Things did not go well for the Washington Commanders in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons. They were never really in the game, despite the eventual seven-point margin of defeat, and head coach Dan Quinn made his feelings abundantly clear to his players after the team failed to meet its high standards.
This should serve as a wake-up call to the Commanders. And if the loss wasn't bad enough, they are also dealing with another long-term injury complication for good measure.
Rotational edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who has been getting more involved in recent weeks, saw his momentum come screeching to an abrupt halt with a pectoral injury. The reports in the immediate aftermath of sustaining the issue weren't great. This was confirmed by Quinn, who revealed that the problem will keep the 2024 seventh-round pick out for a while.
Commanders need to unleash Preston Smith after latest injury blow
It further depletes a position group that isn't exactly blessed with great depth, to begin with. This leaves the Commanders with one move to offset the blow.
The Commanders recently signed veteran Preston Smith after a season-ending injury to Deatrich Wise Jr. This is his second spell in Washington after being drafted by the franchise at No. 38 overall in 2015. He spent four profitable years in D.C. before taking his game to new heights with the Green Bay Packers. Now, he's back, and his get-up-to-speed process needs to increase significantly.
Smith has been a healthy scratch over the last two games as he gets himself into genuine football shape. With Jean-Baptiste now set for an extended spell on the sidelines, the Commanders have to get him ready to log reps this weekend on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Although Smith's powers have declined over the last two years, he's still got 70.5 career sacks to his name. No other pass-rusher in Washington boasts those credentials, so throwing him into the rotation is imperative with options dwindling.
Expecting miracles from Smith is unrealistic. He's missed a lot of football and wasn't involved in any camps or the preseason. The Commanders will still err on the side of caution, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Chargers could be vulnerable on the offensive line if Joe Alt misses the contest in Week 5. But if the Commanders cannot find the right solutions to cause havoc in quarterback Justin Herbert's backfield, it won't matter.
Getting Smith involved wouldn't be the worst idea. And who knows, perhaps it can provide the Commanders with the spark that was sorely lacking in Atlanta.