The Washington Commanders received a much-needed break after Thursday’s 26-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the second game in four days for a Washington team that still hasn’t reached its bye week.
The extra time off is particularly beneficial for players dealing with injuries, such as cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
The Commanders acquired Lattimore via trade from the New Orleans Saints three weeks ago, but he has yet to suit up with Washington. Lattimore has been dealing with a hamstring injury since before the trade. So, the Commanders knew Lattimore wasn’t an immediate plug-and-play.
“We knew there was going to be some time where it wasn’t plug and play after the trade,” head coach Dan Quinn said Monday about Lattimore. “And so, what I look for from the player to see, is he working as hard as he can to do that and learning as quick as he can? And good news for us is that Marshon’s like absolutely savage worker, wants to go be as ready as you can and digging in, but we’re just not going to take the chance.”
So, what are the chances that Lattimore will practice for the first time with Washington this week?
“I’m hopeful that he’s able to see the field some; he’s trending in the right space,” Quinn said. “He’s still working really hard from the rehab spot to see where he can go. But with a soft tissue injury, we’re not going to miss one step of this, you know that. Just like no different than with the other guys, but we’re encouraged that he’s definitely pointing in the right direction. So yeah, we’re hopeful that we see him out on the practice field some towards the end of the week.”
That’s encouraging news for Washington. The pass defense has played surprisingly well despite some depth concerns at cornerback. Part of that is due to the emergence of rookie Mike Sainristil, who has been phenomenal.
The Commanders host the reeling Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. After Dallas, the Tennessee Titans come to town before Washington’s Week 14 bye.