7 Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 4 at the Cardinals
By Dean Jones
Optimism is rapidly growing around the Washington Commanders following their outstanding victory at the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. It was a phenomenal performance that proved beyond all doubt this was an organization heading in the right direction after more than two decades of misery.
This led the talking heads around the national media to speculate whether Dan Quinn could lead his team to a potential playoff berth in Year 1 of his head coaching tenure. Those following the Commanders a little closer will acknowledge that there is a lot of hard work ahead before this scenario becomes realistic. The frailties are evident, especially on the defensive side of the football, entering their Week 4 road clash with the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona might be sitting at 1-2, but they are a dangerous outfit. Complacency cannot become an issue if the Commanders want to build on their newfound momentum. Quinn is trying to keep everyone's feet on the ground, taking things one game at a time and seeing where that takes his revamped roster.
The pressure is on some more than others. With this in mind, here are seven Commanders players firmly on the hot seat (for differing reasons) in Week 4 at State Farm Stadium.
Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 4 at the Cardinals
Noah Igbinoghene - Commanders CB
It'll come as no surprise to Washington Commanders fans to see the secondary struggling to make an impact over the early stages of the campaign. Having two accomplished coaches such as Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. hasn't made up for the evident talent deficiency in the cornerback room. Reaching the postseason isn't going to happen if the same trend continues throughout the campaign.
Noah Igbinoghene is getting more playing time than anticipated thanks to Emmanuel Forbes Jr.'s injury and Michael Davis' lack of production. The former first-round pick followed the same trajectory as previous stops, coming up with the odd good play but producing nowhere near the consistency needed to provide stability.
Igbinoghene's 47.7 grade from Pro Football Focus is in the lower echelons for qualifying corners. He's giving up 64.3 percent of his targets and a 101.8 passer rating when targeted. This is going to be a big problem if the Arizona Cardinals identify the Auburn product as a weak link and test him throughout.