It's no secret that A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have had their way with the Washington Commanders in recent years. That could be about to change thanks in no small part to the addition of Marshon Lattimore.
After spending time recovering from a hamstring issue following his trade from the New Orleans Saints, the stud cornerback finally made his long-awaited debut in Week 15 versus the team that deemed him expendable. Lattimore wasted no time in proving his value.
The former first-round pick out of Ohio State played the majority of snaps and wasn't targeted once. Lattimore locked down one side of the field with minimal fuss. The Commanders only just got over the line, but this was an undoubted positive from a nervy triumph.
Lattimore was as advertised. It's a fantastic start to life in Washington, but this weekend will be much tougher versus the Philadelphia Eagles. These sorts of games are exactly why general manager Adam Peters made his boldest move yet before the 2024 trade deadline.
Commanders outline delight at Marshon Lattimore's seamless transition
For the Commanders to take the next step and potentially make some noise in the postseason, they needed an elite-level cornerback. Lattimore is all that and more, which was reflected in defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.'s praise of the Ohio State product after an encouraging debut.
"He played with a lot of confidence. He communicated well. There was two reductions where he was the one, and he wasn’t supposed to be the one that led the communication on those reductions, but he did. And that was really positive to see. Just the command that he had of the defense. And like I said, I give a lot of that credit to [Assistant Defensive Back Coach] William Gay because he was with him from day one, teaching him and being that mentor that we asked William to do with a lot of these guys. So, but I was just really pleased with the command that the young man had of his game."Joe Whitt Jr.
Whitt's supreme confidence in Lattimore confirms that the dynamic has completely changed. Brown and Smith are exceptional performers. When they are lined up against Washington's new No. 1 coverage option, quarterback Jalen Hurts might think twice about looking in their direction.
That's not been the case lately. Whether it's Benjamin St-Juste, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., or even Kendall Fuller, both Brown and Smith have run riot over the Commanders. Lattmore's presence has the chance to alter that in an instant.
Others must also live up to their end of the bargain. Second-round rookie Mike Sainristil performed well in Washington's first matchup versus the Eagles and hopes to do the same again. Noah Igbinoghene's raised performance levels from the slot also leave reasons for encouragement. The safety duo on the backend must provide adequate support while also keeping a close eye on running back Saquon Barkley.
Washington's offense is dealing with some injury concerns. This makes defensive efficiency even more important against the Eagles, who've won their last 10 games and can secure the NFC East championship with success at Northwest Stadium this weekend.
Lattimore's influence has the scope to shift the pendulum. Whether his teammates can follow suit is another matter.