If the Washington Commanders are going to have a chance against the Chiefs, they will need to have several things fall into place. And one step in that direction was the news that Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel were full participants in Thursday’s practice, according to a post on X by the Washington Commanders.
That’s a big thing because backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will once again become the starter with Jayden Daniels ruled out for the contest.
Commanders get key receivers back in the mix
It’s not a guarantee they will play, but it sure looks a lot better than it did at this time last week.
Samuel said his heel injury has gotten better, according to thestar.com.
“[It was] kind of nagging a little bit last week, [but] not an issue [on Thursday],” Samuel said.
Getting McLaurin back is important. He hadn’t missed a game in almost five years before this extended absence. Missing training camp to force a contract extension worked out well for McLaurin, but he has hurt the team with his absence — and some have said missing the preseason stuff made McLaurin more susceptible to this type of setback.
The absence of Daniels means the Commanders might have to pull strings, but not too many, according to wusa9.com.
“I think for somebody watching to know it can get complex, too many plays, too much scheming, and that's the nature of our game,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “But it also means I don't want any hesitation. And make sure this is what we need to do. This is how we're going to go about doing it. Sometimes, doing a little bit less, it allows your focus to get sharper. And sometimes we don't want it to broaden. We want it to bring it in even tighter. And I think that's what you and the fans will see from us on Monday night.”
If Samuel and McLaurin are both available Monday night, perhaps it will give Mariota a fighting chance to lead his team to the upset win.
