3 mistakes Commanders cannot repeat in Week 2 vs the Lions

1. Not making Terry Mclaurin a focal point

The Commanders have ample mouths to feed on offense for the first time in several years. That’s duly noted. What I can’t wrap my mind around, though, is how the team’s best offensive weapon, Terry McLaurin, finished Sunday’s game with four targets.

That target share lagged behind Curtis Samuel (11), Antonio Gibson (8), Logan Thomas (6) and Jahan Dotson (5). We’re all for sharing the wealth and it was awesome to see Washington emphasize getting Samuel going early, but McLaurin is too good and too important to finish any game with just four targets.

It’s not like the Jaguars double-teamed McLaurin, either. They probably could’t afford to with all the weaponry on the Commanders’ offense, but McLaurin’s route-running was on point all afternoon. Jacksonville’s defensive backs stood no chance and he finally made them pay with a 49-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Yes, the Commanders won and the offense scored 28 points, but the group looked toothless for a long stretch in the second half; a period McLaurin wasn’t seeing any targets and it came back to haunt them on the scoreboard.

Washington avoided disaster this time, but the coaching staff needs to do better getting Mclaurin the football. He should see now fewer than eight targets against Detroit. Anything less and we riot (not really).