3 Patriots players the Commanders must keep quiet in Week 9
By James Dudko
Commanders need to contain Demario Douglas
A rapid transition from a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to a wide receiver that defenses double-team speaks volumes about Demario Douglas' talent. He's shifty, swift, and intelligent in space, which represents a stern challenge for the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
Each of those qualities was obvious on this catch and run against the Miami Dolphins, highlighted by QB List writer Ben Brown.
For fantasy purposes, Demario Douglas will be the biggest beneficiary if Kendrick Bourne is forced to miss time pic.twitter.com/MaPtdXjgAy
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) October 29, 2023
Denying Douglas a free release off the line of scrimmage will be crucial for keeping him quiet. It means Commanders' defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio needs his cornerbacks to be aggressive and jam No. 81 coming out of his breaks.
Quickly getting contact on Douglas after the snap will be a challenge, but Danny Johnson should be up to the task. If not, this could be the ideal game for Del Rio and Ron Rivera to call top draft pick Emmanuel Forbes off the bench.
Forbes won't be shoved around by 5-foot-8, 192-pound Douglas, or at least he shouldn't be. But the Commanders will need bigger bodies up front to stop the Patriots' most effective offensive weapon.