This is exactly why the Washington Commanders traded for shutdown cornerback Marshon Lattimore. He's making no secret of his intentions to repay this faith.
It's been a frustrating start to Lattimore's time in Washington. He had difficulty shrugging off a hamstring issue that restricted his regular-season involvement to just two games following his switch from the New Orleans Saints before the trade deadline. When he returned for the Wild Card game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the issue was still bothering him despite toughing it out against long-time bitter rival Mike Evans.
With added game reps and another week of practice, Lattimore looked much more like his old self at the Detroit Lions. The four-time Pro Bowler locked down his side of the field. He was targeted just once and broke up that pass. This nullified whoever he was up against and forced quarterback Jared Goff into mistakes.
The Commanders are now one game away from representing the NFC in this year's Super Bowl. It's an astonishing run that's captivated the imagination of fans and everyone around the league. Standing in their way is the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the Los Angeles Rams in snowy conditions and frigid temperatures at Lincoln Financial Field.
Lattimore issued a warning to the Eagles or anyone else still contending at this late stage. The cornerback is ready. The Commanders are a match for anyone. The former Ohio State standout believes that if Washington plays as they did versus the Lions, they're unstoppable.
"I'm just taking it one game at a time. I'm not trying to get too high or too low right now. There's still a lot of football to play, but obviously I'm excited. I haven't been in a championship game in years. I'm ready. That's all I can say — I'm ready. When we're playing like that, we can't be beat. Just everybody playing together. Every time we do that, we're going to win."Marshon Lattimore
Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore had his best game last night in a Washington uniform.
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) January 19, 2025
He was that lock down corner in the biggest game of the year.
On going to NFC Title game, Marshon said, "I'm ready. That's all I can say, I'm ready."
Video: @marcdavissports pic.twitter.com/sbAnlo1JI4
Lattimore is a man of few words. He prefers to let his actions do the talking. But if the defensive back is this bullish about the Commanders' chances, that carries a ton of weight.
The challenges keep coming for Lattimore. He'll be tackled with stopping physically imposing Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown this weekend. The pair had a monumental tussle earlier this season before his hamstring injury flared up. This individual battle will go a long way to determining who'll come out on top.
Washington will also be relying on Lattimore's accomplished run-stopping credentials. Saquon Barkley is at the top of his game and gained 296 rushing yards over two regular-season contests against the Commanders. If quarterback Jalen Hurts isn't at 100 percent, Philadelphia's hopes of reaching the Super Bowl rest almost squarely on his shoulders.
Lattimore will be there to meet him and anyone else from the first whistle. He's a big-game performer who thrives in high-pressure situations. And it doesn't get much bigger than an NFC Conference championship game against one of your heated NFC East foes.
The former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year fired a warning shot to Washington's postseason rivals. Now that Lattimore is getting healthy, he's more than capable of backing it up if others continue to meet expectations.