Because of his reputation as a clutch receiver, even when McLaurin isn’t the intended target, he draws defenders to him. In attracting the attention of the secondary, the middle of the field opens up for the tight ends and gives the quarterback more pass options on the play. It’s something the Commanders’ offense missed while McLaurin was sidelined, and an advantage they used against the Broncos.
“You can just see the type of attention he gets, and how much more space there is in the middle of the field with a guy like Terry out there,” said tight end Zach Ertz, whose 816th career catch surpassed Shannon Sharpe for fifth on the all-time receptions list by a tight end. “And then just his playmaking ability. It doesn’t matter who’s guarding him, he makes plays. And so, I love that we have him back out there. His game speaks for itself.”
Sitting at 3-9 and third in the NFC East isn’t exactly what McLaurin had envisioned for his team. He also certainly didn’t imagine he would miss as much time as he did, however, McLaurin still believes in himself and his team. The mental toughness he learned coming back from injury has helped him stay positive throughout the team’s seven-game losing streak. McLaurin and the Commanders will look to break the skid and earn a win Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I think as men in the locker room, we have a lot of pride in what we do,” McLaurin said. “And in the face of adversity, when things don’t go your way, it’s a testament to who you are, how you still show up to work. And I know we have a group that’s going to continue to show up to work each and every day, have fun, and find a way to get a win. That’s what it’s all about. So, no matter what the record is, we’re going to come back, try to be better next week, and stay resilient.
“Because it’s not just football, it’s life. Things are not gonna go your way. It’s not gonna go out of your plan. Are you gonna just sit down and feel sorry for yourself? Or are you gonna put your head down? And eventually that rock will crack when you put an effort out there like that, and weeks of practice. So we just got to find a way to finish it, so we come out on the other side.”