Dyami Brown was on the field for 55 percent of the team's offensive snaps against the Dallas Cowboys. This was more than both four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and third-round rookie Antonio Williams. Only Terry McLaurin played more in Washington's wideout unit.
This has to stop.
It'll be interesting to see what offensive coordinator David Blough says when he is inevitably asked about the topic during his media availability on Thursday. Diggs has been a legitimate bright spot this season. Williams flashed immense promise against the Philadelphia Eagles before being a non-factor in Dallas, through no real fault of his own.
Commanders cannot keep relying so much on Dyami Brown over others
As for Brown? He has four catches on eight targets for 21 receiving yards through two weeks.
The North Carolina product returned this offseason. Brown performed well enough to make the 53-man roster, so fans hoped he could finally carry that into a regular-season environment.
It's still early days, but Brown is following a similar pattern to his first four years in Washington.
But this time, he is doing it at the expense of players who can actually produce.
Maybe they are trying to keep Diggs fresh and on a snap count. Perhaps the Commanders don't want to put too much on Williams' plate during his transition into a regular-season environment. But with quarterback Jayden Daniels now out until further notice with a dislocated elbow, it's essential that the reliable performers are on the field whenever possible.
For all of Brown's athletic gifts, consistency has never been his strongest trait.
The 2021 third-round pick shouldn't be off the field entirely. Brown has speed to stretch the field and can be a useful decoy to open things up underneath. Given that veteran backup Marcus Mariota doesn't have the strongest arm at this stage of his career, that will help.
Commanders need their dependable wideouts more involved for Marcus Mariota
But allocating Brown more snaps than Diggs and Williams at this point is unacceptable, no matter what mitigating circumstances may be attached.
Washington needs stability amid Daniels' latest injury setback. Mariota can be serviceable, but everything around him needs to click. This starts with the protection up front, but the pass-catchers also need to get open quickly.
Diggs can do that. So can Williams and McLaurin. Brown finds it more difficult, and with the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted defense coming to Northwest Stadium this weekend, Mariota needs all the help he can get.
The tape doesn't lie. Brown is playing too much and certainly shouldn't be eating into the reps of Diggs or Williams right now. But with Daniels out, tight end Chig Okonkwo hurt, and McLaurin also going through a subpar start to the campaign, maybe Blough just wanted to try something different against a vulnerable Cowboys secondary.
We'll find out for sure this weekend versus the Seahawks. And if Brown does get WR2-caliber reps over others, serious questions will be asked of the rookie NFL play-caller.
Brown has proven time and time again that he cannot be counted upon when it matters. There was a brief renaissance in the playoffs when Washington reached the NFC Championship game, but the rest of his career has been largely underwhelming.
And he simply cannot be a focal point.
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