It a was a Thursday to forget for Washington Commanders fans as not only did the team lose 27-18 against Green Bay, but they will now be without two key contributors for the duration of the season.
Defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. suffered a torn left quadriceps muscle at the 7:34 mark of the 2nd quarter and had to be carted off. The 31 year old was in visible pain on the field as his teammates gathered around him.
Wise took to social media after the game to tell fans “This was an unfortunate experience, but when you give so much to the game and do everything you can to improve for yourself and for your teams success it can feel like there’s a lot to play for. When you stop, it can feel like everything around you stops too.”
He ended the caption by referencing the fact that the “bright side” to his injury is that he will get to spend more time with his family as he begins the rehabilitation process.
Things didn’t improve from there however, as running back Austin Ekeler would later go down with what was initially called a lower body injury, but is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon. While the team has not yet officially ruled him out for the season, sources within the organization have indicated the club is confident that the veteran RB’s season is done.
Ekeler will undergo additional imaging to confirm the tear on Friday, with a formal announcement expected shortly thereafter.
Wide receiver Noah Brown and tight end John Bates also suffered groin injuries forcing them both out of action, though the severity of these appear to be on the mild side. Nevertheless, expect both their names to pop up on the team’s injury report next week, as both will see how a few extra days off will affect their availability for Week 3.
All in all it was a dismal showing for the Commanders who looked disjointed offensively for large stretches of the game. QB Jayden Daniels finished the day with 200 yards passing and 2 TDs through the air, however 15 of the team’s 18 points came in the 4th quarter when the outcome of the game was largely already decided.
Offensively, Washington was limited to 230 total yards, as the team went 5 for 16 on third downs and averaged just 3.5 yards per play. Despite a fairly close time of possession split (27:34 for Washington, 32:26 for Green Bay), the Packers defence managed to keep Washington at bay for most of the game.
With a Week 3 date with the Raiders on tap, the Commanders will now need to make adjustments to both their defensive line and running back positions. Dorance Armstrong, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Von Miller, and Jalyn Holmes are all candidates to see increased usage with Wise sidelined.
Meanwhile, rookie Jacory Crosby-Merritt appears to now be the number 1 running back in DC, with Chris Rodriguez Jr. expected to slot in as the teams RB2 and Jeremy McNichols expected to be the team’s passing downs back.
JCM was held in check Thursday night, carrying the ball 4 times for 17 yards. After Ekeler left the game, it was largely McNichols who saw extra duty, though this likely had more to do with game script than any lack of faith in the rookie.
Washington will now have some extra days of rest to regroup before taking the field for a 1pm showdown on September 21st.
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