3 problems the Commanders must address before Week 11 at Eagles

Commanders need pass-catching contingencies

Fans knew this would be a concern in 2024. Other than Terry McLaurin, who would catch passes?

Noah Brown may be developing into a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver, though it’s still a bit too early to declare that. So far, the Washington Commanders have relied on veterans Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz to come up big in the passing game at key moments.

In recent weeks, Ekeler had to take over for Brian Robinson Jr. as the lead running back, which has reduced his usage in the passing game. He has been outstanding this year - arguably the most instinctive runner Washington has had in more than a decade.

Ertz's predicament is more concerning. He has not looked as good in recent weeks as he did to begin the season. He’s 34 years old and missed half of his games in 2022 and 2023 due to injuries.

It would make sense that he is slowing down. Ertz had a costly drop in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and simply fell on another play after catching the ball in the middle of the field.

If Ertz is indeed beginning to slow down, that will be even more evident when playing on short rest this Thursday. Someone else will need to step up. That someone is rookie second-rounder Ben Sinnott.

The rookies drafted around him - Mike Sainristil, Johnny Newton, and Brandon Coleman - have all taken on larger roles. It is now Sinnott’s turn.

When they drafted him, general manager Adam Peters noted that he saw a lot of George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk in the versatile Kansas State product. It's time to show why in a crunch divisional clash.

Sinnott has been getting more snaps of late but has yet to do much in the passing game. He has been targeted just three times this season. The Philadelphia Eagles have been excellent against opposing tight ends this season, so neither Ertz nor Sinnott is likely to have a big game. But a couple of key catches on third downs could make the difference in the outcome.

If Ertz isn’t able to perform, then a player like Sinnott will have to.

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