5 Commanders who could be benched after Week 1 loss at the Buccaneers
By Dean Jones
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. - Commanders CB
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. wasn't lacking confidence heading into his second season. The cornerback was praised by those in power for displaying the right attitude and making improvements. This positive momentum once again came crashing to an abrupt halt in a competitive setting.
The Washington Commanders didn't get any reliability from Forbes at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was lackluster in coverage and benched after conceding two penalties on the same play. Even when the former first-round pick out of Mississippi State got reintroduced, the same complications emerged and he went to the sidelines again.
This has been the story of Forbes' time in Washington so far. Fans are rapidly losing faith the the No. 16 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, who was preferred to Michael Davis in the starting lineup when push came to shove.
The Commanders are in a predicament with Forbes. Do they keep throwing him into the fire with the substantial risks attached? Or does Washington take him out of the firing line to avoid ripping his confidence apart entirely?
It's a fine line.
Andrew Wylie - Commanders OT
The Commanders gave Andrew Wylie another chance to make the starting right tackle position an area of strength this season. Things didn't go well for the edge protector last season more often than not, but those in power thought his experience would be an asset alongside stud right guard Sam Cosmi within Kliff Kingsbury's scheme.
Wylie didn't get off to the best start in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The offensive line deficiencies were minimized by Jayden Daniels' ability to get out on the move. The former Eastern Michigan star wasn't responsible for a sack, which was something, but another frustrating penalty emerged to continue this worrying trend of ill-discipline.
Cornelius Lucas performed well at the left tackle position. Rookie third-rounder Brandon Coleman also shone when reps came his way. If the Commanders want to think outside the box, then using this as their starting tackle tandem by moving the veteran to the right at the expense of Wylie is something to consider.
Washington might decide to keep things as they are with a potentially dominant New York Giants defensive front coming to town. But it's a situation worth monitoring if Coleman flashes again in Week 2.
More Commanders news and analysis
feed