Through five weeks, you could make the case that Deebo Samuel was the Washington Commanders‘ team MVP. The veteran wide receiver, acquired for a fifth-round pick in the offseason, was a focal point of the offense with both quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin in and out of the lineup.
Leading up to a Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Samuel missed some practice time with a heel injury. He played in the game, caught eight passes for 96 yards, and a touchdown. However, the heel would continue to bother him, limiting him the following week against the Chicago Bears. Samuel would miss Washington’s Week 7 game at Dallas and returned last week for the game at Kansas City.
Advertisement
Over the last two games he’s played, Samuel has caught seven passes for 26 yards on 11 targets. He’s averaging less than four yards per reception. While McLaurin’s absence has affected how defenses plan for Samuel, the heel injury has clearly limited him.
The Commanders are back home on Sunday, where they’ll host the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks. Samuel was not listed on the injury report all week, and head coach Dan Quinn offered a positive update.
“He looked much like back to himself as well, so that was a great thing to see yesterday,” Quinn said on Friday. “And I remarked with him post-practice and again today, and you felt his speed, the explosion, and so that was really cool to see. There were no limitations on him in the practice. So, that’s a really big deal for us.”
This is great news for the Commanders. McLaurin will miss Sunday’s game after returning last week. Washington needs a healthy Daniels and Samuel, and it appears it will have both against a stingy Seattle defense.
Advertisement
Deebo has enjoyed his share of success against the Seahawks over the years, with five career games of 100 or more receiving yards in eight games vs. Seattle. He averages almost six receptions and 96 receiving yards per game in those eight meetings. If he can have that type of performance on Sunday, Washington stands a good chance of snapping its three-game skid.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: A positive update on Deebo Samuel