One unsung hero for the Commanders showed that he’s one of the best in the league, and he can help a major part of the offense
This player deserves his flowers from the league.
The offense is the flashier side of the ball for the Washington Commanders, but one of the best parts is the dirty work that’s not getting enough attention.
The running game has to be much improved this season, and a lot is going on in the running back room right now with Brian Robinson Jr. on the move, but there’s one player who can really boost how effective the run game is.
TE John Bates showed once again on Monday night that he’s one of the best blocking TEs in the league, and the run game can go through him, or his blocks at least.
Bates’ role is more important than people realize
With a new running back room being rolled out this season, and a revamped offensive line, Bates showed that his blocking ability is a part of the run game that needs to be highlighted more, and runs will be headed his way this season.
Bates was responsible for three of the biggest runs in the first quarter of the second preseason game, and we will see plenty of that this season.
Bates blocked two linebackers at the same time on the Bill Croskey-Merritt touchdown run. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury knows what he has as a blocker from Bates, and there’s a reason the Commanders were comfortable paying him his new contract.
Bates was a hot commodity
A lot of teams had interest in Bates when free agency was approaching, but the Commanders didn’t let him leave the team. The Commanders gave the TE a 3-year $21 million extension back in March. This was an important move to make, but a lot of fans were skeptical of the contract when they checked the stats. But what he does best shows up on film and not the box score.
There’s no doubt that the Commanders will get their money’s worth with his role in the run game this season. Adam Peters cleaned up the roster, and not many draft picks from the previous regime survived the cuts, but Bates did as a former fourth-round pick. His development has gone under the radar, but he’s getting a much-deserved spotlight as a top blocker in the league
There are a lot of changes expected in the running game this season with a new possible RB duo in Washington, and a lot of new pieces on the offensive line, but there’s one thing that still remains. Bates will be leading the way and opening up holes for whoever is running the ball this season.
Washington Commanders News
The Commanders sent a strong message with the latest move regarding RB Brian Robinson Jr, and it was heard loud and clear
Monday night showed us everything we needed to see with the RB room.
