With Terry McLaurin sidelined with a quad injury, sophomore wide receiver Luke McCaffrey got the nod to start in his place in the Commanders‘ 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
McCaffrey put the Commanders on the board early with a five-yard touchdown catch, his second career touchdown catch after recording his first in Washington’s 41-24 Week 3 win over the Raiders.
Outside of his touchdown catch, he had a relatively quiet game as a receiver, but made up for it as the Commanders’ kickoff return man.
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McCaffrey recorded 199 return yards on six attempts, averaging 33.2 yards per return. He exploded for a 58-yard return midway through the second quarter to set up a Matt Gay field goal.
He also picked up a 16-yard gain through the air, rounding out his 21 receiving yards.
While Deebo Samuel led the team in receiving yards (72) and scored a touchdown, McCaffrey consistently put Washington in a position to start their drives with momentum off the kickoff.
He was also the Commanders’ only momentum on special teams. Rookie receiver and returner Jaylin Lane muffed two punts and finished the game with two returns for zero yards.
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Despite limited targets (3), McCaffrey showed promise as a receiver and made an impact as a returner, finishing the game with 220 all-purpose yards, earning him the Commanders’ Week 4 Player of the Game.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: WR Luke McCaffrey is Week 4 Player of the Game