Daily Slop - 14 Dec 24: CB Marshon Lattimore will start on Sunday; new WR KJ Osborn likely has to wait another week

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The Athletic (paywall)

Marshon Lattimore’s Commanders debut to come Sunday against Saints — his former team

Based on practices, wide receiver Dyami Brown already sees Lattimore making a smooth transition.

“(Marshon is) really sound. Not too many mistakes. He’s a very smart player,” Brown said. “For him to go out there and fit into the defense right away is pretty big.”

Washington’s pass coverage struggled much of this season, particularly against opposing top targets, ranking 26th in FTN Fantasy’s DVOA metric. However, the group improved in recent weeks. Second-round rookie Mike Sainristil became a viable outside threat, Noah Igbinoghene solidified the slot corner role and safeties Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin formed a reliable duo.

However, Lattimore’s ability to lock up with premier wide receivers was lacking before the trade. Though he played almost exclusively on the right side the past few years with New Orleans — 907 of 917 snaps since the start of 2023 — Lattimore is OK with following certain receivers along the formation. As a rookie, he played 243 snaps on the left side and 543 on the right.

If Lattimore handles his assignments without safety help, Washington can now use the rugged Chinn and others more in the box. The Commanders are 27th in rushing yards allowed as opponents rushed for at least 91 yards in their first 12 games.

“There are certain things that we didn’t do before that we can do now,” Brown said of the defense. “If we want to, we can go out there and play man and have him play the number one receiver. Being the guy that he is, we have true belief in him. I know he can do it.”

Lattimore, 28, said he does not have any playing-time restrictions for Sunday. Having spent weeks in team meetings helps with the acclimation process, “but it’s different when you’re on the field and it’s fast. What you know you’re going to have to know off the bat. … I feel like I have everything down pat, but we’re gonna see.”

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Washington Post (paywall)

Marshon Lattimore set to make Commanders debut against his former team

After missing nearly two months because of a hamstring injury, the veteran cornerback will start against the Saints on Sunday.

With Lattimore starting, cornerback Benjamin St-Juste probably will begin the game as a reserve. Earlier in the season, the Commanders moved rookie Mike Sainristil from the slot, as the nickel cornerback, to outside because of injuries and performance issues. After a quick adjustment, Sainristil has thrived, and Quinn has intimated he may want to keep him there.

“I’ve loved that he and Shon [Lattimore] have already got connected on some things and hearing them talk in a meeting or at practice to go through it,’ Quinn said of Sainristil last week. “But it’s probably just the nature that he plays with, to say, wherever you put him he’s going to say: ‘I’ll figure that part out. I’ll get to that space.’”

Now 8-5, Washington still is poised to grab a playoff spot, so long as it doesn’t fall apart over the final four games. Adding Lattimore to the defensive backfield should be a significant boost for the Commanders not just for the remainder of this season but the future as well; he’s under contract through the 2026 season.

Another debut may wait

Newly acquired wide receiver K.J. Osborn probably will be inactive Sunday, Quinn indicated. The Commanders claimed Osborn off waivers from the New England Patriots earlier in the week after losing wideout Noah Brown to a kidney injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

Quinn added that if Osborn continues to make strides, they will have a better chance of having him available in Week 16 and beyond.

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Commanders.com

Three keys to Washington beating New Orleans

Put pressure on Jake Haener.

The Saints are in a tough spot at quarterback with Derek Carr in the concussion protocol and dealing with a fracture in his non-throwing wrist. They announced Thursday that Jake Haener will make his first career start against the Commanders.

Although New Orleans have allowed just 25 sacks this season, there will be opportunities to get Haener on the ground. They rank 31st in pass block win rate, winning their matchups just 52% of the time.

Once again, the team will need to rely on players like Luvu to create havoc in the backfield. Luvu has been particularly good at that this season, ranking 10th in pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus with eight sacks. Dante Fowler Jr., who leads the team with 8.5 sacks, has had a career year and forced 24 hurries.

Lean on the run game.

This should be feasible against the Saints, who have given up 134.2 yards per game this season and are tied with the Carolina Panthers with five yards allowed per carry. Players like Bryan Bresee are solid pass-rushers but struggle with getting pushed off the line of scrimmage in the run game. As a result, the Saints have given up at least 100 rushing yards in all but five games this season, including 277 against Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another reason this could play into the Commanders’ game plan is that they seem to have rediscovered their ground attack led by Brian Robinson, who is healthy after a week of rest. He rushed for 100 yards against the Titans in Week 13, leading a 267-yard day for the Commanders, without even playing much in the second half. Chris Rodriguez took over from that point and had 94 yards on 13 carries, scoring the final touchdown of the game.

