Marshon Lattimore has taken some heavy criticism once again this season. There have been some good moments from the cornerback, but the Washington Commanders were expecting much more from this substantial trade investment.
Lattimore can be a genuine shutdown presence when in the mood. He's also a liability against quicker wide receivers, displaying a lack of explosiveness and poor technique that often results in defensive holding penalties. This is a bad combination, and the Commanders' secondary is suffering accordingly.
The former Ohio State standout is not the only player struggling to find consistency, but he's held to a higher standard. However, amid all the scathing criticism from analysts and fans alike, Lattimore is remaining defiant.
Marshon Lattimore outlines confidence in Commanders' secondary to turn things around
He knows what the problem is. He is also supremely confident that the Commanders have enough talent to get out of their slump and rectify these growing problems. And he expects that to happen sooner rather than later.
"We just have to find a way to stop the explosives. A lot of that is being overaggressive at certain times or messing up coverage. Stuff we have to clean up on our own. They run the same play three weeks in a row and they have a counter off it in the fourth week. Look at the players in the room. We know we're good, we just have to execute the calls and execute our techniques. We're not down because we know what type of players we have in the room. We just have to fix what we've got to fix."Marshon Lattimore via ESPN
Talk is cheap, especially as the same issues keep cropping up almost every week. The lack of awareness in space. The inability to effectively adjust to pre-snap motions. And that's without counting the discipline issues in critical moments.
Lattimore knows he should be playing better. He's a highly competitive individual who'll be working hard to rectify some flaws that have crept into his game. The leash is getting shorter, but the Commanders don't have the luxury of taking the four-time Pro Bowler out of the firing line, even if they wanted to.
Washington is dealing with too many injuries for that. So Lattimore, and everyone else in the team's underperforming secondary, needs to dig deep and show the resolve needed to get things back on track. This was supposed to be an area of strength heading into the campaign. The Commanders cannot afford for it to become a glaring weakness.
If that scenario comes to fruition, Lattimore will carry the can more than anyone else.