There were endless benefits to the Washington Commanders' playoff-clinching triumph over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. Taking the pressure off Marshon Lattimore is one of them.
The stud cornerback has featured just twice since his arrival via trade from the New Orleans Saints before the deadline. Lattimore reaggravated his hamstring injury versus the Philadelphia Eagles after a monumental tussle with wide receiver A.J. Brown. To say this was incredibly frustrating for the player and the Commanders is an understatement.
Washington managed to scrape past the Falcons without Lattimore. If they want to make some noise in the postseason, the Commanders could use their four-time Pro Bowl presence to lock down one side of the field.
The extent of Lattimore's hamstring issue remains a mystery. Head coach Dan Quinn didn't provide much clarity other than he'd continue his rehabilitation on the side field during practice. But considering this was the same issue that kept him out for weeks earlier in the campaign, there is some concern among the fanbase regarding his future involvement.
Commanders have extra time with Marshon Lattimore's hamstring recovery
This is all about time. The Commanders have the luxury of a little more of that after booking their spot in the postseason. Quinn wants to finish strongly at the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 en route to the sixth seed, but they can take things extra precautiously with Lattimore now.
The goal will be the weekend after next. Considering the Commanders will be facing either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, or Eagles, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. needs Lattimore available in some capacity.
Mike Evans, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, DeVonta Smith, and Brown are the wideout candidates to go up against Lattimore depending on who Washington faces. The former first-round pick out of Ohio State will relish the challenge, but getting healthy enough to feature represents the biggest stumbling block.
It's a step-by-step process. The Commanders will bring Lattimore along gradually over the next few days before giving him some more rest over the weekend. Further tests are ahead to begin next week, which will hopefully come with good news attached.
The Commanders made a bold move for Lattimore so he could help them over the hump and perhaps make their presence felt in the postseason. The standards increase and the margin for error diminishes. Washington isn't going to get very far relying on the likes of Michael Davis and Benjamin St-Juste opposite rookie second-rounder Mike Sainristil.
Until something gets confirmed one way or another, it's a waiting game for fans. It would be a bombshell of epic proportions if Lattimore features this weekend. But that's not the goal in this instance.
Playoff participation is key. Something that will go a long way to determining just how far the Commanders can go when the knockout rounds commence.