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ESPN

Sources: Commanders DT Jonathan Allen could return this season

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, once feared lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, has not abandoned hope for a return in 2024, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

Allen suffered the injury in a Week 6 loss at Baltimore, but during surgery doctors discovered that his muscle was only partially torn, sparking the initial hope for a late-season return. Further checkups have at least helped him maintain the belief that a return is possible, sources said.

If Allen is able to return it will provide a boost for the Commanders (8-5) as they try to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2020. Washington plays at New Orleans (5-8) on Sunday.

There is no guarantee that Allen will come back, sources said, but he has been working out at the Commanders’ facility with an eye toward returning by the end of the month. He would need to prove he has regained all his strength.

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Commanders Wire

KJ Osborn gets to work right away with his new team

Osborn...was picked up by the Commanders Wednesday afternoon, caught a flight Wednesday night, arrived around midnight, and was up by 5 a.m., getting to work on his Commanders’ playbook.

Osborn was at the Commanders’ Ashburn facility for Thursday’s practice. “It’s different. I mean, I think it’s up to me right now to get to learning the playbook, to catch up to these guys. They have put in a lot of work, going back all the way to OTAs. This group has been together.”

He talked of how he needs to be “putting my head down and grinding.”

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who no doubt misses Noah Brown and Austin Ekeler in his offensive schemes, believes in Osborn.

“He’s a guy who can play inside, outside and give you a lot, and so we got to see how he fits in with us and try to get him up to speed.”

Seeing Brown was in some categories either the second or third leading receiver for the Commanders this season, another injury could make this an urgent situation. Kingsbury added, “From what I’ve seen on tape, he’s definitely a guy that we can use.”

Commanders sign another kicker to the practice squad

Washington, unlike other teams, is preparing for the event that Gonzalez isn’t 100% for Sunday’s game against the Saints, signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to the practice squad.

The Commanders will decide on Gonzalez’s status by Saturday afternoon so that they’ll know if they need to elevate Joseph to the 53-man roster for Sunday.

Joseph, 30, has kicked for several NFL teams, enjoying his greatest success with the Vikings from 2021-23. He kicked in six games for the Giants this season in place of the injured Graham Gano. Joseph also spent time with the Packers and Lions this season.

In some good news, Gonzalez practiced fully on Thursday and Friday, but was listed as questionable for the game.

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Upcoming opponent

Hogs Haven

Washington Commanders vs New Orleans Saints: Five Questions with Canal Street Chronicles

The slew of injuries started in week 3 with a major groin injury to star center Erik McCoy, followed by a multi-week knee injury to RG Cesar Ruiz, a concussion that forced star WR Chris Olave to IR, and season-ending knee injuries to TE/FB Taysom Hill and WR Rashid Shaheed. On defense, CB Marshon Lattimore, LB Willie Gay, LB Pete Werner, S Will Harris, and CB Paulson Adebo all missed multiple weeks due to injury. Many of these injured players have started to return to the field, which may also partly explain the uptick in wins for the Saints of late. However, Saints QB Derek Carr fractured his left hand last week and will not play in week 15.

I’ve been impressed with Haener’s growth this season. He’s made the most of his opportunities and stayed ready for the moment, even when thrown into the fire with little time to prepare. While I don’t believe he has the game-changing upside of Rattler and see him more as a career backup, that’s no slight to Haener. He may not be as effective on deep throws or extending plays with his legs compared to the rookie, but Haener has an edge in short-range accuracy and has delivered some highlight-worthy throws from impressive angles this season. The second-year quarterback out of Fresno State has proven he can manage the offense, and he deserves a shot to showcase his abilities. This is a big opportunity for him, and I expect him to play with a chip on his shoulder after being disappointed by the team’s earlier decision between the two young quarterbacks.

The Saints defense has had an obvious weakness this year in run defense. The Saints have given up 5.0 yards per rush attempt this season, tied with the Panthers for most in the NFL. In addition, the Saints under Allen had a history of being gashed by QB runs. Although they haven’t faced many athletic QBs this year, they surrendered 10 rushes for 75 yards to Bo Nix in week 7.

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Podcasts & videos

Chris Rodriguez + Mike Sellers Have HEART | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Going South to The Big Easy

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders as they prepare for their matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

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