Commanders appear to have dodged a huge bullet going into critical matchup against Eagles
The Washington Commanders need all hands on deck as it faces the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 16 showdown, so that's why the latest news involving starting tight end Zach Ertz is as important as it is.Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ertz is "trending toward playing" after he suffered a concussion in Week 15 against […]
The Washington Commanders need all hands on deck as it faces the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 16 showdown, so that's why the latest news involving starting tight end Zach Ertz is as important as it is.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ertz is "trending toward playing" after he suffered a concussion in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints. It was unknown as to whether or not Ertz would play on Sunday, but it sounds like he'll be able to suit up for the Commanders. It's a huge boost for Jayden Daniels and the offense, as well.
Ertz is easily one of Daniels' favorite and most impactful receivers on the team. Star wideout Terry McLaurin is obviously the No. 1 target in the Commanders' passing attack and then there's the veteran tight end. He's second on the team, across the board, in targets (77) receptions (54), receiving yards (526), and receiving touchdowns (4).
He's most impactful inside the red zone, however, and he also plays a huge role down inside the 20. Per Pro Football Reference, Ertz's 29.4% target rate in the red zone leads the team. It's well ahead of second-place Terry McLaurin's 23.5% rate and no other player on the offense has rate higher than 9.8%. His 15 targets inside the 20 also lead the team and his eight receptions, 53 receiving yards and four touchdowns are second only to McLaurin, who has 11, 99, and nine, respectively.
Three of Ertz's eight receptions came from inside the 10 and all three of them have gone for touchdowns. Seven of the 15 targets are inside the 10, as well, which is tied with McLaurin for first.
"You could see we weren't as effective, especially in the red zone, there, without him," Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury told reporters when asked how Ertz's injury impacted the offense against the Saints. "He's just a guy that's a safety net for our quarterback at all times. He has a knack for getting open [and a] knack for making the big play, and so I didn't think we handled that great.
"As a coaching staff, we gotta have better answers if something like that happens, because he's such a vital part of what we've been doing this year."
The Commanders scored two touchdowns in their first two red zone trips with Ertz on the field, but had to settle for a field goal after driving down all the way to the Saints one-yard line when he went out of the game. Fortunately for Kingsbury and co. it doesn't sound like they'll have to plan for life without him.
Update: Quinn told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio later Sunday morning that Ertz will play against the Eagles.
Dan Quinn’s latest decision shows just how seriously he’s taking the Commanders’ game against the Eagles
This is very obvious to say, but it's still worthy of saying: The Washington Commanders are playing its biggest game of the 2024 season this week. The Philadelphia Eagles are both a division rival and the NFL's hottest team. Winners of 10 straight games, they can wrap up the NFC East with a win over […]
