Gimme Him: One player Commanders would steal from Cowboys in Week 2

The Washington Commanders

’ Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles wasn't all that surprising. It was a road game against a divisional opponent, and the Commanders made a variety of changes throughout the offseason. There was always going to be a learning curve and an adjustment period as they figured things out. The good news is that things seemed to click before the end of the first game, which is something they can build on.

In Week 2, the Commanders’ task is no easier when they face the Dallas Cowboys on the road. What would make the game a little less uncomfortable would be if we could steal a player from the Cowboys to bolster the Commanders’ roster. This week’s edition of Gimmie Him was tough because the Commanders have a couple of glaring

holes, and the Cowboys’ roster offers multiple opportunities. So, it’s a little early in the season to pick a rookie, but we landed on the Cowboys’ nickelback Caleb Downs.

Last week, the Commanders’ safeties actually led the team in tackles. Nick Cross looked great in his Washington debut. However, third-year starting cornerback Mike Sainristil looked like he had no idea where he was supposed to be, who he was supposed to guard, or what adjustments he should be making. Rasul Douglas was mostly solid, while Amik Robertson played well. Meanwhile, Caleb Downs had an excellent game.

Against the New York Giants, Downs opened his rookie campaign against a division rival, and you’d never know he was a rookie. He recorded the fourth-most tackles on his team with eight (four solo), while adding a sack and one forced fumble. A rookie in his NFL debut who is facing a division rival on the road isn’t expected to be very effective. But even in a loss, Downs made his presence felt on the field at MetLife Stadium.

The Commanders need more of that. More productivity. More get-after-the-ball mentality. More decisive decision-making. And being in the right place at the right time certainly helps, too. This is one of the most glaring problems with the Commanders’ defense, and Downs could certainly fill that need.

Unfortunately, this scenario is fiction. The Commanders cannot steal Caleb Downs for one game, although it is fun to imagine the damage he could do alongside Nick Cross and Jeremy Reaves. Even with Sainristil and Douglas on the field, Downs could make a huge impact in the Commanders’ secondary as the cleanup guy. Plus, how much fun would it be to see Downs reunited with former college teammate Sonny Styles, who also had quite the NFL debut last week?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Gimme Him: One player Commanders would steal from Cowboys in Week 2