4 Commanders on the hot seat entering Week 15 at LA Rams
By Dean Jones
Commanders OL
It's been a season to forget for the Washington Commanders offensive line. They remain right on the cusp of conceding historic sack numbers. Something many feared might be possible after Ron Rivera once again failed to prioritize this critical area of the field during free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Commanders have a mammoth task awaiting them in Week 15. Their game plan from a protection standpoint should solely focus on preventing stud defensive lineman Aaron Donald from influencing proceedings dominantly. Not exactly a task they look capable of based on their full body of work in 2023.
Donald is a wrecking ball. He's capable of absorbing double and sometimes even triple teams to make plays. He's a perennial All-Pro and a future first-ballot induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the former Pittsburgh college star eventually decides to walk away.
Rivera stated this week that the primary objective is to decipher where Donald is pre-snap at all times and adjust the protection accordingly. But in all honesty, even that might not be enough.
The Commanders' offensive line is going to look a lot different by the time 2024 rolls around. Until then, those around must somehow find the intestinal fortitude to come together in the hope of restricting Donald and the Los Angeles Rams this weekend.