The Washington Commanders came crashing back down to earth with a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. It's early days, but these two clubs are clearly on different levels right now, and it showed during a one-sided affair that could have been won by a much wider margin.
Dan Quinn's squad just weren't at the races. They were lackluster in almost every phase, everything looked disjointed, and the Commanders couldn't generate any momentum whatsoever. Some soul-searching is needed over the mini-bye week to ensure this squad is capable of meeting lofty expectations.
If that wasn't enough, the Commanders are also dealing with major injury concerns after the clash. John Bates was ruled out during the game. Deatrich Wise Jr. had to get carted off with a quad problem. Austin Ekeler's season is probably over with a suspected torn Achilles. These are concerns that need contingency plans if the worst news arrives.
The Commanders have some time to put things right. We are only two games into the campaign, and Washington fought back from adversity plenty of times in Quinn's first season. Doing the same again is imperative.
That's for the future. For now, here are two winners and five losers from the Commanders' disaster at Lambeau Field in Week 2.
Winners and losers from Commanders' disaster at the Packers
Loser No. 1
Marshon Lattimore - Commanders CB
Hopes were extremely high that the Washington Commanders would see the best out of Marshon Lattimore this season. The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback looked healthy and explosive over the summer. His accomplished performance against New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers only raised expectations heading into Week 2.
It was a completely different story with the primetime spotlight glaring. Lattimore was targeted as a weak link by the Packers. Lattimore was burned almost constantly early on, failing to cope with pre-snap motions and giving up several big plays. His holding penalties were an ongoing frustration that cannot continue moving forward.
The former Ohio State standout needs to step things up. Lattimore's performance won't have gone unnoticed by others around the league, so the pressure is on to make the improvements needed. He's not the force of old, that much is obvious, but the Commanders need him to at least be competent enough to hold his own against top-level opposition.
This game exposed Lattimore. How he responds will go a long way to determine his future in Washington beyond the current campaign.