Loser No. 4
Chig Okonkwo - Commanders TE
Chig Okonkwo was confident he could make a strong impression as he returned to the Washington Commanders in Week 4. In his first game back from a hamstring injury, the free-agent signing didn't stop him from making bullish claims that the tight end unit's numbers would rise with his presence.
Unfortunately, the reality painted a very different picture.
The Commanders needed Okonkwo to provide a safety valve across the middle, especially with wide receiver Terry McLaurin missing the game with a hamstring problem. As it turned out, the Maryland product caught just two of four targets for five receiving yards.
The numbers did not go up.
Okonkwo might have been feeling his way back, and that's fine. But the Commanders needed him to step up, hamstring problem or not. He didn't deliver, and he'll need to make significant improvements to ease concerns in the near future.
Winner No. 3
Austin Ekeler - Commanders RB
The Commanders needed Austin Ekeler immediately. Despite the veteran running back joining the franchise last week, Rachaad White's shoulder injury meant he was active and expected to play a role.
Being around the setup before obviously helped. And on a day with very few positives to take, Ekeler's performance was undoubtedly one of them.
Ekeler looked to show no ill effects from the torn Achilles tendon he sustained against the Green Bay Packers last year. The Western Colorado product saw limited action, but he looked like Washington's best runner, gaining 29 rushing yards on four carries and adding a reception for 11 yards.
The dual-threat also flashed as a pass blocker, which is encouraging. Ekeler will gain a tremendous amount from this return, and the Commanders would be wise to keep him involved moving forward.
What that means for others remains to be seen, but the time for half measures is over.
Loser No. 5
Adam Peters - Commanders GM
The Commanders benched Nick Allegretti in Week 4. His underwhelming start to the campaign hasn't been well received, and the coaching staff took drastic action. This is also the second straight year that the interior offensive lineman has been taken out of the firing line early.
That makes general manager Adam Peters a loser after Sunday's international loss.
Peters threw all his support behind Allegretti this offseason, releasing starting center Tyler Biadasz and giving the Illinois product almost a free run to the No. 1 role. It was a bemusing approach that drew instant skepticism among fans, but the front-office leader's lack of urgency to fix this obvious flaw has quickly come back to haunt him.
There was no plan, especially after the Commanders struck out on Tyler Linderbaum. Allegretti didn't repay the faith Peters showed in him, and it only adds more pressure on Washington to fix this problem next offseason.
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