I often get accused of pumping out too many rainbows and unicorns when it comes to our favorite team in Washington. Well, this post will not have any mythical creatures or pots of gold at the end.
Yesterday’s loss of left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps is DEVASTATING for this football team!
There is no other way to put this. Losing Laremy Tunsil for ANY amount of time SUCKS! Tunsil is the best player on the team, a top three left tackle in the league and a veteran presence that was desperately needed along this offensive line. Although this team now has some really deep REDS (far more than we’ve had in the past decade), Laremy was the Commanders only BLUE.
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I will not sit here and play doctor and try to guestimate just how long it will take him to return but based on all reports I’m seeing regarding his type of injury, it will be months.
How does Tunsil’s loss affect play-calling?
This is a tough one…
The last two seasons under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Washington was a shotgun team. This season under David Blough, the Commanders are expected to be under center quite a bit, with a heavy focus on the run game.
Tunsil is a good (not great) run blocker, and the team should be able to get by in a scheme that utilizes a lot of outside zone running.
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Where his loss will be felt most is in the passing game.
Laremy is one of the best pass-protecting tackles in the league. He has elite footwork, strong hands and anchors well. The concern with being under center and running play-action, is that Jayden Daniels will be turning his back to the defense and these play-action shots do take a bit more time to develop. Whoever steps in at left tackle will need to make sure they are capable of protecting his blindside and allowing our receivers to work downfield.
In normal dropbacks, I would expect to see Blough keep a tight end in more often to help or have a running back chip. Of course, keeping a tight end in to block will eliminate them from being a threat in the passing game, but keeping Jayden upright is the bigger concern.
Creative play-calling, something Blough’s offense is supposed to hinge on, can also help whoever steps in. Motions and shifts can be utilized to put guys in the best spots to succeed, be that receivers or tight ends getting open quickly, or players being moved to help that left side.
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Who can step up?
The logical choice of players who are currently on the roster is third-year lineman Brandon Coleman.
Coleman is no stranger to left tackle. He started 22 games at TCU on the left side and as a rookie with Washington, he had 12 starts at left tackle during the regular season and started all three playoff games.
He’s a solid run blocker so this outside zone system should fit him well, and when he gets his hands firing in conjunction with his feet, he can do a good job in pass protection. The area he needs to improve is consistency with his hand placement and not over-setting which allows defenders to cross his face and get inside.
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Way too many times as a rookie he was beaten on outside moves where his feet were ok, but his hands were not. The oversetting can be corrected and solid play from Chris Paul to his right may also help here, but don’t kid yourself, he’s nowhere near the player Tunsil is, and pretending he is will only bring disappointment.
There is also a chance that Adam Peters puts in a call to unrestricted free agent tackle Taylor Decker. At 32, Decker still offers good ability and he’s a guy who has played for Ben Johnson, so his learning curve in the new offense may not be that steep.
Any way you slice it, this is a HUGE blow to an offense that was just seeming to click. The recent addition of Stefon Diggs gave hope to many Commanders fans that we had the firepower to compete for the NFC title. This recent setback dampens that hope a bit – as losing your best player often does.
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Let’s all hope Brandon Coleman is ready to step up to the challenge, or we can lure Taylor Decker to Washington to step in while Tunsil recovers.
As is the case in football, the next-man-up mentality will truly be tested in Washington. If there is any silver lining to Tunsil’s injury, it’s that it happened early in training camp – which now give the Commanders time to prepare for the regular season.
May the force be with us!
