3 younger players have emerged for the Commanders after impressive showing in brutal loss to Dolphins
The future looks bright for these three Commanders, and it was needed.
The Washington Commanders are on a bye week after losing their sixth-straight game to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain, and now have time to regroup and evaluate the team.
There weren’t a lot of positives to take away from the loss, except for the Commanders finally moving on from kicker Matt Gay and a couple of young players standing out. The roster needs to be reconstructed again this offseason, and identifying the key younger players they have is a huge goal for the rest of the season.
Luckily, three young players showed they can be key contributors for the Commanders next season.
OT Josh Conerly Jr.
Rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has had a roller coaster of a season after a rough start, but he’s started to find his groove over the last few weeks. Conerly Jr. allowed four sacks and 11 pressures in his first two games of his rookie season, and had some hiccups along the way, but the last two weeks have shown his potential.
Conerly Jr. held Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson in check with zero sacks and only one pressure, and followed it up with another impressive showing against the Dolphins. The right tackle once again didn’t allow a single sack and only two pressures. His upside has been trending up, and that’s something the Commanders needed to see.
LB Jordan Magee
The defense has been the main storyline of the roster, and its downfall led to Dan Quinn taking over as defensive coordinator. This was the first game with Quinn as the defensive coordinator, and we saw a much-improved defense, including second-year linebacker Jordan Magee.
Magee had five tackles and didn’t miss a single one. He also allowed just 22 yards in coverage on three catches, which is much better than what we’ve seen from the linebacker group this season.
Magee showed he can fly around and play freely, while being smart enough to read and react, and not overshoot on plays, especially on passes from the backfield. Being one of the starting linebackers next year would be huge for the Commanders’ defense, and one less roster spot to worry about.
RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
The Commanders’ running back room has been a rotation of Bill Croskey Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols, each with their own role. The 25-year-old running back started the season inactive, but got the chance to prove himself again after Austin Ekeler went down. He’s made the most of his opportunities. Over the last three weeks, however, Rodriguez Jr. has taken over as the main running back, and it doesn’t look like he will give it up anytime soon.
He had 12 attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks, and found the endzone again the next week against the Lions. Rodriguez Jr. carried that momentum to Madrid, Spain, and had a season-high 79 yards on the ground, and tied his Week 1 carry count with 16 attempts. The Commanders still need a legit RB1 in free agency or the draft, but Rodriguez has shown that he can run hard and open up the running game as well.
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