The Washington Commanders were dealing with some nagging injuries going into Sunday’s Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Fortunately, each of those players was on the field in Sunday’s heartbreaking 24-22 loss to the Eagles.
After the game, it appeared those players- edge rushers Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, defensive tackle Daron Payne, and others- were fine.
Unfortunately, Washington was dealing with other injuries during Sunday’s game. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was injured and did not return. Luvu picked up a sack in the first half. Tight end Chig Okonkwo left the game in the third quarter, and he did not return either. Linebacker Jordan Magee and safety/special teams standout Tyler Owens also left Sunday’s game.
After Sunday’s game,
head coach Dan Quinn said he didn’t have an update on the injured players.
Quinn met with the media on Monday and was asked about the injuries.
“So, the four of them, Frankie had a groin, and Chig and Jordan both had hamstrings, and Tyler had an ankle,” Quinn said. "I’ll have a better update Wednesday as to where they’re at. For the soft-tissue ones, we’ll need a day or two more with that. And then Tyler, if he can see how quickly he can turn around with his ankle. So I’ll have a better update for you, like who would be available for the game once I can see who can get into some practice work. I’ll give you an update on that Wednesday, but those were the four to discuss.”
This is your typical NFL coachspeak. While Quinn is right that he needs a little more time to evaluate the injuries, almost no coach gives an update until he has to. Why? That’s how NFL coaches handle injuries, because they still believe it’s some sort of competitive advantage.
Washington faces the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. It’s a huge game for both teams, as neither wants to begin the season 0-2, even more importantly, 0-2 in the NFC East. The Cowboys lost to the New York Giants in Week 1.
For the Commanders to win, they’ll need all hands on deck. The hamstring injuries are tricky. It seems like any time a player injures a hamstring or suffers any soft-tissue injury, they miss at least a week. That could mean bad news for Luvu, Okonkwo, and Magee. If Okonkwo can’t go, that likely means more opportunities for Ben Sinnott and Colson Yankoff in the passing game. We saw more of John Bates in Week 1. If Luvu and Magee miss next week, that thins Washington’s impressive linebacker depth, meaning Sonny Styles and Leo Chenal would likely need to go the distance.
We’ll have more on the Commanders’ injuries on Wednesday, when they return to practice. In some good news for Washington, linebacker/defensive end Dorance Armstrong returns for Sunday’s Week 2 game at Dallas. Armstrong tore his ACL last October in Dallas and worked his way back, but was suspended in Week 1 for an off-field issue.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What's the latest on Commanders' injuries ahead of Week 2?
