Washington previews Commanders' offensive attack, Elijah Hicks' performance |
CHICAGO—When Chicago plays the Washington Commanders this coming Sunday (3:25 p.m. / CBS), it will face many challenges on offense. It has a dynamic quarterback in Jayden Daniels and one of the better receivers in the NFL in Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin is currently on track to have the best season of his career. “He has tremendous speed, and that’ll force you to maintain a position over the top. You can’t let the ball get behind you. We don’t want the ball thrown over our head. His routes are precise and he understands coverage variation and the alignment of the corner, what he can do to take advantage of or try and work what you’re doing defensively,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “So, there’s a lot of knowledge within that and he’s got the hands and the run after catch element to make a reception, to turn a short pass into a long gain if you’re not careful. So, it’s not just a corner that’s matching up against him. We’ve got to make sure defensively whether we have a safety over the top or we have pursuit coming from our undercover that we’re doing everything that we can to contain him.” How effective the offense as a whole may depend on the quarterback. Daniels is questionable with a rib injury; even if he plays, he will not be 100 percent. That is why it probably makes more sense for the Commanders to go with their solid veteran backup, Marcus Mariota. Washington said he believes Washington will run the same offense under Mariota despite the fact his skill set is different from Daniels. “They’re going to run their offense and he’s capable of executing exactly what they want to get done within all of the concepts,” Washington said. “The offense should be consistent. We’re anticipating that. But, the skill sets are a little bit different. Mariota has experience. He’s able to run the football. He can make throws. This person has been in a starter’s role at various points in his career, so he’s seen a lot of defensive football, a lot of arrangements. He can make quick decisions. So, he’ll come in with a slightly different skill set and experience level than Jayden Daniels.” Washington also has one of the league’s better running backs in Brian Robinson Jr. Although he has been a little inconsistent in his run production, he has at least one rushing touchdown in every game this season with the exception of week two. That could be a problem for the Bears as the run game has been a little bit of a problem for them. Only a dozen teams in the NFL have allowed more yards per rush attempt than Chicago. Washington said the success of their run game starts with the quality of their offensive line, as well as Robinson Jr.’s toughness as a runner. Both of these factors will challenge the Bears run defense. “They do an excellent job of blocking your configuration. So, however you’re aligned whether you’re in a five-man front or four-man front, they know how to do that and so, he’s a downhill player. He protects the football and he’s a tough out,” Washington said. “Very, very tough, leans forward and so, he’s going to hit the hole with authority and he’s going to challenge your ability to tackle him.” Unfortunately for the Bears, it appears they will not have all of their starters when they face the Commanders. Safety Jaquan Brisker could not practice on Wednesday and Thursday as he is still on concussion protocol after self-reporting concussion symptoms before Chicago’s London game. That means Elijah Hicks would play in his place once again, and he did a good job in Brisker’s spot against Jacksonville. “Played with a lot of confidence, was where he needed to be. On the fumble that TJ forced, he’s there to pick the football up and to start advancing the ball back toward the right end of the field. So, his poise, his confidence, his swag,” Washington said. “It’s great to have a person like that that can go in the football game and function as a starter in every single way and you not lose anything and obviously, you don’t replace Jaquan Brisker. You don’t replace him. But to have a person that can come into the game (with) that level of confidence is just a great asset to have. So, (I) was really excited for him and looking forward to how he’ll compete this week.”
