Washington Football Team: Five players to watch vs. Steelers
3. OT Cornelius Lucas
Alex Smith’s mobility isn’t the same as it once was. That was completely expected given the brutal leg injury that he suffered two years ago, so it makes sense that Washington has fared better on offense when they have been able to keep pressure off him.
Protecting Smith against a great Steelers defense will be paramount. They have a strong pass rush featuring T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, but one of their other top pass rushers, Bud Dupree, suffered a torn ACL last week and will be out the rest of the season. That will give Washington a better chance to protect Smith.
So too will the return of Cornelius Lucas. The team’s swing tackle had been starting in place of the injured Geron Christian before going down will a malady of his own. With Lucas absent, Washington had to rely on David Sharpe at right tackle and kick Morgan Moses to the left side. Moses at left tackle has worked out well, but Sharpe has been shaky. He’s been strong as a run blocker, but his lacking athleticism has caused him some issues in the passing game.
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Lucas is a more balanced option for Washington than Sharpe. He can come in and use his 6-foot-8 frame to fare well in pass protection and help to slow down Watt on the edge. He’ll be stronger in that area than Sharpe and should still do well in the running game as well.
Lucas projects to be an upgrade, but that’s not the biggest reason to watch him. How Lucas is utilized will be the top question that the team will answer earlier in their game against the Steelers.
Washington could choose to play Lucas at left tackle with Moses returning to right tackle or they could keep Moses on the left side and move Lucas to right tackle. Lucas was successful at that position last season for the Bears, so perhaps Rivera and Co. will give him a shot there with Moses playing well on the left side.
This decision will not be taken lightly, and Washington will surely put a lot of thought into this, but no matter how you look at it, Lucas will be important to the success of Washington on Sunday. No matter how they use him, they need him to hold up. Otherwise, Smith may be running for his life against a strong defensive front.