All the hype and headlines centered on the Washington Commanders' botched final play during their tie with the New York Giants. But one overlooked positive deserves recognition.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels made a successful return, aside from the final stages, but everyone knows about that. However, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. played his first game in more than a year, and there was a lot to like about his contribution.
Wise got hurt last year in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. It was a torn quad, and it's taken considerable time to heal. The veteran couldn't participate in any of Washington's summer preparations, but the Commanders kept faith.
Deatrich Wise Jr.'s successful return went overlooked, but it's a major Commanders boost
They may be rewarded.
The Commanders were never going to give Wise a full workload after so long away from the gridiron. He did play 35 snaps, which was 39 percent of the team's overall output. And those three tackles would have been a big confidence boost.
However, Wise's best work didn't show up on the stat sheet.
The 2017 fourth-round pick out of Arkansas held the edge superbly against the run, especially in the first half. This has always been Wise's strength throughout his career, and he's still got the tools to be impactful in this discipline.
These were high-impact plays in key moments. It made it hard for running back Cam Skattebo to gain yards without a fight, and plugging those gaps behind Washington's 3-4 front was integral to the team's early success.
Things tailed off as the game wore on, but fatigue was always going to set in for Wise. Being in good condition is one thing, but being in football shape is another.
Deatrich Wise Jr. quickly re-established himself as key piece on Commanders' rotation
Even so, things couldn't have gone much better for Wise in his first contest back. He's got one more game to get through before the bye week, another chance to rest and reach peak fitness.
After that, it would be a big surprise if he didn't contribute significantly as the season goes on.
The Commanders are well-stocked on the edge, but Wise is arguably their best run defender in this area of the field. He also has the versatility to play 3-4 outside linebacker or 3-4 defensive end, which will be useful in coordinator Daronte Jones' creative scheme.
Wise might have some physical limitations at this late stage of his playing career, but he should also be relatively fresh after a lengthy absence. The power and explosiveness don't seem to have deserted him, so once he finds his football legs again, his influence should only increase.
At a time when the Commanders are clinging on to any glimmer of light amid the doom and gloom, Wise's return is precisely that.
His experience, leadership, and ability to produce when called upon will be invaluable. And given this team's reliance on its veterans, a successful return by the Super Bowl winner is a positive.
He'll have gained a tremendous amount from this. Wise proved he still belongs, even though nobody talked about it much because of other incidents.
But it is still important to the Commanders' defensive plans from here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google