3 adjustments Commanders should make to maximize Taylor Heinicke at QB

2. Give Alex Armah more looks

Of all the old Carolina Panthers who Ron Rivera has brought to Washington, one of the most obscure is fullback Alex Armah. He has lingered on the practice squad for the past year or so, but was on the field for a few snaps against Green Bay. And I like that look.

Washington, like many teams in the modern pass happy NFL, does not typically use a fullback, or anyone approximating a traditional fullback. I had hoped that with four tight ends, perhaps we would see a rebirth of the old H-Back roll. I envisioned a physical freak like Sammis Reyes lining up in the backfield and crashing into opposing linebackers ahead of Brian Robinson or Antonio Gibson. Alas, that was not to be.

But Armah is a beast of a blocker, who can also run the ball on short yardage plays and help out on special teams. Washington now has three quality running backs in Robinson, Gibson and McKissic. We will see two of them on the field at the same time moving forward – in various combinations. I would like to see Armah carve out a role there as well, especially on intermediate downs – 2nd and 6, 3rd and 2 – when the defense has to be ready for both the run and the pass. He could be extremely effective as a lead blocker and in picking up blitzes.

With Heinicke as the starter, Washington will need to establish the run. Having extra assets clearing the way for some pretty strong runners can only help.