5 Commanders in increasingly precarious situations despite Week 3 triumph
By Dean Jones
National recognition returned to the Washington Commanders following their bombshell victory at the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. This was a stunning performance - especially from an offensive standpoint - but it was far from perfect. If head coach Dan Quinn wants to meet some rapidly increasing expectations, this needs to be more of a collective effort.
The Commanders cannot rely solely on their offense and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. They got the job done over the last two weeks. But if Washington wants to surprise people and enter the postseason discussion in Year 1 of Quinn's reign, substantial adjustments are needed.
Optimism is high things can improve over time. This was never going to be a quick fix. Gradual progress was the primary goal. However, that might have to change if Daniels continues his meteoric rise to superstardom in the coming weeks. Especially with the trade deadline on the not-too-distant horizon.
With this in mind, here are five Commanders players in increasingly precarious situations despite their outstanding Week 3 triumph at the Bengals.
Commanders players in increasingly precarious situations through Week 3
Phidarian Mathis - Commanders DL
The Washington Commanders have Phidarian Mathis one final opportunity to prove himself in 2024. He was chosen over John Ridgeway III during final cuts, who was traded to the New Orleans Saints. With Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. looking to keep their interior defensive linemen fresh, the Alabama product was in line for plenty of work.
Mathis hasn't capitalized on his involvement, which is frustrating. He's provided no relief against the run and doesn't have the physical tools to impact things from a pass-rushing standpoint. The defensive tackle laid a goose egg across the board from 29 percent of snaps in Week 3 at the Cincinnati Bengals to continue this concerning trend.
With rookie second-rounder Johnny Newton ramping up his reps and looking like someone who could make a real impact with more experience, Mathis is in danger of becoming an innocent bystander unless there's more on-field urgency to his production.