It only took one carry for Brian Robinson Jr. to alleviate injury concerns
By Dean Jones
There was some concern about Brian Robinson Jr.'s status heading into Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans. It didn't take long for the gifted running back to alleviate these fears.
Robinson suffered an injury on Washington's first offensive play last weekend versus the Dallas Cowboys. The former third-round pick out of Alabama revealed that he was dealing with an ankle sprain in the game's immediate aftermath. However, he was confident of participating in a must-win clash at Northwest Stadium versus the resurgent Titans, who were coming off an impressive triumph over the Houston Texans last time out.
The Commanders took things slowly with Robinson in practice throughout the week. He was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday. After ramping things up on Friday with an almost full workload, the Alabama product didn't carry an injury designation into the contest.
This was an undoubted positive. Having Robinson available was key for the Commanders considering veteran free-agent signing Austin Ekeler went to injured reserve with a serious concussion sustained on a kick return late on versus Dallas. Fans were uncertain about how much he would feature not at 100 percent. With only Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. behind him on the running back depth chart, it's not hard to see where the complications could arise.
Robinson put these doubts to rest almost immediately. It was a sensational start from the Commanders, who forced a quick three-and-out on defense before two nice completions from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to begin their first drive.
Brian Robinson Jr.'s ankle looked fine on long touchdown run
Then, it was Robinson's time to shine.
The backfield weapon made his first carry count, breaking through a huge seam created by Washington's offensive line to find the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown run.
The explosiveness demonstrated by Robinson calmed everyone down. It also showed that the ankle issue might not be as bad as initially feared.
It was only one play and a lot of the game remained, but this was a major confidence boost for everyone involved. Hopefully, it'll be the start of a strong end to the campaign from Robinson's perspective as the Commanders look to attain postseason football in Year 1 of Dan Quinn's reign.