Darrick Forrest’s Week 1 highlight reel will get Commanders fans jacked up

Do the Washington Commanders have a breakout star on their hands? After watching the season-opening victory over the Jaguars, several players could fall into that category, including Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel. While Dotson and Samuel both played huge roles in the victory, it goes without saying Darrick Forrest fits the “breakout star” bill more than anyone else on the roster after game one.

Thrust into his first career start with Kam Curl (thumb) sidelined, Forrest was the secondary’s most impressive (and important) performer Sunday.

While Kendall Fuller and William Jackson had a rough day at the office in coverage, Forrest flew all over the field and delivered several highlights, culminating in the game-sealing interception of Trevor Lawrence late in the fourth quarter.

In the end, it was fitting Forrest put the finishing touches on the win.

The second-year defender’s performance through the first 58 minutes of the game was indicative of a player who would come through in the clutch.

While Carson Wentz’s heroic stole most of the headlines, Washington doesn’t win this game without Forrest and his electric Week 1 highlight reel proves that. Credit to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala for putting this together.

Commanders fans will get amped watching Darrick Forrest’s Week 1 highlight reel against the Jaguars.

Not one, not two, but THREE different angles of Forrest’s thumping hit of Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. That’s good for the soul. While Forrest’s game-clinching interception and pair of pass breakups in the end zone were arguably more important plays, his hit of Etienne might be my favorite of the bunch.

As soon as Etienne hauled in the pass, Forrest was there to meet him and delivered a textbook tackle that jarred the ball loose. Unfortunately, Forrest’s technique was so powerful that the ball flew out of bounds before a teammate could pounce.

While Forrest celebrated by flexing at Jacksonville’s sideline, he composed himself to make another splash play on the following snap. On second and goal, Forrest broke up a Lawrence end zone pass intended for Zay Jones.

The Cincinnati product’s coverage was so sticky that Jones had zero chance of securing the reception (if he did he probably would’ve been out of bounds), but Forrest showed great ball skills and coordination to bat the pass away.

Fast forward to the second half and Forrest got his hands on a Jaguars two-point conversion attempt that savored Washington’s five-point lead. And in the fourth quarter, Forrest executed a picture-perfect toe drag near the deadlines to pick Lawrence on 3rd and 11 to effectively end the game for the Commanders.

It wasn’t just the Commanders faithful who recognized Forrest’s performance. His five tackles, two pass breakups and game-clinching INT saw him earn a 91.5 grade from Pro Football Focus; the highest mark of any safety in Week 1.

Nobody’s expecting Forrest to deliver a 10/10 performance every week, but Week 1 offered a glimpse into his untapped potential. When Kam Curl is back, the coaching staff needs to find a way to get him on the field consistently.