Washington Football Team: Terry McLaurin, it’s time to Put up your Dukes
After a promising rookie season, Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin is quietly developing into one of the best receivers in all of football.
The inconsistent play at quarterback has been well-documented for the Washington Football Team. What hasn’t been inconsistent, or rather who, is former Ohio State product Terry McLaurin.
Drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin was somewhat of an afterthought during his three seasons as a Buckeye. As a junior, he was second behind Parris Campbell with 11 receiving touchdowns.
An afterthought no longer, Terry McLaurin is now garnering the attention of defenses across the NFL. Despite missing two games as a rookie, he led Washington with 58 receptions, 919 yards, and seven touchdowns. In nine games so far in 2020, McLaurin once again leads Washington with 57 receptions, 787 yards, and three touchdowns.
McLaurin is also among the league leaders in a few key receiving statistics. His 787 receiving yards are fourth in the NFL. McLaurin’s 87.4 receiving yards per game rank fourth in the league. He leads all wide receivers with 398 yards after the catch. More impressively, Terry McLaurin leads all players with 13.8 yards per touch. His 817 yards from scrimmage rank 10th in the NFL.
Last week versus the Detroit Lions, the Washington Football Team suffered their toughest loss of the season. Kicker Dustin Hopkins once again was a liability, as his miss from 43 yards was a back-breaker in a 30-27 loss. Chase Young made the biggest ‘rookie mistake’ of his young career. Defensive back Kendall Fuller possibly had the worst game of his career; Matthew Stafford took advantage of him on touchdown passes of 55 and 27 yards.
After committing five turnovers in a 23-20 loss versus the New York Giants, Washington turned the ball over only once versus Detroit. With Washington down 14-3 late in the first half at the Lions 33, Terry McLaurin fumbled and it resulted in a 17-3 deficit at halftime for Washington. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, McLaurin could be in store for a big day against the Bengals 26th-ranked passing defense. So far in 2020, McLaurin has eclipsed the century mark three times in games versus Arizona, Baltimore, and New York.
McLaurin almost had his fourth 100-yard game of the season against Detroit with a seven-catch, 95-yard performance. He also added a 27-yard run for good measure on a jet sweep. That’s something that could possibly be featured more in Washington’s offense. Cincinnati has allowed Diontae Johnson, Corey Davis, Rashard Higgins, and Marcus Johnson all to go over 100 yards receiving. None of those players are even the No. 1 receiving option on their respective teams.
One way to avoid the slow starts that have plagued Washington is to start fast with deep shots down the field. Slow starts have been a common theme in every game for Washington. Quarterback Alex Smith has been a pleasant surprise since he’s returned to the starting lineup and has thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. With a suspect pass defense like Cincinnati’s, Terry McLaurin could be in store for a big day.
Three keys to victory for Washington vs. the Bengals. dark. Next
With a win, the Washington Football Team would be within a half-game of the division lead in the dismal NFC East. If Washington is to somehow gain momentum in the second half of the season, a win versus the Bengals is mandatory. In their past 18 road games, Cincinnati is 0-17-1. After committing a costly turnover versus the Lions, expect ‘Scary Terry‘ to rebound in a big way this week versus the Bengals.