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Things are going well offensively for the Washington Commanders, and Brian Robinson Jr. credited the offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Dan Quinn praised the defense for the win over the Titans. And that side of the ball should get a boost with defensive back Marshon Lattimore likely to make his Washington debut versus the Saints.
Adam Schefter said Lattimore could return in Week 15, according to Schefter’s post on X.
“Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore is poised to make his return after Washington’s bye week next Sunday in, of all places, New Orleans.”
The Saints picked Lattimore at No. 11 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He paid immediate dividends by earning AP defensive rookie of the year after grabbing five interceptions.
CB Marshon Lattimore needed in Commanders secondary
Lattimore earned three straight Pro Bowl honors from 2019-21. He had multiple picks in four of his first five NFL seasons. However, he only had one in 2022, and one more in 2023. This year, he played seven games for the Saints without recording an interception. His career high in tackles came in 2021 with 68.
This season, Lattimore has graded out at 71.6 in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. That type of performance would be a big boost to a questionable secondary.
Washington recently cut ties with former first-round pick Emmauel Forbes Jr., clearing a spot on the active roster for Lattimore.
The Commanders have been waiting for Lattimore to prove he can ratchet things up to NFL speed. Head coach Dan Quinn said cornerback can be learned easier than other positions, so the physical part is the main thing for Lattimore, according to a team transcript via nbcsports.com.
“With him, really, it’s the speed part that we have to see to make sure he can really do his thing,” Quinn said. “But this is a bright guy. He’s played a lot of football and so the ability transfer over that technique is now called this, that call is now this. He was able to pick up on that quickly.”
Commanders' defense searching for a spark
The Commanders head into their bye week ranked No. 28 in overall defense. They are No. 30 against the run with 157 yards per game allowed. Against the pass they stand at No. 16, but teams haven’t needed to throw as much because of the poor run defense. The Commanders have allowed 28.9 points per game, standing at No. 29.
So the presence of Lattimore should help in all of those categories. However, the big question is how much can he help? If the Commanders improve their defense, they could become playoff relevant instead of hoping to sneak in and likely staring at a one-and-deal deal.
Quinn worked hard to reinvent himself as a defensive mind in the NFL, but the Commanders thus far have excelled on offense. Quinn said the his previous firing from the Falcons have kept the fires burning to be more successful this time. Adding a guy like Lattimore is a definite step in the right direction.
