Commanders need blockbuster trade acquisition before it’s too late

The Washington Commanders knew the risk they were taking, trading for an injured Marshon Lattimore just before the trade deadline. What they didn’t know is his debut would still be delayed. 

It’s been two weeks since the Commanders acquired Lattimore for a hefty price as they looked for veteran leadership to aid a struggling defense. And in that time, they Commanders have lost two straight after starting 7-2 and the defensive struggles are more glaring than ever now. 

While they have had some issues on that side of the ball, it’s not necessarily on the pass defense that’s resulted in the mid-season slump. The run defense has been horrendous this year. But the offense was able to keep pace with teams outpacing them on the ground. 

Now it’s clear there’s a major lapse in the defense and they need reinforcements imminently to avoid an implosion. 

Commanders need Marshon Lattimore, defensive help to patch defensive struggles this season

When Dan Quinn took over the Commanders, the one thing we should have seen coming was the team struggling to stop the run. That’s been the Achilles heel of Quinn, going back to his days in Dallas. 

During his three seasons in Dallas when he served as defensive coordinator, per Pro Football Reference, the Cowboys didn’t have a rush defense better than 16th. It was ranked 27th in 2022. But the pass defense was arguably one of the most dangerous in the NFL. 

It’s similar to how these Commanders are this year with Quinn back in charge as a head coach for the first time since he was in Atlanta from 2015-2020. This year, the Commanders are ranked sixth in passing yards given up this season. 

The problem is they allow too many passing touchdowns and don’t force turnovers. Which is uncharacteristic of a Quinn-led defense. And that’s why the Commanders need Lattimore urgently. They have young corners, but Lattimore’s veteran leadership could be the key to patching up the defense. 

Sunday’s game against Dallas is a great tune-up opportunity for them. Quinn noted he’s hopeful Lattimore practices this week, which would open the door for him to play, but they’re being cautious with it being a soft-tissue injury. 

When Lattimore does make his Commanders debut, it will be a significant upgrade. Mainly for taking pressure off rookie Mike Sainristil and second-year corner Emmanuel Forbes. I agree with Quinn not rushing Lattimore back to the field. 

But if he doesn’t get healthy soon, this could be the season that gets away from them. And we all know how hard it is to replicate success year after year.