Washington Commanders Rookie Shot Twice Returns to Play 6 Weeks Later -

By Luke Weidenkopf

The preview of the Commanders’ week five showdown against the Tennessee Titans was not focused on the game but on rookie running back, Brian Robinson Jr. Robinson was shot multiple times in the leg, in an attempted robbery. Luckily, he escaped serious damage to his knee, which allowed him to have a speedy recovery. Robinson ran out onto FedEx alone to 50 Cent’s classic rap hit “Many Men,” getting a massive cheer from his teammates and Commanders fans.

“It’s just being back out on the field. I mean, the ups and downs, but today everything finally came into the light. I’m just so blessed to be back out there with all the fans, the team, everybody involved,” Robinson said after the game.

Unfortunately, Robinson’s fairy tale return was not enough to push the Commanders over the Tennessee Titans, as Washington fell 17-21. The Commanders answered every Titans touchdown with one of their own, but Commanders’ quarterback Carson Wentz’s costly interception, on the last play of the game, sealed Washington’s fate.

Wentz bounced back from a few previous bad performances and had his best game in Washington, but his mistakes still piled up and slowed down the offense. Wentz completed 25 of his 38 passes for 359 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also had three fumbles, all three of which were recovered by Washington.

Wentz’s main problem in the current offensive scheme is his drop backs. Going into week 5, Wentz was the most-sacked quarterback in the league (he was sacked three times against the Titans). Some of the blame belongs to the Commanders’ subpar offensive line, but most of it belongs to Wentz. He refuses to trust his teammates and is unwilling to step into the pocket. When the Commanders acquired Wentz in a trade, one of the most lauded aspects of Wentz’s game was his running ability and skill at escaping sacks. That skill, however, has not traveled with him to DC.

A few Washington players, mainly Dyami Brown and Terry McLaurin, were determined to drag their team to the win column. Brown had two receptions for 105 yards including both Commanders’ touchdowns, the second of which was an insane one-handed grab over a Titans defender. McLaurin did not put any points on the board but was far above the most consistent player on the offense, receiving five passes for 76 yards.

Washington’s defense played more consistently, which has been a recurring problem for them, and they excelled in stopping the Titans’ passing game as Tennessee’s quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, completed 15 of his 25 passes for 185 yards and had a passer rating of 17.8. Yet Tennessee found their offensive strength with Derrick “King” Henry as he pummeled every Washington defender in his way for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Henry took no applause for his play and acknowledged that “It takes all of us.”

At the end of the day, Washington just could not cross the finish line. Wentz had the ball on the two-yard line, looking to score a touchdown with less than ten seconds left in the game. He dropped back, survived the play coverage, and then threw the ball directly into a Titans defender. His mistake was costly, sloppy, and easily could have been avoided.

And that’s how Washington’s season has been going. Every week it’s sloppier mistakes, which the other team is happy enough to devour. With over 25% of the season gone, the Commanders have essentially been eliminated from the playoffs after starting out 1-4. Coach Ron Rivera is on the hot seat and with another coach, Matt Rhule of the Carolina Panthers, already being fired, the clock has started to tick for Rivera’s time in Washington.

All this can be erased if the Commanders can pull a win against second-year quarterback Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. A key win in primetime could save a few coach’s jobs, but a loss to a young, and inexperienced team in Chicago would spell certain doom for the Commanders.