Admin November 14, 2024
NFL Overreactions Week 10
Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the wildest games in NFL Week 10.
Sports Seriously
Marshon Lattimore’s inauguration with the Washington Commanders will have to wait for another week.
The club acquired the star cornerback from the New Orleans Saints at the NFL trade deadline, hoping to fix a secondary that was in desperate need of an upgrade. Washington wasn’t supposed to compete in 2024, but Jayden Daniel has put together a fantastic rookie season, dragging the team into contention.
Faced with the potential reality of winning the NFC East and maybe even more beyond that, upgrades became necessary for head coach Dan Quinn’s team.
While injuries are always a topic of discussion with Lattimore, it’s now a different NFL market that is left to wonder when he’s going to play. Here’s the latest on Lattimore and when he might debut in a Commanders jersey.
Marshon Lattimore injury update
Lattimore has been officially ruled out for Week 11 with a hamstring injury.
While teams don’t specify game status when they play on “Thursday Night Football,” the Commanders’ injury report shows that Lattimore was a DNP on Tuesday and Wednesday. Washington has 10 days off following their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles and just two games left before their bye week.
Hamstrings are a pesky injury to navigate, meaning the Commanders are playing it safe with their prized trade deadline acquisition.
Lattimore now is set to miss his third straight game, which dates back to his final week with the Saints. Hamstring problems have plagued the star corner throughout his career. He tweaked it during Week 7, which remains the issue that is keeping him out now. He also tore his left hamstring in 2014 while at Ohio State and then followed it up in 2015 by injuring the right one.
Those issues have continued to pop up throughout his NFL career, meaning Washington should continue to handle him with care going forward.
When will Marshon Lattimore make his Commanders debut?
Lattimore’s next chance to make his Commanders debut comes in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s clear that Washington acquired the corner with an eye toward the postseason, so missing a “Thursday Night Football” game, even though it’s a big one, isn’t the end of the world.
It’s typically good practice to exercise patience when it comes to hamstring injuries, so don’t be surprised if the Commanders elect to hold him out through their bye in Week 14. That might be extreme, but it could cost Lattimore his season if he aggravates the injury.
With two more seasons left on his contract, Washington isn’t worried about extracting value out of a rental. Their investment goes beyond this season, so it makes sense to rather be safe than sorry.
Commanders CB depth chart
The Commanders secondary was the subject of plenty of criticism last season, which Quinn has looked to fix in year one as head coach. Acquiring Lattimore will go a long way in helping him solve that. Here’s a look at the Commanders’ CB depth chart:
Lattimore will slot in as Washington’s top cornerback when he returns to game action. Sainristil was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft and has proven his flashed throughout the first 10 games. The former Michigan Wolverine is well on his way to remaining a key piece of the defense even once Lattimore returns.
St-Juste, on the other hand, has been plagued by penalties. He will remain in the lineup, but the hope is that his play will improve with a steady option shutting down the other side of the field. Washington’s defense can pay more attention to St-Juste’s side of the field, which could help limit those mistakes.
One player can’t necessarily transform a defense when there are 11 guys on the field. However, Lattimore can at least steady a unit on a team that is suddenly dreaming big in 2024.
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