The Washington Commanders' nightmare season managed to hit another new low in a shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels returned, but dinged up his elbow again and was held out for most of the second half for precautionary reasons. Tight end Zach Ertz, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He took a hard shot to the knee in the third quarter, suffering a season-ending — and possibly career-ending — torn ACL.
It's a gut-wrenching blow for one of Washington's top on- and off-field leaders. In the meantime, it provides an opportunity for a player that Commanders fans have been waiting for two years to see what he's made of.
Commanders will never get a better chance to see what Ben Sinnott can do
That player, of course, would be Ben Sinnott.
The 2024 second-round pick from Kansas State has been a polarizing name in Washington, with only nine career receptions in his two seasons thus far. The debate is whether that's because he's just not good or because he hasn't had any opportunities.
We're about to find out.
Sinnott should be Washington's starting tight end for the remaining four weeks of the season. John Bates has been ahead of him on the depth chart, but he's primarily a blocking specialist. Colson Yankoff could also get more involved, but he wasn't drafted as a crucial building block.
The Commanders need to know what they have in Sinnott. They've been officially eliminated from playoff contention, and it's a real question as to whether or not they'll even win another game this year. This season is now all about the development of Washington's young pieces, as scarce as they may be.
That is why Daniels must be on the field as long as he is healthy enough. It's why there needs to be fewer Noah Brown targets and more for Treylon Burks and Jaylin Lane, who combined for zero receptions at U.S. Bank Stadium. It's why the growth of young defensive players such as Jordan Magee (who has been a bright spot) and Johnny Newton (not so much) is so crucial.
Sinnott still has a chance to turn the narrative around. But there can't be any more excuses now.
If he can't outperform Bates, who isn't a pass-catcher, or Yankoff, the undrafted rookie from his same class, then he's a bust. He has four games to start making an impact.