Washington is getting ready for a bodily game. Tennessee is a bruising squad, led by Coach Mike Vrabel and working again Derrick Henry, however is coping with main accidents once more this season. Rivera stated Friday that, whether or not or not beginning tight finish Logan Thomas (calf) performs, his group can have rookie tight finish Cole Turner lively for the first time this 12 months. This suggests Washington may use greater personnel groupings and check out to construct off its speeding success final week, when the Commanders gained 142 yards on the floor in opposition to Dallas.
Here’s what to watch as Washington returns residence to face the Titans (1 p.m., WUSA-9).
Henry, the 6-foot-3, 247-pound star working again, harks again to a bygone period of the NFL. He’s large and brutal and shifty, and the Titans depend on him as a runner in a means few different groups depend on their backs in the pace-and-space period. He has acquired at the very least 20 carries in 22 of his previous 28 video games, and he guarantees to check a defensive entrance that, at the very least over the previous two weeks, has had success in opposition to the run.
Last week, Washington dressed solely 4 defensive tackles, preferring to preserve extra defensive backs accessible in opposition to the Cowboys. This week, in opposition to a grinding speeding assault, the Commanders may have a fifth lineman as an alternative, most likely Daniel Wise.
“You got to make sure that you’re squared up in your creases,” Rivera stated of stopping Henry. “You don’t want to be getting to there as he’s already there, because then you’ll end up in an arm tackle, and as you’ve seen, he goes right through arm tackles. You’ve got to make sure you’re where you need to be, you’re in a good football position and you deliver a nice tackle, head up, seeing what you’re hitting.”
Playmakers want to step up
Washington’s proficient group of talent gamers may face a check of depth Sunday. The Commanders will likely be with out broad receiver Jahan Dotson (hamstring) and will miss Thomas, who didn’t take part in follow Friday. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel (sickness) stated Friday that he must be good to go.
But that is the group’s hardest check to date. Without Dotson and maybe Thomas, Washington will want a 3rd broad receiver to complement Terry McLaurin and Samuel, maybe Cam Sims, Dax Milne or Dyami Brown. At tight finish, Turner and Armani Rogers could possibly be receiving threats if Thomas is out.
Washington may additionally use extra two-back units with Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic and Jonathan Williams joined by Brian Robinson Jr., who is about to make a exceptional return after he was shot in a theft Aug. 28.
“We’re pretty fired up,” Rivera stated Friday about the potential return of Robinson, whom the group activated Saturday morning. “We’ll go through [Saturday] morning, see how he is, and then we’ll decide.”
Washington’s offensive line has struggled, significantly inside. The group addressed a few of the issues final week — benching proper guard Trai Turner for Saahdiq Charles — and middle Nick Martin ought to enhance as his familiarity with the offense grows. But Washington additionally misplaced beginning proper deal with Sam Cosmi (finger) this previous week and can begin Cornelius Lucas in his place in opposition to a Titans entrance that might give the Commanders hassle with proficient tackles Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry.
“We got to continue to work,” assistant offensive line coach Travelle Wharton stated Friday. “You lose a couple guys here and there, and the next guys step up. But we got to continue to go.”
If the Commanders can’t begin quick — they’ve been incapable of it since Week 1 — then they have to end robust. That could possibly be achievable in opposition to Tennessee.
In the first 4 video games of the season, the Titans have the third-best level differential in the first half (31) and the worst in the second half (minus-57). That second-half differential is the worst by a group via 4 video games since the 2019 Miami Dolphins, who confronted allegations of tanking.
Injuries have severely hampered Tennessee the previous two seasons. In 2021, the Titans performed an NFL-record 91 completely different gamers, and this season, in accordance to Titans Insider, the group has already used 11 gamers who weren’t with the group in the offseason — together with 9 now on the 53-man roster.
Tennessee has already dominated out 5 defensive starters — security Amani Hooker and linebackers Zach Cunningham, Bud Dupree, Ola Adeniyi and Joe Jones — in addition to broad receiver Treylon Burks, the group’s 2022 first-round choose.
Washington has dominated out Dotson, Cosmi, security Percy Butler (quad) and linebacker Milo Eifler (hamstring). Thomas, the tight finish, and linebacker David Mayo (hamstring) are thought of questionable.