The Washington Commanders will be on prime time this week as they visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. And after their overtime debacle against the New York Giants, they'll need everyone to bring their best.
Washington is getting healthier, with quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and running back Rachaad White all returning to the lineup this past week. But it was the breakout production from another offensive weapon that turned heads on Sunday.
Tight end Chig Okonkwo.
Chig Okonkwo must prove his Commanders Week 5 breakout has substance
Now, the highly touted free agent signing will need to prove it's something he can build on.
When the Commanders promoted David Blough to offensive coordinator, everyone expected an offense that would heavily utilize its tight ends. Through the first four weeks, their production was nearly nonexistent.
That changed against the Giants.
Okonkwo caught four passes for 60 receiving yards on six targets. He set the tone early as the Commanders built a two-score lead in the first half.
Everybody had high hopes for Okonkwo in Washington, due to the fact that he'd be in the best situation of his career. It wasn't an ideal start, but now that he's building chemistry with Daniels, there's a chance to turn things around.
Commanders need Chig Okonkwo to be the tight end nightmare they can't defend
The Commanders have been notoriously bad at covering tight ends for years running. This season, they've let Dallas Goedert, Jake Ferguson, and Isaiah Likely all have field days against them. Anytime an opponent has a third-and-short in a crucial situation against Washington, it's almost a guarantee that the ball is finding an open big body for a fresh set of downs.
That is what Okonkwo needs to be.
He has the athleticism and playmaking ability to be a high-volume pass-catcher in Blough's system — a player Daniels can trust as a go-to target.
Veteran Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz played that role for the past two years, but he was limited in what he could do after the catch. McLaurin has also been a tried-and-true short-yardage option on third and fourth downs, but the Commanders need a reliable backup plan.
That is where Okonkwo comes in. And he must now prove his Week 5 production surge can become the start of great things in Washington.
Okonkwo was signed for a reason and is expected to be a major part of the Commanders' offense. He finally showed flashes of what he's capable of in Week 5, and fans can only hope it's the beginning of things to come.
Otherwise, Washington has an issue.
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