3 simple fixes for the Commanders’ OL after nightmarish Week 3

1. Move Sam Cosmi to RG, Cornelius Lucas to RT

This pains us as Comsi fans, but it doesn’t qualify as a benching; just a temporary adjustment to see if it sparks an improvement. During the 2021 draft cycle, several analysts believed Cosmi projected better as a guard than a tackle. The thinking was he’d have a high floor as a tackle, but an All-Pro ceiling on the interior.

In Sunday’s loss to Philly, Cosmi was routinely beaten for pace by edge rusher Josh Sweat, who finished the game with three QB hits and 1.5 sacks. Scouts feared Cosmi could struggle with versatile and nimble pass rushers, and the second-year lineman has certainly taken his lumps in pass pro to start the year.

At Texas, Cosmi played guard and both tackle positions. While guard and tackle require different techniques and footwork, shifting Cosmi to right guard in place of Trai Turner, who might be the weakest link on Washington’s OL, is something Rivera and John Matsko should think about before Sunday’s game in Dallas.

In turn, the Commanders could bring Lucas off the bench to start at RT, where he flourished last season filling in for the injured Cosmi. Even better? Lucas is off to a perfect start this season, albeit in limited opportunities. Over nine pass-blocking snaps, the vet hasn’t allowed a single pressure, hurry or quarterback hit.

In a perfect world, Washington’s OL would look like this in Week 4:

• Charles Leno, LT
• Ereck Flowers, LG
• Nick Martin, C
• Sam Cosmi, RG
• Cornelius Lucas, RT

Not getting our hopes up, but the coaching staff better be considering some semblance of changes after Week 3’s embarrassment.